Corporations join Pan-Asian dining trend

A new corporate is launching in South Florida, which took over mom-and-pop Chinese restaurants and kitschy take-out containers’ domination place in Asian food industry. It delivered the latest wave of fast-casual dining created to yield a larger share of the $12 billion annual Asian restaurant market. Mirroring the operating strategy of other fast-casual eateries, the Pan-Asian concept became popular in recent years to feed the nation’s more health conscience but on-the-go culture. These chains are designed to bridge the gap between fast-food and sit-down restaurants. In the Pan-Asian fast-casual arena, fast and competitive price are two major elements. However, fast doesn't mean frozen, Mike Burdick, co-owner of the region's inaugural Mama Fu's said. Quality is paramount to achieve repeat business and pricing beyond the standard fast-food fare. Long popular in California, Pan-Asian eateries might be late arrivals to South Florida's crowded fast-casual arena, but they are likely to stay. Operators and industry watchers say the region's affluent and gourmet-savvy consumers are ripe for this type of dining. "I think you are going to see an influx of them," Boca Raton-based restaurant broker Tom Prakas said. "I don't think it has even cut the surface yet." But finding the right cooks for their style of cooking creates one of the bigger hurdles for Pan-Asian operators. "Wok cooking is very intense and very specialized," Prakas said. "You can't just throw any line cook up there." "In this type of concept, the labor is a challenge." http://southflorida.bjzjournals.com/southflorida/stories