Pei Wei Asian Diner facts for kids
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Pei Wei Asian Diner, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
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Trade name
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Pei Wei Asian Kitchen |
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Formerly
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Pei Wei Asian Diner (2000–2018) |
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| Industry | Restaurant |
| Genre | Fast Casual |
| Founded | 2000 in Scottsdale, Arizona as Pei Wei Asian Diner |
| Headquarters | Irving, Texas,
United States
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Number of locations
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119 (2021) |
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Area served
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United States |
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Key people
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Lorne Goldberg, CEO |
| Products | American Asian cuisine |
| Owner | PWD Acquisition LLC |
Pei Wei Asian Kitchen is a popular American restaurant chain. It serves delicious Pan Asian food. You can find Pei Wei in many places across the United States. They make all their dishes fresh when you order them. They use special cooking methods like "wok firing" in an open kitchen. This means you can often see your food being cooked!
Pei Wei also lets you customize your meal. They have options for people who are vegetarian or need gluten-free food.
This type of restaurant is called "fast casual." It's a mix of fast food and a sit-down restaurant. You order at the counter, like fast food. But then, your food is brought to your table, like a regular restaurant. Pei Wei also has a special door for picking up takeout orders quickly.
Contents
History of Pei Wei
Pei Wei Asian Diner started in 2000. It was created by P. F. Chang's China Bistro. P. F. Chang's wanted to have a restaurant that offered quick, made-to-order Pan Asian food. This was different from their main restaurant, which was a full-service dining experience.
Early Growth and Expansion
The very first Pei Wei restaurant opened in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2000. The company quickly grew. By December 2001, they opened their first location outside Arizona, in Dallas, Texas. In June 2002, they opened their first California restaurant in Irvine.
Pei Wei reached a big milestone in October 2006. They opened their 100th restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas. By 2010, there were 168 Pei Wei locations. Most of these were in states like California, Texas, Arizona, and Florida. They were also starting to open restaurants in the Northeast and Midwest.
In July 2012, the company that owned Pei Wei, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc., was bought by Centerbridge Partners.
Modern Updates and Technology
Over the years, Pei Wei added new features to make dining easier. In July 2015, they started a customer loyalty program. This program lets customers earn points for free food. Pei Wei was also one of the first restaurant chains to accept Apple Pay. They added this payment option to all their locations in August 2015.
Customers can also order takeout food online. In September 2016, Pei Wei launched its own mobile app. This app lets people find restaurants, look at the menu, order, and pay using their phone.
New Locations and Rebranding
In August 2015, Pei Wei opened its first restaurant on a college campus. This was at Arizona State University. Later that year, in October 2015, Pei Wei opened its 200th location in Richardson, Texas.
During 2016, Pei Wei closed some of its restaurants in states like Ohio and Louisiana. However, they also opened new ones. That same year, they opened five restaurants in Florida, four in Texas, and one in Arkansas.
Pei Wei also worked on changing its brand image. They wanted to offer healthier food options. They added quinoa to their menu and introduced new salads and smaller meal choices. In 2016, they opened a special "Pei Wei Test Kitchen" in Scottsdale. Here, they could try out new menu items and get feedback from customers.
At the end of 2017, Pei Wei became a separate company from P.F. Chang's China Bistro. Because of this, Pei Wei moved its main office to Irving, Texas. As part of this change, they updated their brand. They got a new tiger logo and officially changed their name to Pei Wei Asian Kitchen in February 2018.
On June 5, 2019, Pei Wei was sold to a company called PWD Acquisition LLC.
Pei Wei Around the World
Pei Wei has also tried to open restaurants in other countries.
Mexico Locations
In 2011, Pei Wei made a deal with a company called Alsea to open restaurants in Mexico. The first Pei Wei in Mexico opened in 2012. However, these restaurants did not do as well as expected. All three locations in Mexico City closed by the end of 2014.
Middle East Locations
In August 2012, Pei Wei opened its first restaurant in Kuwait. This location was run by a company called M.H. Alshaya Co.. The same company opened the first Pei Wei in Dubai, U.A.E., in April 2013. By the end of 2014, Pei Wei had five international locations: two in Kuwait and three in the United Arab Emirates.
South Korea Location
In September 2016, Pei Wei opened its first restaurant in East Asia. This was in South Korea, through a partnership with ELX Food & Beverage. The Korean location is in Seoul's Starfield Hanam, which is a very large shopping mall. The company had plans to open more locations in South Korea.
See also
- List of Chinese restaurants
- P. F. Chang's
