Asian Box business partners Frank Klein, Grace Nguyen, and Chad Newton announce plans to open a new location of their fast-casual restaurant in San Francisco later this summer, taking over the former Wolfgang Puck space in Macy’s Marketplace at Union Square. Asian Box debuted in the Silicon Valley in 2012 – first in Palo Alto and later in Mountain View. The team plans to expand outside of Northern California, launching three more locations outside of the Bay Area by 2014.
“Our current stores are outperforming expectations, and it’s time to expose other markets to this lifestyle brand we created. The reception to our more healthful approach and honest ingredients has been fantastic,” says Frank Klein, Founder and CEO of Asian Box and president of FK restaurants and hospitality. “We are out there creating meaningful jobs while focusing on next generation sustainability practices.”
“Macy's is always looking to partner with food brands that bring freshness and value to our customers; that's why we are so excited about Asian Box,” says Warren Wolfe Group vice president of Macy's food division. “From the first bite, we believe our customers will recognize Asian Box as unique, delicious and authentic.”
Lifestyle brand Asian Box bridges the gap between a fast-casual and neighborhood restaurant. Offering a flavorful, authentic, affordable, and cooked-to-order menu with all housemade sauces and marinades, Asian Box further differentiates itself by using only high-quality, all-natural ingredients, and compostable packaging. Their commitment to ingredients is also apparent in the use of full cuts of chicken, beef, and more, across the entire menu, unlike competitors that use ground parts of meat. “Transparency in ingredients is very important to today’s consumer, so with The Box, what you see is what you get,” Klein says.
Executive chef Grace Nguyen, formerly of Charles Phan’s acclaimed Slanted Door and Out The Door, and Asian Box culinary director Chad Newton, collaborate on the menu, blending colorful and aromatic foods found in Southeast Asia with a Northern California approach to cuisine. Nguyen’s Vietnamese heritage and classic training, mixed with Newton’s extensive experience in California restaurants, creates a menu that is not only authentic but full of local and fresh ingredients. The menu invites guests to experience a different combination with each visit.
