Wok Box Fresh Asian Kitchen, a Canadian-based fast-casual chain, has opened its latest restaurant in Arlington.
Located in the College Plaza at 1308 S. Cooper St., the new restaurant is the second of 30 planned for the Metroplex over the next 10 years. The first location opened last year in Irving.
Wok Box specializes in fresh, wok-cooked Asian cuisine, offering menu options influenced by the flavors of 10 Asian regions, including Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, Korea, China, Japan, India, Cambodia and Vietnam.
“Wok Box brings authentic flavors from all across Asia into communities where these experiences are lacking. Arlington presents a great opportunity for Wok Box to expose a wide range of customers to high quality product in a fast-casual environment,” said Wok Box CEO Lawrence Eade. “Customers come back to us again and again because of the experience and value at Wok Box. We look forward to winning over the people of Arlington, as well as the broader Dallas-Fort Worth area, as we have across many other markets.”
Founded in 2004 as a single store in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Wok Box began franchising in 2006 and has grown to more than 50 stores throughout Canada, the United States and Qatar.
The main meals consist of fresh stir fry noodle boxes, rice boxes and Asian street tacos. Customers then choose between grilled chicken, grilled beef, grilled pork, wok’d shrimp or wok’d tofu before further customizing their meal with a selection of eight signature sauces and 14 toppings. There are also four classic boxes to choose from as well as vegan dishes.
In addition to the three main entrée categories, Wok Box offers Asian salads and small bites like spring rolls, chicken gyozas, edamame and cheesy kimchi fire balls.
“We’re totally different than anything else in the Arlington fast-casual segment, providing eager eaters with a craving for Asian-inspired meals a variety of multi-faceted flavors under one roof,” said Jags Patel, who owns the franchising rights to the North and West Texas market. “We’re not just Japanese, we’re not Chinese, we’re not Thai. We’re the best of all those countries. And then some.”
Patel is currently eyeing other areas for additional stores, including Frisco, Keller, Flower Mound and Richardson, among others.
Betty Dillard
bdillard@bizpress.net