Beiruting.com Interviewed the co-founder of the international restaurant PF CHANG'S Mr. Philip Chiang & Genaro Perez the vice president of global Marketing on the 20th Anniversary of America's number one China Bistro PF CHANG.
Below you can read the Questions & Answers.
1.We would like to know more about your career life,and how did u get here?
Philip Chiang :
Well I was none in the business at all before I jumped in to the restaurant business,I was a Graphic Designer in Los Angeles,I had gone to Art school & my mother had opened a restaurant in San Francisco called Mandarette & also the second branch in Los Angeles & she started serving the food that she grew up with,& when she opened in Los Angeles in Late 70's she asked me just to keep an eye on her restaurant for a few months because she had to go to China to visit her family. So I said Yes,at that time I was sort of struggling designer & I was thinking that I could use the money and pay some bills & then go back to my art,but anyway 25 years later still in the business.
2.what is the purpose of opening these restaurants?
Genaro Perez :
Well we had enormous success internationally,even tho the brand has 20 years we went international 3 years and a half ago,It's going to be 4 years in December,The 1st restaurant internationally opened in Mexico following by Kuwait,so we started expanding with in the Latin America Region & Middle East Region,So today we have 240 restaurants around the world,when we saw the enormous acceptance the food had,we started to look into Lebanon,Turkey... & we opened PF Chang's in Lebanon on April Last Year,and its been great we've been very well received consumers liked not only the food but the ambiance & the service.we will continue expanding hopefully with-in the region.
3.How did you come up with the name PF CHANG?
Philip Chiang:
Well the other gentleman,he used to be a customer of mine, involved in this project,Paul Flaming,so he is really the founder,I just did the food part and he asked me to help him to open this Chinese restaurant.
4.Why & How did u choose Lebanon to be part of ur huge success?
Genaro Perez :
After Going into Dubai,Kuwait...Lebanon was the next logical step,Knowing the success we had in Middle East and looking at Lebanese consumer behaves,the Lebanese culture is all about food so we match & we decided specifically to open PF CHANG in Beirut ,actually we are opening the second branch here in Beirut at the end of this year at Beirut City Center.
5. What are your expectations today on the 20th anniversary of your bistro?
Philip Chiang:
Well to keep involving..for the better,keep improving into better food better service.
6.As we know there are over 200 locations worldwide are you planing to expand the number of PF CHANG restaurant?
Genaro Perez :
Yea,we have 240 as of today,we are opening in Jordan next week,this year we are going to open the 1st one in Abu Dhabi & Jeddah.
So Mexico for example has already 11 restaurants,Canada 3 Branches and we are opening more,so not only penetrating new countries,but also expanding in Countries.
Thank You for making us part of ur celebration & Thank you for your presence here with us.
