

And speaking of price, the Pick Up Stix prices may be more expensive but the quality of the food more than makes up for it. Think of Pick Up Stix as the fancier, healthier and more expensive cousin of its competitors that offer Chinese cuisine (e.g., Panda Express) and you will get the idea. The dishes are cooked in traditional woks over high-heat burners, a traditional way of cooking food in China that preserves most of the flavors, textures, and appearance of the ingredients. Pick Up Stix serves made-to-order, or woked-to-order, Chinese dishes in a fast casual environment.

The company owns and operates a food processing facility exclusively dedicated to its restaurant operations. At present, there are more than 70 Pick Up Stix restaurants across the United States. In 2010, Lorne Goldberg’s Mandarin Holdings purchased Pick Up Stix from Carlson Restaurants Worldwide. In July 2001, however, Carlson Restaurants Worldwide acquired the chain although Zhang himself remained as its Chief Executive Officer and President until his retirement in 2003. Within three years, Zhang opened two more restaurants in Orange County followed by locations in San Diego County two years after. He then reduced the amount of oil used in the dishes while also adding vinegar, soy sauce and wine to most of the food. He opened his first Pick Up Stix in 1989 in Rancho Santa Margarita, California with the dream of introducing a healthier version of Asian dishes suited for the American palate.

In 1982, Charlie Zang came to the United States as a poor immigrant with just $20 to his name. Pick Up Stix is a story of determination and dedication to a dream. The restaurants serve dine-in and take-out customers, as well as offers in-school and off-site catering services. There’s also the fact that the United States has a strong Asian community with deep ties to their culinary traditions – and these are the reasons for the enduring popularity of Pick Up Stix, too!īased in Laguna Hills, California, Pick Up Stix is a chain of fast casual restaurants that serves Chinese-American cuisine. KIDS HOUSE SPECIAL CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLESĪsian cuisines, especially Chinese cuisine, are popular in the United States because of their delicious flavors, beautiful presentations, and reasonable prices.
