Pillsbury acquires Quik Wok

Pillsbury acquires Quik Wok

The acquisition follows General Mills' purchase of Leann Chin, a four-unit chain of buffet and take-out restaurants in the Twin Cities area. Many experts predict the Chiese restaurant category, now dominated by family-run operations, will be the next chain battleground.Photo: Burger King is slated to manage the nine-unit Quik Wok fast-food chain."I was down on my knees with no help when Kenneth Lau walked in and asked me if I needed a Chinese cook,' Andrews recalled. "It was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. We formed a corporation, and he became vice president. And it all mushroomed.'But between the opening of the first Golden Wok and the sale of Quik Wok to Burger King in late June, there were a lot of headaches and a lot of hard work, including 16-to 18-hour workdays."I feel like I lost one of my children,' she added, "But I know it's best for the concept.'When the Florida store proved as successful as the San Antonio units (average $440,000 in sales), Andrews set out to, in her words, "McDonaldize' the Chinese food business.After Golden Wok was up and running, Andrews was faced with a major problem: Where in San Antonio could she find a competent chef to relieve her of some of her cooking duties?The new project will be located in the ground floor and basement of a six-story apartment building on Great Jones Street in this city's Bowery district. It will feature two 2,600-sq.-ft. dining rooms, Tankursely said. His partner is Burt Harris.

Photo: Burger King is slated to manage the nine-unit Quik Wok fast-food chain.

Author: Mark Schoifet