Drive-through fast-food restaurants are a popular phenomenon in this country that fits the fast-paced American life style. Today on New American Voices Oksana Dragan will introduce you to Mark Kuan, an entrepreneur from Taiwan, who adapted this idea to his own business, a restaurant serving Chinese food.
Big chains like McDonald's and Burger King have been serving their customers hamburgers and french fries through their car windows for years. But Mark Kuan was the first to see the potential of this system for a Chinese restaurant. He opened Kuan's Kitchen in Pueblo, Colorado - a small city of 98,000 people - eight years ago, and has now expanded to two restaurants. The secret, he says, is to prepare all ingredients in advance, and to use food processors as much as possible in order to save time. Even though the dishes have to be simple so that they can be prepared quickly, Kuan's Kitchen has a menu of some 40 to 50 items, each costing between three and five dollars. Given the price and the convenience, it is not surprising that the restaurant does a brisk business.
Mr. Kuan believes that there are three key elements to a running a successful drive-through restaurant.
Mark Kuan did not learn the restaurant business in Taiwan. He came to the United States as a penniless young man fifteen years ago.
Visiting a friend in Pueblo, Colorado, Mark Kuan fell in love with the town, situated in the foothills of the spectacular Colorado Rockies. He says he decided to settle there and get away from the traffic-congested cities of the Northeast. He met and married a Japanese-American woman. His only regret is that their five-year-old daughter is growing up without the benefit of a Chinese community to strenghten her links to her Chinese heritage, which he would like her to maintain.
As for himself, Mark Kuan, who is in his forties, is not content with what he has achieved thus far. He has big plans for the future.
Next week you'll meet immigrants from India who try to make sure that their children, growing up in America and surrounded by American pop culture, nevertheless know and appreciate their South Asian heritage.