Pei Wei, the fast-casual division of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc., has opened its first restaurant on a college campus, which it sees as a possible expansion vehicle for the brand, executives said.
The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based brand partnered with Aramark on the Arizona State University campus to operate the new restaurant, which features a custom layout and menu. Aramark has served ASU since 2007. The restaurant opened last Thursday.
The ASU Pei Wei offers a grab-and-go counter and ASU-only menu items like a spicy mango wrap, grilled chicken banh mi and Sriracha Caesar salad. Prices start at $5.99, the company said.
“Pei Wei is hopeful that the success of this location will trigger many more college campus locations in the future,” a company spokeswoman noted. Pei Wei already has airport locations.
In addition to a campus-designed layout and menu, the ASU restaurant also employs a new digital kitchen display system that was designed to speed food delivery and eliminate the need for printed paper tickets. The company targets ticket times of five minutes on average.
Genaro Perez, P.F. Chang’s vice president of global brand development, in emailed answers explained the new kitchen display system, which borrows heavily from quick-service restaurants.
“Traditionally, when guests place an order at the counter, a paper ticket is printed and given to the chefs who are preparing the dishes,” Perez said. “The KDS technology replaces paper tickets with a TV monitor in the kitchen so that chefs can see all the orders in one place and prioritize the items in order of how they should be delivered. There are two monitors, one above the wok line and one in the back, so that both servers and cooks can track orders and deliver them at the right pace, ultimately providing a faster guest experience and eliminating the need to print paper tickets.”
Perez said the ASU location is “very space efficient” compared to traditional Pei Wei locations. It has one large counter with three registers as well as the grab-and-go area for quicker takeout options.
“The ASU location is very similar to our eight existing airport units, which are designed to serve a high volume of on-the-go customers at a fast pace,” Perez said. “Both feature custom-designed open layouts for a casual-dining experience as well as a ‘Grab & Go’ counter for students or travelers who need a quick bite between class or before their flight.”
Menu highlights include five varieties of sushi as well as Pei Wei’s popular Honey Seared Chicken and Kung Pao Chicken wok entrées.
“Today’s college students are looking for exciting flavors, customizable meals and greater convenience,” Brent Franks, chief operating officer for Aramark Education, said in a statement. “By partnering with Pei Wei, we can provide the campus community with additional menu options and believe that the brand is an excellent addition to the Sun Devil Dining portfolio.”
Mike Welborn, P.F. Chang’s president of global brand development, added: “We look forward to serving even more Phoenix-area diners and hope this is the first of many on-campus locations.”
The campus Pei Wei also offers extended service hours over traditional restaurants, remaining open a half hour later on weeknights to hour later on weekends to accommodate students, faculty and university staff. The campus unit is open 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Pei Wei has also pledged a $1,500 annual “let us Pei your Wei through college” scholarship to an undergraduate at the university.
Pei Wei owns and operates more than 200 restaurants in 25 states and the District of Columbia and licenses the Pei Wei brand for use by partner restaurant operators in airport and international locations.
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