Atlanta isn’t necessarily the first destination California restaurant operators think of when they move beyond state lines to open a new venture, but Chris Yeo got an offer he couldn’t refuse.
The Hong Kong-born chef, who was raised and educated in Singapore, long has been known for his three locations of Straits in the San Francisco Bay Area. The restaurant is named for the Straits of Malacca, the waterway that separates Malaysia and Singapore, and features the cuisine of the region. Yeo also owns SINO Restaurant & Lounge in San Jose, Calif., which offers a Chinese menu.
Last year, Yeo was asked to open the fourth location of Straits in Atlanta with Grammy-winning rap artist and actor Chris “Ludacris” Bridges. The 200-seat venue opened in early May.
The two met after Yeo was invited by one of his employees to an event for the Ludacris Foundation, a nonprofit youth organization. Bridges later visited Yeo’s restaurants and fell in love with what he described as a “sexy dining experience.” A partnership was born.
FAST FACTS AGE: 55BIRTHPLACE: Hong KongEDUCATION: Hotel and Catering School in SingaporePERSONAL: married, two childrenHOBBIES: golf
How will the Straits in Atlanta differ from your California locations?
All my designs are different, and, foodwise, there are few changes. We put grits on the menu in Atlanta, but we do them with curry. We always had okra on the menu in California, but it doesn’t sell. It does in Atlanta, though. We’re also working on dishes like oxtail and collard greens. We will be using a lot of ingredients from local farms.
Does Bridges have a favorite dish?
The chicken lollipop in a sweet vinegar sauce. It was a dish at SINO, but he loved it so much, I brought it on the menu for him.
How often do you plan to be in Atlanta?
In Atlanta, I have my executive chef Jackie Ng, who has been working for me for about 10 years. I plan to be there at least a week to two weeks every month. Because my partner is a celebrity, a lot of celebrities will be there, so I’ll have to be there. It’s the first restaurant we are doing out of California, and we don’t want it to be a failure.
Are you looking for more locations outside California?
I’m going to start moving out of the Bay Area. It’s very difficult to operate there. I’m looking at Vegas, Miami, Dallas and Los Angeles.
Which concept?
Either Straits or SINO, it all depends on the location. The menu at Straits started out as just from Singapore, but I changed it to be more fun and more creative, picking up foods from Thailand and Vietnam. SINO is Chinese but modernized. I revamped the food for the general public.
In this tough economy, what made you feel this was the right time to expand?
I was very contented with my restaurants. But I was working long hours and seven days a week. Most restaurant owners say they can’t leave the restaurant.
But about 12 years ago, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I had to be out of the restaurant, and I found it was running just fine without me.
I’m 100 percent now. But after cancer, you see life differently. My wife is young, and I have kids. I was thinking, “If I don’t make this company become established, who would take care of them?”
