After 20 years operating a restaurant in the Chicago area, Wei Dong has decided to branch out.
In late November, Chen Garden will open within the Crossroads Mall in Fort Dodge.
Dong, who will operate the restaurant with his uncle, Lui Chan, said the menu will be unique to the area.
"We offer Chinese and Hibachi-type food," he said.
Hibachi refers to a style of Japanese cooking that uses an iron griddle to cook food.
Going into the restaurant business is a long-standing family tradition in Dong's family, he said.
Dong's grandfather was a restauranteur in China's Fujian Province, located in southeastern part of the country near Hong Kong.
"My dad and uncle moved from China to the U.S.," he said. "We've always done the restaurant business."
To keep his skills sharp, Dong said he makes annual trips to China for training.
"I work to learn new things about cooking," he said.
Construction continues at the restaurant, which occupies space vacated by Bonanza Steakhouse earlier this year. Dong and Chan will keep their existing restaurant, with Dong coming to Fort Dodge to manage Chen Garden.
"We had a marketing person check around and research," Dong said. "They recommended Fort Dodge."
Discussions to bring Dong and Chan to town began in June, said Larry Jessen, general manager of Crossroads Mall.
"We turned the keys over to them on Aug. 24," he said. "Since then, they've done a total gut and remodel."
Chen Garden is the second new restaurant to open at the mall in recent months.
On Oct. 2, the Roadhouse Bar & Grill opened for business in space that had most recently been occupied by Diamond Dave's Taco Co.
These recent additions bring the occupancy rate of Crossroads Mall to 83 percent, according to Jessen.
"I think an occupancy range in the 90 percent range is realistic," he said.
An aggressive effort to recruit businesses to the mall is currently under way, Jessen said.
"The thing I've been focusing on are the ma and pa type of operations," he said. "We can try to put them together out here so they see more traffic."
Contact Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net
