Pick Up Stix

Last updated

Pick Up Stix
Industry Restaurants
Founded1989;35 years ago (1989) in Rancho Santa Margarita
FounderCharlie Zhang
Headquarters Laguna Hills, California, United States
Number of locations
More than 70
Key people
Linda Nelson, COO and Lorne Goldberg, owner
Number of employees
1,000
Parent Mandarin Holdings
Website www.pickupstix.com

Pick Up Stix is an American fast-casual restaurant chain based in Laguna Hills, California, [1] that serves fresh Asian cuisine (or Chinese-American cuisine as well) through corporate-owned restaurants and franchises in Southern California. The company serves both dine-in and take-out customers, and offers offsite catering and some delivery services. It also supplies meals to private schools as part of a school lunch program. It is owned by Lorne Goldberg's Mandarin Holdings, the parent company of Leeann Chin, who bought the company from Carlson Companies in 2010. [2]

Contents

All of the company's food is cooked-to-order over high-heat burners using traditional woks. In a readers' poll in the June 2008 issue of San Diego Magazine , [3] Pick Up Stix was named one of the three "Best Takeout" restaurants in San Diego.

History

Pick Up Stix was created by a Chinese immigrant, Charlie Zhang, who moved to the United States in 1982 with only $20 in his pocket. [4] He took traditional Asian food and adapted it to the American palate by reducing the amount of oil and adding wine, vinegar and soy sauce. He opened the first restaurant in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, in 1989. By 1992, there were two more locations in Orange County, in Irvine and Laguna Niguel. [5] Two years later, the chain expanded into San Diego County with locations in Del Mar, Carlsbad and San Diego. [6] In July 2001, the company was acquired by Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, a unit of the Carlson Companies. [7] The company is headquartered in Laguna Hills, California, [8] and owns and operates its own food-processing facility. Zhang remained as president and CEO of the company until his retirement in 2003. [9] In 2010, Carlson Restaurants Worldwide sold the company to Lorne Goldberg's Mandarin Holdings. There are over 70 locations throughout the United States.

Closings

In early 2008, 26 locations were closed in California, Nevada and Arizona in order to "focus on stronger markets". [10] In 2010, all locations in Nevada and Arizona were closed although Pick Up Stix' Facebook page encouraged these states' local customers to continue to enjoy their menu at various California locations. However, in late 2012 the Food Court in the Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas underwent a major renovation. As a result of the renovation Manchu Wok was removed and a branch of Pick Up Stix was put in its place. In 2022, their Rancho Santa Margarita location was closed. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Chinese cuisine</span> Chinese cuisine developed by Chinese Americans

American Chinese cuisine is a cuisine derived from Chinese cuisine that was developed by Chinese Americans. The dishes served in many North American Chinese restaurants are adapted to American tastes and often differ significantly from those found in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange County, California</span> County in California, United States

Orange County is a county located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, and more populous than 19 American states and Washington, D.C. Although largely suburban, it is the second-most-densely-populated county in the state behind San Francisco County. The county's three most-populous cities are Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine, each of which has a population exceeding 300,000. Santa Ana is also the county seat. Six cities in Orange County are on the Pacific coast: Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and San Clemente.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mission Viejo, California</span> City in the United States

Mission Viejo is a commuter city in the Saddleback Valley in Orange County, California, United States. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States and is rivaled only by Highlands Ranch in size. Its population as of 2020 was 93,653.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rancho Santa Margarita, California</span> City in California, United States

Rancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California, United States. One of Orange County's youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master-planned community. The population was 47,853 at the 2010 census, up from 47,214 at the 2000 census. Although it is named for Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores, which was in San Diego County, the city limits fall within the borders of Rancho Mission Viejo. At 20 characters long, it is the longest city name in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margarita</span> Mexican cocktail of tequila and orange liqueur

A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Some margarita recipes include simple syrup as well and are often served with salt on the rim of the glass. Margaritas can be served either shaken with ice, without ice, or blended with ice. Most bars serve margaritas in a stepped-diameter variant of a cocktail glass or champagne coupe called a margarita glass. The margarita is one of the world's most popular cocktails and the most popular tequila-based cocktail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trabuco Canyon, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Trabuco Canyon is a small unincorporated community located in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains in eastern Orange County, California, and lies partly within the Cleveland National Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubio's Coastal Grill</span> Mexican-American fast casual restaurant chain

Rubio's Coastal Grill, formerly known as Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill and Rubio's Baja Grill, is an American fast casual "Fresh Mex" or "New Mex" restaurant chain specializing in Mexican food, with an emphasis on fish tacos. As of 2024, Rubio's operates, licenses, or franchises 86 restaurants in Arizona, California and Nevada. It previously had locations in Colorado, Florida and Utah. The chain announced store closings and a bankruptcy filing the same year with plans to sell itself to lenders. It is headquartered in Carlsbad, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pei Wei Asian Diner</span> American restaurant chain serving Pan Asian food

Pei Wei Asian Diner, LLC, doing business as Pei Wei Asian Kitchen, ) is an American restaurant chain serving Pan Asian fare, operating in at 119 locations in the United States. Pei Wei's dishes are made to order in an open concept kitchen using cooking methods like wok firing. The restaurant offers guest customization that includes vegetarian and gluten-free options.

California's 40th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California, encompassing Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. The district is currently represented by Republican Young Kim. It was one of 18 districts that would have voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election had they existed in their current configuration while being won or held by a Republican in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchu Wok</span> Canadian Chinese-themed fast food restaurant chain

Manchu Wok Inc. is a Canadian fast food restaurant chain that specializes in Chinese fusion cuisine. The brand operates 57 locations across eight Canadian provinces and 13 in the US. The chain operates in shopping malls, airports and some US military installations. It is owned by Canada-based MTY Food Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daphne's Greek Cafe</span>

Daphne's Greek Cafe or, Daphne's California Greek is an American fast-casual Greek restaurant operating in California. The restaurant name refers to Daphne of Greek mythology whom the god Apollo desired.

Leeann Chin is an American Asian quick service restaurant chain, with over 50 locations throughout the Midwest, mostly in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. The chain was founded by its namesake, Leeann Chin, and funded by Carl Pohlad and actor Sean Connery. The concept received Best Chinese Food and Best Takeout Food as well as being voted No. 80 in a list of the country's top 100 by fast casual restaurant industry website FastCasual.com in 2011. It is currently owned by Los Angeles-based financier and former investment banker Lorne Goldberg, who also owns the popular Asian chains Pick Up Stix and Mandarin Express.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wahoo's Fish Taco</span> American restaurant chain

Wahoo's Fish Taco is a U.S.-based restaurant chain that offers Mexican food mixed with Brazilian and Asian flavors. Categorized as a "fast casual restaurant", the quality and preparation time of its food is between that of a fast-food restaurant and a more formal restaurant. Wahoo's provides many vegetarian and some vegan options, such as tofu, banzai veggies and brown rice, and also provides a kids' meal menu. They serve wahoo fish in their tacos, as well as Mahi-mahi.

Panda Inn is a chain of sit-down Chinese restaurants in California owned and operated by the Panda Restaurant Group.

Rancho Valle de San Felipe was a 9,972-acre (40.36 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day San Diego County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Felipe Castillo. The grant was located in the San Felipe Valley in the Laguna Mountains east of present-day Julian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeann Chin (restaurateur)</span> American restaurateur

Leeann Chin was a Chinese-born American restaurateur, entrepreneur and businesswoman who founded the Leeann Chin restaurant chain in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, which features her name, in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Kan</span> Chinese American restaurateur and author based in San Francisco between 1950s and 1970

Johnny Kan (1906–1972) was a Chinese American restaurateur in Chinatown, San Francisco, ca 1950–1970. He was the owner of Johnny Kan's restaurant, which opened in 1953, and published a book on Cantonese cuisine, Eight Immortal Flavors, which was praised by Craig Claiborne and James Beard. Kan and Cecilia Chiang are credited with popularizing authentic Chinese cuisine as a fine dining option, displacing the stereotypical chop suey American Chinese cuisine prevalent in the 1950s and 60s.

Baja Med is a term conceived by Chef Miguel Ángel Guerrero that refers to fusion cuisine of Mexican cuisine, such as chicharrón and cotija cheese, with those of Mediterranean, such as olive oil, and Asian cuisine, such as lemongrass. Baja Med dishes showcase the fresh produce and seafood of Baja California.

Javier's is an upscale Mexican restaurant chain owned by Javier Sosa. Sosa operates Javier's restaurants in California, Nevada, and Mexico. The first Javier's was founded by Sosa in 1995 in Laguna Beach, California.

References

  1. ↑ "Contact Us". Pick Up Stix. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  2. ↑ Vomhof, John Jr. (December 21, 2010). "Leeann Chin owner buys Pick Up Stix from Carlson Cos". L.A. Biz .
  3. ↑ "2008 Readers Poll Picks". San Diego Magazine . June 2008. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Tillman, Jodie (September 14, 2016). "How Pick Up Stix founder Charlie Zhang went from farmworker to millionaire". Orange County Register .
  5. ↑ Morgan, Kitty (July 10, 1992). "Carting it home is half the fun - Chinese takeout from Pick-Up-STIX is fresh family food - and comes in those cartons" . Orange County Register . p. 42.
  6. ↑ Kleven, Robin (May 5, 1994). "Hungry at five or six? Try Pick Up Stix" . San Diego Union Tribune . p. 44.
  7. ↑ "Carlson Restaurants to Buy Pick Up Stix". Los Angeles Times . June 8, 2001.
  8. ↑ "Contact Us". Pick Up Stix. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Charles Zhang, President and CEO of Pick Up Stix, Announces Retirement; Search for Successor is Underway". PR Newswire (Press release). March 6, 2003. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  10. ↑ Anderson, Mark (January 17, 2008). "Pick Up Stix closes eight local restaurants". Sacramento Business Journal .
  11. ↑ "Excalibur Hotel & Casino Introduces New Castle Walk Food Court". Vegas News. December 10, 2012.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.