P.F. Chang's Eats Recessions For Lunch
It's easy to dismiss P.F. Chang's as the Applebee's of Chinese food, but judging from the way the chain is handling itself during the recession, there's more fresh, original thinking behind the scenes than the somewhat bland menu would indicate.
In its newly redesigned, white space-heavy pages, Newsweek reports that P.F. Chang's is thriving when many restaurants are diving. While many have shuttered locations, P.F. Chang's plans on opening eight more in 2009.
P.F. Chang's rode the trading-up boom of this past decade, opening stores in tony malls and economic hot zones and becoming the first Chinese-food chain to reach $1 billion in revenue. But the days when you could simply open the doors and welcome consumers armed with credit cards and cash from mortgage refinancings are over.
In this downturn, the company has avoided wholesale restructuring and panicked discounting. For many restaurants, Chinese and otherwise, 2009 is the Year of the Closing. But no P.F. Chang's bistros have shuttered. Rather, it simply has worked hard at doing a better job running things. Co-CEO Rick Federico says that in early 2008, when traffic first softened, management went through "all elements of our business that don't touch our guests or our product" in a search for efficiencies. P.F. Chang's cross-trained prep cooks and line cooks, so the folks who dice chicken and vegetables can fry them up in woks, too. It also hired an expert to develop a new scheduling tool to better manage staffing.
The article goes on to say that P.F. Chang's introduced some well-timed discount meals last year, including lunch specials and a giant-sized dinner for two for under $40. It's a business model competitors may find as tantalizing as a lettuce wrap.
By the way, P.F. Chang's offshoot Pei Wei offers comparable food for lower prices.
P.F. Chang's Simple Recipe for Profits [Newsweek]
(Photo:Rory|FireShaper)
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Comments:
Cue the "It's not real chinese food" comments. I have found PF Changs to be a tad too expensive for all but special occasions. As for Pei Wei, we are hooked. Lettuce wraps and a dish to share comes out at under $20 which is pretty manageable.
I never bothered to try because I hear from everyone that the food quality is the same as take-out. Has anyone here ever tried P.F. Chang's, and is it any good?
Is there a lot of red in this article, or is it just me?
I absolutely DESPISE all Chinese Restaurants except for PEI WEI and PF CHANGS. They are amazing and I'd eat there any time. I absolutely cannot stand any other Chinese Restaurant, it's odd but it's just how i feel about Chinese food - I think it sucks balls in general except for Changs/Pei Wei
I can't stand PF Chang's, I find it disgusting. It's Applebee's food tossed in soy sauce. Why not get (semi-)authentic Chinese food from the dive around the corner for $5 a meal?
@xAnarChisTx: I find it to be quite good, personally.
I was a little surprised to hear it referred to as the "Applebee's of Chinese food," since here in Boston they kind of market themselves as an upper-tier restaurant where you go for special occasions and business dinners. And the prices certainly reflect that.
Ahh, blissfully unaware white people can rest easy that their midwest strip-mall generic "asian cuisine" is safe.
@xAnarChisTx: It's a lot better (at least at mine) than take out. I hate, hate, hate takeout food with a passion because it tastes awful to me, and full of MSG and grease. But I'm okay with PF Changs once in a while because I enjoy dining out, and I hate the takeout experience.
@xAnarChisTx: The one's that I've been to are good quality just not authentic. Which doesn't really bother me as it's good food. It's not as low quality as take out but it's not fancy gourmet.
@xAnarChisTx: The chicken lettuce wraps and Mongolian beef are amazing, and are generally always better than what I get through a quick take-out place.
I've always liked the ambiance of their restaurants as well. Seems a lot nicer and more laid back than your typical Americanized sit-down restaurant.
If you like Chinese food, and you enjoy takeout...you don't actually enjoy Chinese food. If you live anywhere near a Chinatown, go there, order something you wouldn't order at any takeout place and see the authenticity. Kung Pao Chicken is not authentic, sorry. I grew up eating authentic Chinese, and can safely be a snob about it. I like hot and sour soup, but I know that it's not something I'd actually get at an authentic place. It's like eating Taco Bell, knowing it's not real Mexican food. Some people can't distinguish the two, I urge them to educate themselves and see all the delicious and authentic offerings of ethnic cuisine of all kinds.
I have been to several P.F. Chang's, and the quality has always been good, the service has been excellent, and other than the wait times, I never have had a problem there. They are certainly not even close to being the Applebee's of Chinese food. We're not exactly rich, but we end up going once a week because it's fun in addition to being a good dining experience.
P.F. Chang's is excellent. Chinese takeout is awful, and not authentic, and not to mention loaded with MSG. P.F. Chang's doesn't use any of that stuff. My mother is Korean, so I've grown up eating authentic Korean food. She loves P.F. Chang's. Although I can say it's not nearly as good as my mother's food, it's an excellent place to get a good meal. Plus, there's no language barrier when you go there!
@pjorg: Yep, excellent marketing. They do exactly that - make themselves seem better than they really are. They do it with atmosphere, location and high prices.
Lettuce wraps are great...if you like lettuce. I don't, so there isn't anything special there for me. The rest of their menu is expensive for what you get.
"...a giant sized dinner for two for under $40" - yeah, I can get that plenty of places.
Just because it may not be authentic Chinese food, does not mean it isn't good. That would be like saying American pizza is not authentic Italian, so it can't be good. Does it matter if it is authentic or not, so long as you know it isn't and you still like it? Food is food; as long as it tastes good, that is what matters.
@supercereal: The food is good, but I'm happy with takeout any time so I don't feel compelled to eat there unless friends suggest it. A word of warning, don't order the lettuce wraps because you think it sounds like a healthy choice. I have a friend who was a chef there and he told me it's full of yummy yummy lard. (Tastes great, but not a "healthy" choice, even for an american chinese menu...)
Is P.F. Chang's a regional restaurant? I was trying to find a close location from where I live but there doesn't seem to be one within 100 miles. Which I find amazing, since Springfield Missouri freakin' loves it's American Chinese food. It's the birthplace of cashew chicken.
P.F. Chang's is awful. An ABC (American Born Chinese for those who don't know) friend of mine took me over to one for a meal. I hadn't been to one so it was more curiosity. The place was all decked out in some nice decor, but that was it.
The food was disgusting. They somehow managed to royally fuck up some wonton soup. The beef was so-so and didn't have any flavor.
I wouldn't serve it to my worst enemy. If I want really good Chinese food, there are plenty of places up here in SF.
@xAnarChisTx: Went for the first time a few weeks ago at my g/f's request for her birthday. Not bad, we had good service and the food is pretty good. We did the $39 dinner for two thing, and we had leftovers for a week. I would associate it in the same class/atmosphere as Stir Crazy or Big Bowl (is Big Bowl still around?). I won't be running back again and again, but overall I was happy b/c I got to have a few pints of Kirin Ichiban.
@Piri: Why people go to restaurants and choose "healthy" options boggles the mind. Maybe it's because I harbor a cynicism at nutritional value and calorie counting at restaurants. Enjoy your food. That cobb salad might be loaded with nutritious veggies, but it's big enough to feed a family of three and the dressing you precariously ladle into it negates any healthiness or calories you save. Just get the burger! Acknowledge that you want to enjoy your food, and it'll all be easier to swallow.
Everything in moderation, I say.
My wife and I tried to go to the one near us on a Thursday evening, and were turned away by an hour and a half wait. They must be doing something well if every seat in the house is taken on a weekday.
Haha, everyone on The Consumerist has such delicate pallets! I think PF Chang's is pretty tasty, actually, and I would say I'm not the only one. And Pei Wei hardly compares -- it's a fast food version, and the food is noticeably lower in quality.
I have to say that I was very surprised to hear it presented that way. I personally conisder PF Chang's to be a treat...the one by use is very nice, the food is very good, and sure, it costs a bit more than the other chinese places around...but it's also a lot nicer, and the food is better. It's a place you would definitely feel out of place in if you walked in wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and that's not that common anymore.
Very nice place, and I will always recommend it for good food, service, and atmosphere.
I LOVE PF Chang's. I'm glad to hear they're doing well. I've never had a bad experience in the ones I visit in Orlando. I've found their prices to be a little high but usually that's when I'm ordering drinks or appetizers along with the meal. There's a lot to be said for not panicking in these times and looking internally to rework expenses and productivity.
@korybing: It's not exactly regional, but from what I understand, there aren't 80 million locations like Applebees or Outback. I'm pretty sure they're trying to preserve the upscale nature of it by not putting one in Podunk, Oklahoma, population 3,000.
Springfield, MO is about a medium sized city, I'd say...but the average income levels (according to Wikipedia) fall short of many of the areas in which PF Changs plants its restaurants. No offense to you, I've never been to Springfield, MO. But from a cursory look around, I think it's why you may not have one right now, from a branding perspective.
as a midwesterner attending school in nyc who worships at the altar of applebee's, i love pf chang's. it's pretty good food at a decent price for a market where you'd be hard-pressed to find better.
just sayin'. give me takeout that's as good as pf chang's, and i'd go. but there's not.
Points all taken and valid.
But, the fact of PF Chang's as a restaurant is that it is highly successful - the one by us is packed all the time. People like the place, the food, the service, the atmosphere...all of it, as far as I can tell.
So call it Chinese, or Asian, or whatever you want to call it. It's just plain good. And highly successful.
For the record, I got addicted to "real" Mexican food growing up relying on a place that got shut down on a regular basis by the immigration police - every once in a while they'd ship all their non-green-card-having personnel back to Mexico, and the place would be closed until they could get it back. Awesome, authentic food that bore not much resemblance to Taco Bell.
On the other hand, I could also eat Taco Bell every day for the rest of my life. It's good too...just as an evaulation of the food itself, whether it's particularly authentic or not.
@billbillbillbill: My girlfriend and I hit up Pei Wei every Sunday. It's become a tradition. Not only is the food great (i'm talking to you, Coconut Curry Chicken), but the floor staff is always happy and helpful.
@pecan 3.14159265: Agreed. There's nothing wrong with a 3000 calorie meal on special occasions. If it were a weekly habit, then there might be some problems.
We have a PG Chang's sitting around somewhere. Good to know there is at least one gift card in my possession that I don't need to have to rush to use before the place closes down!
I could not agree with you more. I am always hearing that "It's not authentic Chinese food" or "So and so is not authentic this or that."
So freaking what? If you like it, then enjoy it for what it is, wherever it is, good food.
Personally, I very much enjoy P.F. Chang's, though I don't go very often due to the inevitable long wait and high prices.
@YouDidWhatNow?: Really? I don't dress up at all when I go to PF Chang's. It's more casual dining for me. If I were going to Ruth Chris Steakhouse, yeah I'd dress up...but for PF Changs? They don't care at all.
@pecan 3.14159265: Nah, no offense taken. Springfield is pretty podunk, to tell the truth. Normally I wouldn't be surprised to see a place like that not make it's way here, a lot of things don't make their way here, but this town is batshit for American Chinese food, so I was surprised to hear of an apparently popular Chinese chain that didn't have a store here.
@QADude: It's always disappointing when you're at a restaurant that cares more about the decor than it cares about the food it's serving.
@trippinbillyfl: I love Pei Wei. Unfortunately, the two closest ones to me just closed this year. One of them was replaced with a Leanne Chin, which is orders of magnitude inferior. I was so disappointed.
I'm not sure why anyone would go to PF Chang's. I've been there a few times and have yet to be impressed by the food. The service is always wonderful, but the food tastes kinda bland. I've received better tasting food from the 1$ Chinese places around town.
When I was a kid one of my best friends was a Chinese immigrant. And man, could his Mother cook. Trust me, I went there often and I know real Chinese food. And then there is me. I am an Argentine/Italian immigrant and my Mother can do some serious Italian cooking. Based upon this experience I think I can make some analogies regarding faux ethnic food (and this is definitely not real Asian food). The closest comparison between PF Changs is Macaroni Grill. The difference being that the ambience at Changs is significantly more tolerable - actually even pleasant -- and the food is much better. Yes, we all know its fake and bad for us but it is a pleasant night out and good for a first date.
@YouDidWhatNow?: Oh definitely. I enjoy PF Changs, because I enjoy upscale dining (or relatively upscale...PF Changs isn't that fancy), but I also want a good meal and good service. There's a time and place for everything. I wouldn't celebrate a friend's birthday in a hole in the wall Chinese place unless that's what she wanted, regardless of how good the food is. It's about striking a balance.
I, on the other hand, hate Taco Bell and have stayed far away from it. Taco Bell free since .....2000?
Looks like I will have to try them out. My gf and I have contemplated going there, seeing how they came around here a year ago. I'll have to check the menu to see if they have anything spicy. =D
@QADude: It's really weird to me that the Asian community has come up with all sorts of acronyms to describe themselves. I'm Chinese, I'm an American citizen. That's pretty much all the description I personally need. I find the self-descriptive acronyms a little ridiculous.
But on the topic at hand...what kind of Chinese food are you used to? I've had all kinds, and while PF Chang's certainly isn't the greatest in terms of authenticity, it doesn't pretend to be authentic. For what it is, compared to other "Asian fusion" or non-authentic places in the same class, I find it to be pretty good. Maybe it was just the one you went to, cause mine serves really good food. Not authentic, but that's not a requirement with me.
@pecan 3.14159265: Eating at chain restaurants is like "touring Europe" by staying in various hotel lobbies.
Live, people. Live!
Another strategy not mentioned here that I love from Changs is the "micropurchase dessert".
They've created a tray of eight dessert choices that are little bigger than a shot glass, and priced low ($1.49, I think) so they're a tempting add-on. I can't count how many times I've been seated near a family that will proclaim being "too full for dessert" when asked, only to reverse course and order two or three mini-desserts when shown the tray.
As somebody who doesn't usually eat dessert for diet reasons (but who is married to a sweet tooth), I really wish more restaurants would take this approach as I hate spending $5-$7 for my wife to enjoy half a dessert.
@pecan 3.14159265: Just because it's not "authentic" doesn't mean it's not great or worth the money.
I've had authentic Mexican food (having grown up in Arizona) and more Americanized Mexican food. Both are good, depending on your mood and where you're going.
"Not authentic" doesn't mean it's not awesome.
@pecan 3.14159265: I agree, the quality, taste, and presentation is another level beyond takeout. You get what you pay for, nice to see PF's thriving.
Is that the PF Chang's in Columbia, MD?