The Race to Build the Next Great Asian Fast-Casual Chain

Aks Sethi remembers the moment that changed the trajectory of his business. In 2014, the entrepreneur—then four years into running Thai Chili, a sit-down restaurant in Gilbert, Arizona—walked into a Chipotle and saw the future.

At the time, Thai Chili offered a sprawling menu of items rooted in the street food traditions of Thailand. But the visit to the fast-casual giant revealed a different path forward. Sethi already had the data showing which dishes guests ordered most often. Working from that insight, he and his team cut more than 90 items down to a focused lineup of about 15 core dishes built around curries, noodles, rice, stir-fries, and a handful of appetizers.

The result was Thai Chili 2Go, a fast-casual spinoff that debuted in Queen Creek, Arizona, in 2015.

Fast forward a decade, and the concept closed out its first 10 years with 18 units and another four openings slated for the year ahead. For now, the system remains concentrated in Arizona, where Sethi says the company will continue expanding as it identifies the right sites and communities.