We’re very excited to introduce the latest addition to our growing group of developing brands – Balance Pan-Asian Grille (Balance). The “Hip Spot for Clean Pan Asian Food” has been shaking up the fast-casual scene in Toledo, Ohio since 2010 with a refined focus on clean eating, a literal approach to menu transparency and ahead-of-the-curve tech integration.
A New Wave in Fast-Casual
The brainchild of best friends and University of Toledo grads HoChan Jang and Prakash Karamchandani, Balance successfully reinvents both the fast-casual concept and Asian Fusion cuisine. Their wildly flavorful menu includes bowls, tacos, snacks and bubble tea (our West Coast friends might know it as boba), and an array of tangy sauces.
The food-forward concept is also dead-set on authenticity and transparency. The entire kitchen, from the production line to the walk-in cooler, is encased in glass so customers can see every step of the process and every delicious ingredient that goes into their meal. Balance is focused on serving healthy food that doesn’t skimp on flavor, with plenty of options for their health-conscious customers – tacos that suit a fitness-forward diet, an array of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free bowls and a ton of other goodness going on in between.
The robust menu selection is made with only the freshest ingredients available – in fact, walking around the kitchen at any Balance location, you won’t find any freezers, toasters, or microwaves. The fresh guarantee is thanks, in part, to indoor aquaponics farms they’ve established near their restaurants to bolster their supply of produce. The future is now, and it tastes delicious.
A Look Beyond the Menu
They’re not just innovating on their menu. Balance is proudly employee-centered, adopting practices and policies that have a positive impact on the hard workers that make their business run smoothly, and the communities they serve.
Balance owners focus on building valuable skills and instilling confidence and purpose within all of their trainees as they pass through the set stages of employee development, each of which they’ve given affectionate names like Ninja and Samurai. It’s nowhere near a typical QSR concept – everyone from top to bottom is as authentic as they come.
And it Gets Even Better
As technology integration becomes more of a make-or-break aspect of restaurant businesses, Balance is already leading the charge into the future of the industry. They deep-sixed the new millennium’s “no cell phones” rule in favor of a pragmatic alternative. Balance employees use their phones for training, tracking work, scheduling, switching shifts and more, opening up lines of communication that make the business more effective.
A back-of-house app allows employees to trade hourly shifts as they want or need, so they can skip the trip to the manager’s office and take the time they need when they need it. The app also imbues employees with a stronger sense of personal accountability – they use it to print tags to place on the meat and vegetables they prep, so more experienced staff can check their progress and help them learn more efficiently.
Growing with the Team at PGP
We are so excited to be working with CJ and Prakash to help Balance expand. We’ll provide oversight in all avenues of Balance’s growth, operating as part of the company’s C-suite team and directing marketing, human relations, financials, operations, and more to ensure strong, sustainable growth and a bright future for this rising star of a restaurant franchise.