Amidst the dynamic setting of the National Restaurant Association Show at McCormick Place, the Taste of Asia (TOA) Summit 2025 brought together over 200 founders, C-level executives, and investors to discuss the future of Asian food brands in North America.
Organized by the North American Asian Food & Hospitality Industry Association (NAAFIA), this third summit of the year further reinforced TOA’s role as an important platform for the development and connection of Asian culinary brands in North America. The event featured leaders from McDonald’s franchises, culinary experts from Lee Kum Kee, as well as tech innovators and capital strategists, with discussions focused on scaling, systemization, and cross-border innovation.
The day included closed-door panels, workshops, and informative keynotes. Ebrahim Maghsoud, a McDonald’s franchise owner with 14 stores and former chair of the Asian McDonald’s Operator Association, shared insights into how the franchise’s systems have supported Asian entrepreneurs in expanding with a more structured approach.
MenuSifu Co-founder and COO Yu Li discussed how profitability in the restaurant business is increasingly linked to systemic strength, not solely to the quality of food. MenuSifu, now supporting over 15,000 restaurants, showcased its full-stack digital solutions from POS to AI, designed to help restaurateurs improve operational efficiency and customer retention.
Dongfeng Wang, a former Meituan executive and now Chief Product Advisor at MenuSifu and founder of Wuwei Restaurant Group, outlined a structured five-step framework for product iteration that aims to make Chinese cuisine more standardized, replicable, and adaptable globally — moving beyond mere nostalgia or ethnic categorization.
Photo Courtesy: Taste of Asia
The summit was supported by four notable sponsors contributing to innovation and scalability in the foodservice industry:
- MenuSifu: A restaurant tech company providing cloud-based POS systems, data analytics, and integrated solutions to streamline restaurant operations.
- Lee Kum Kee: With over 130 years of experience in Asian sauces, the company’s U.S. Executive Chef Fred Wang led discussions on how traditional flavor profiles may evolve into scalable options in the American market.
- Botrista: CEO Sean Hsu demonstrated how its DrinkBot technology is supporting restaurants in automating beverage production, aiming to improve consistency and throughput.
- Workstream: Co-founder and CEO Desmond Lim highlighted how their AI-powered hiring and workforce management platform is addressing labor challenges across fast-growing restaurant chains.
Two panels addressed current industry trends. One examined the growing popularity of spicy flavors, with panelists from Lee Kum Kee and Essent Capital exploring how brands assess which trends may be incorporated into long-term menus.
Photo Courtesy: Taste of Asia
The second panel focused on automation and AI, with participants including Kizuki Ramen founder Brandon Ting and AC Marketing founder Henry Xiao, discussing how brands might replicate success across different regions by integrating automation, system solutions, and localized storytelling.
UNLV Professor and Executive Director of the Asian Innovation Hub Dr. Cervantes Lee concluded the day by discussing the process for Asian restaurant brands to consider going public in the U.S., using tea chain CHAGEE’s IPO journey as a case study. He highlighted that the average timeline for Chinese brands to list could range from 7 to 10 years, while emphasizing how the AIH is working to create fast-track pipelines for training and simulation.
As is typical at TOA, the summit ended with an exclusive yacht dinner on the Chicago River, attended by senior executives from the NRA, MenuSifu, Workstream, and brand founders from companies like Tai Er and Fanri Dao. This intimate setting provided a unique chance for open dialogue and cross-cultural strategic planning under Chicago’s sunset skyline.
Another highlight of the event was the global release of the 2025 North American Asian Dining Trends White Paper, co-produced by TOA, WeFood, and Restaurant Plus, with contributions from Lee Kum Kee and MenuSifu. The paper covers key issues related to expansion models, the role of digital tools, and the challenges that Asian food brands may face as they try to enter mainstream U.S. markets.
The next stop for TOA? Houston, Texas, on July 21, 2025, where discussions will continue on topics like capital, systematization, and the broader acceptance of Asian food brands in the American market.
