Wok to Walk’s new store at 695 Broad Street in Newark — Courtesy: Ripco Real Estate
By Joshua Burd
An Asian-themed fast casual chain has made its debut in New Jersey and is now seeking to open at least a dozen more locations in the next three years, according to Ripco Real Estate.
The retail brokerage said the operator, Wok to Walk, opened its first Garden State restaurant in Newark late last month. The restaurant occupies a space in The Shoppes on Broad at 695 Broad Street, alongside stores such as Nike, Starbucks, Grabbagreen and Qdoba and in a neighborhood with the likes of Prudential Financial and Whole Foods.
With more than 70 restaurants worldwide, Wok to Walk is now scheduled to open its second New Jersey site in May on Washington Street in Hoboken. And Ripco brokers, who represent the chain, say they’re on the hunt for other locations in the state between 900 to 1,700 square feet.
“In today’s fast-paced environment, we see Wok to Walk as a terrific solution for getting tasty healthy food, cooked quickly and fresh to order, in a comfortable setting,” said Alison Horbach of Ripco, who is based in the firm’s Lyndhurst office. “New Jersey being the most densely populated state with very strong office markets should be an ideal place for them to expand.”
Wok to Walk’s model calls for a three-step menu of Asian take-away or dine-in cuisine incorporating fresh noodles, toppings and a variety of sauces, Ripco said. The ingredients for each dish are stir-fried in a wok and served in less than five minutes.
The chain, which is more than 10 years old, operates in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and New York.
Horbach identified the Newark location and negotiated the deal on behalf of Wok to Walk, Ripco said in a news release. Marta Person Villa represented the landlord.
“We’re excited to be opening in Newark and looking forward to sharing our food with the community,” said Elliott Ramos, president of Wok to Walk. “With Ripco’s strong landlord relationships and market knowledge, we plan to rollout another dozen restaurants or more throughout New Jersey over the next thirty-six months.”
