LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It's no secret Las Vegas has a lot of amazing restaurants, including Asian cuisine.
One local business owner said there's a growing demand for it in the Las Vegas valley.
At just 29 years old, Dawei, or David, Zhao owns some of the most popular upscale Asian restaurants in the nation.
It all started in Las Vegas with the Mongolian hot pot restaurant Chubby Cattle.
"Nine years ago, it was the first Chubby Cattle Las Vegas," Zhao said. "Now, we're sitting here, Chubby Cattle Las Vegas BBQ, almost ten years later."
Zhao opened Chubby Cattle hot pot with his business partner in 2015. Now, we owns three other businesses in the valley including X-pot located at The Venetian, Mikiya, and Chubby Cattle BBQ.
In total, he owns 20 restaurants in the nation.
His newest location offers all-you-can-eat Wagyu beef, offering a unique experience to customers.
"The long lines are proof that people are looking for elevated food experiences," Zhao said.
Zhao's restaurants have gained a lot of popularity, but he said it wasn't an easy journey to get here.
"We went through COVID," Zhao said. "We understand how challenging it is for food and beverage space. We didn't make any profits for the first two years of business."
But Zhao said his recipe for success is sticking through the challenges.
"We stuck with it, and in any industry you have to find that niche," Zhao said.
Zhao said Las Vegas, in particular, has a demand for unique Asian cuisine, which is why he has expanded in the valley over the years.
"It's the capital of food and capital of entertainment," Zhao said.
Now, Zhao has some ambitious goals for the future, hoping to open 250 locations across the country in the next few years.
But he said his team and the customers who keep him going.
"It's what makes me work 20 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's what drives me," Zhao said.
