Steamed bun brand expands to US

A steamed bun brand that originated in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, is preparing to go international, opening its first overseas location.

GanQiShi Bao Bao is well known for its delicious fist-sized handmade steamed buns, or baozi, which are stuffed with shredded meat, vegetables or sweet fillings.

In May, the company will open its first US outlet in Harvard Square, the historic center of Cambridge, Massachusetts that is close to top educational institutions such as Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston.

"As one of China's most representative traditional handmade foods, baozi should be appreciated by the world," said Tong Qihua, founder and chairman of the brand, as quoted by Zhejiang Daily.

"That's why I intend to bring our authentic baozi to the US, which is crowded with Chinese restaurants but not a real traditional steamed bun restaurant."

Founded in 2009, GanQiShi now has nearly 200 outlets in Hangzhou and Shanghai, selling at least 70 million buns every year.

Its annual sales revenue exceeds 200 million yuan ($30.7 million) and in 2013, it received a private equity investment of 80 million yuan.

Over the years, GanQiShi's customer base has changed from mainly elderly and migrant workers to younger white-collar workers, students and residents as its restaurants have moved to more downtown areas. The new US branch will target similar consumers, as opposed to tourists.

"Westerners are more willing to taste traditional handmade food that is a product of the chef's emotions and hard work," Tong said.

GanQiShi intends to stick to traditional recipes and use bamboo steamers to make the baozi in its new US restaurant. The fillings will be the same as in China, including pork, vegetables, curry beef, bean paste and sweet potato with taro, and will be sold for at least $3－compared to the 2 yuan ($0.31) to 5 yuan they cost at home.

"We will adapt the products to include certain local ingredients such as chicken and lobster, which are more favored by the residents of Boston," said Gao Jun, the deputy manager of GanQiShi Bao Bao.

Most of the new restaurant's 10 to 15 employees will be hired locally, and the chefs will be flown to Hangzhou for a baozi-making training program that will last at least three months.

They will learn how to accurately weigh out the dough, 60 grams for each bun, and by the end of their training will be able to make 22 unfilled baozi per minute.

Gao told China Daily that they were hiring chefs locally to help sell US customers on traditional Chinese food.

Zhang Li in Beijing contributed to this story.