Nutritious meals grow in popularity in Chinese cities

Salad bowl at an Obentos restaurant in Beijing.[Guan Xin/China Daily]

With his own savings and with help from his family, Stevenson decided to focus on bento boxes and salads, an innovative fusion concept that was until then unexplored in China.

Stevenson said that the concept is very popular among the locals, with 80 percent of his customers being Chinese.

"Our concept is quite unique because it has an Asian aspect to it," noted Stevenson. "I think that it connects a lot better with Chinese consumers than purely Western concepts that are more focused on salads and sandwiches."

The company recently inaugurated its second restaurant and flagship store at the Grand Summit shopping center in the Liangmaqiao area in central Beijing.

The business is progressing well and the restaurant chain expects more than $1 million in revenue this year.

Looking ahead, the chain is keen to explore the health food scene outside Beijing.