A new hot pot concept out of Canada is plotting growth across the U.S.
Only this one is fast casual.
Big Way Hot Pot has opened its first U.S. location in the Los Angeles area, with plans to open four or five more in the U.S. by the end of 2025. Founded in 2022 in Vancouver, the chain has 13 units there, and will also continue to grow north of the border.
By the end of next year, Big Way expects to have 30 units, about half of which will be in the U.S., and all are company-owned. There are no immediate plans to franchise, said Christiana Luo, Big Way’s chief brand officer and co-founder.
Americans tend to think of hot pot concepts as a casual dining, cook-at-the table experience, but Big Way has evolved the idea into a fully customizable, build-your-own bowl model.
Lifestyle and eating habits changed, as a result of the pandemic, said Luo. People then were reluctant to share communal pots of broth, but now Gen Z guests love a shared experience.
At Big Way, the motto is “Your pot, your way.” And the idea is to give guests more choices, while giving them control over the experience and price.
Guests have endless options for customization. | Photo courtesy of Big Way.
At Big Way, for example, guests receive a bowl and then walk the wall of ingredients—which in the U.S. will be roughly 80 options, from meats, seafood, noodles and vegetables—including seasonal options, which in Canada have included things like abalone, snow crab legs and spot prawns.
“It’s almost like a supermarket display,” said Luo. “What you see is what you’re going to get.”
In Canada, restaurants offer about 100 items, but Luo said the company is still building the supply chain for U.S. stores, and the menu will evolve as they see what works.
@dishedvancouver Playing the price is right at Big Way Hot Pot #dishedvan#dishedvancouver#vancouver#canada#donuts#bigwayhotpot#guesstheprice♬ original sound - Dished Vancouver
The price is based on weight, so once the ingredients are selected, the bowl is weighed. If guests successfully guess the weight of their bowl ahead of time (within a 10-cent margin of error), it’s free—a move that encourages social media posting.
“It becomes competitive, where friends try to guess their pots together,” said Luo. The average check tends to be between $20 to $25.
Then guests can choose whether they want their bowl cooked in broth or cooked with a dry spice mix.
The signature broths include collagen bone, tomato and a spicy Ma La Tang option (a collage pork bone broth spiked with Szechuan chili oil), for example. Dry rubs might include a Spicy Szechuan or a Tomato Mala. They can also add toppings, like cilantro, onions or sesame, and order rice.
The bowls are taken into the kitchen to be cooked, and then are run tables when ready. Guests can further customize at the sauce bar, and they can add flavors, like soy sauce, vinegar or kimchi.
The menu also includes boba, fruit teas and other drink options.
And the chain offers each guest a free mini soft-serve cone for dessert. In Canada, the flavor rotates monthly, but in California the restaurants will start with vanilla in a charcoal waffle cone.
Asian casual-dining concepts have shown strength over the past couple of years, in part due to the experiential nature of concepts like the 95-unit KPOT Korean BBQ and Hot Pot, where sales increased 34% to $398 million. But KPOT is a casual dining concept.
Big Way targets the Buldak-loving younger diners who lean fast casual in their choices, noting the popularity of the ramen brand in the U.S.
Luo declined to offer details about how Big Way is funding its growth. But initially the chain is looking at California for expansion.
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