Zhang Pengyi, the general manager of Tianjin Yi Chi Future Food Technology Co Ltd, said, "What's going to be the new street fashion in the world's financial nerve-center? Everyone eating Chinese baozi."
The company's owner was given a license by the City after several years of filing documents and fulfilling requirements. A business license is issued by the city government but is known to be a hard and tedious process.
"Besides the Chinese traditional fillings, such as pork and mushroom, we will produce more local flavors such as cheese fillings and sweet puree fillings to meet local New Yorkers' tastes," said Zhang.
The new items in his menu will be called "fancy buns."
Zhang said that his kitchen will have a see-through glass wall where customers can watch how the buns are being prepared.
"We will provide food," he said, "and we will also give a taste of Chinese culture. We will show American consumers how to make steamed stuffed buns, and help them understand Chinese food culture."
The food store was originally planned to be located in Manhattan's China Town, but the owner decided to set up shop in middle and lower ends of the city.
He said that they will also have food trucks that will sell to other points of the city.
"We are evolving a standard to ensure the buns bought from different shops or vending trucks taste the same. Even the manufacturing process will be standardized so that cooks' individual touch is minimized," said Zhang.
This is the first time that Zhang is venturing out to an international market. He has four stalls in Tianjin and one community center.