HQ: Chicago, IL
Founders & Leadership: Rich Melman, Kevin Brown, Geoff Alexander, Andy Raabe, Jeremiah Greene, Tae Kim
Website: wowbao.com
Opportunity: More than a decade ago, there were little to no options when it came to healthy, delicious, fast-casual Asian cuisine.
Vision: Bring traditional Chinese steamed buns, potstickers, and rice and noodle bowls to the masses with quick, energetic service and affordable prices.
Status: Active
> First partnered with Valor in 2017.
> Wow Bao began as a single kiosk in Chicago’s Water Tower Place. After more than 14 years of steady growth, Wow Bao has shifted into high gear and is now scaling its concept nationally using asset-light growth strategies including "dark kitchens," and a line of CPG products sold in grocery stores.
> In 2020 and following the COVID-19 crisis, Wow Bao began partnering with dark kitchen operators across the country to offer an alternative source of revenue by utilizing their existing space, kitchen equipment, and personnel to sell Wow Bao items on third party delivery platforms.
> As of July 2020, Wow Bao has opened 40+ dark kitchens across 30+ U.S. cities and is actively working on activating a pipeline of hundreds of locations across the country.
“Partnering with Valor has allowed both our concept, and our team, to grow faster and further than any of us dreamed possible.”
