Premium Chinese casual dining: Triple Expansion

When the Ping Pong concept was being developed roughly seven years ago, the offering available on the London foodservice market consisted - apart from a few exceptions - of pizza, pasta, sandwiches, local Indian food or noodles. "So there was definitely a niche on the market for another ethnic offer, especially in the premium casual dining sector," says Orieux, who joined the company in 2007. Coming from the well-established high-profile bakery concept Paul he was hired to start Ping Pong's national and international roll-out. So what is Ping Pong all about? The casual-style fullservice formula with a rather extravagant look - blending contemporary style with an authentic Chinese aesthetic - aims at continuing the tradition of Chinese tea houses. There guests could not only help themselves to an endless assortment of savoury buns, puffs and dumplings or sweet pastries, but also admire the astonishingly varied shapes and colours of these gem-like little parcels.