Ken Chen
Co-Chair
American Restaurant Development Association
Ken Chen is a Chinese American restaurant entrepreneur, multi-brand hospitality investor, and community leader originally from Tingjiang, Fuzhou, Fujian, China. He currently serves as President of Sihai Restaurant Group, Chief Executive Officer of USRA Group, President of The Juicy Seafood, President of KIKU, and a Co-Founder of the American Restaurant Development Association (ARDA).
Mr. Chen immigrated to the United States as a teenager. From an early age, he demonstrated a strong interest in business and developed a particularly keen understanding of Asian dining concepts, consumer preferences, and restaurant market trends. Through his entrepreneurial drive and hands-on operational expertise, he has created and developed multiple restaurant brands across several U.S. states, generating employment opportunities and supporting the professional growth of other Chinese American entrepreneurs.
In 2010, at the age of 20, Mr. Chen opened his first Japanese restaurant in Georgia, officially beginning his entrepreneurial journey in the restaurant industry. By refining the restaurant’s positioning, service procedures, and operating systems, he successfully transformed the business into a popular local dining destination and subsequently expanded into additional locations and concepts, including Wasabi Sushi, Wasabi Steakhouse, Izumi Asian Cuisine, and Sushi Kingdom.
In 2013, Mr. Chen expanded into the supermarket sector, gaining valuable experience in retail operations, merchandise management, purchasing, and consumer market development. The business created additional employment opportunities and provided local residents with more convenient shopping options. This experience also helped establish a strong foundation for his later expansion into restaurant supply chain operations.
In 2017, Mr. Chen entered the seafood restaurant market and began developing The Juicy Seafood. Supported by a focused brand identity, an established operating system, and a scalable business model, the concept expanded rapidly into multiple markets across the United States and developed dozens of locations within several years, providing customers with a convenient, safe, and distinctive seafood dining experience.
Mr. Chen continued to diversify his restaurant portfolio in the years that followed. In 2021, he expanded into the ramen segment. In 2022, he entered the upstream food supply, distribution, and processing industries, strengthening the connection between restaurant operations and supply chain resources. In 2023, he began focusing on the development of KIKU as a company-operated restaurant chain while exploring Asian supermarket and integrated food retail projects.
As President of Sihai Restaurant Group and Chief Executive Officer of USRA Group, Mr. Chen places strong emphasis on brand development, chain expansion, supply chain management, and talent cultivation. He is committed to incorporating the culinary traditions of different regions and cultures into modern restaurant operations while combining standardized management with localized market strategies to achieve scalable and sustainable growth.
Beyond his business activities, Mr. Chen has long been involved in Chinese American community affairs and restaurant industry organizations. He has served as President of the Nashville, Tennessee Chapter of a U.S.-China restaurant industry association and President of the Georgia Chapter of a national Chinese American community organization. Through these roles, he has worked to connect business and community resources, encourage industry collaboration, support young entrepreneurs, and promote cultural heritage.
As a Co-Founder of the American Restaurant Development Association, Mr. Chen contributes extensive experience in restaurant chains, multi-brand operations, food supply, store expansion, and interstate market development. He actively supports collaboration among restaurant operators, food processors, suppliers, commercial real estate professionals, and industry service providers, contributing to ARDA’s development as a nationwide restaurant industry platform.
Guided by the principles of innovation, practical management, and shared success, Mr. Chen remains committed to advancing the professional, chain-based, and large-scale development of restaurant brands. While creating commercial value, he continues to provide employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for local communities and to promote the growth and appreciation of Asian culinary culture in the United States.
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