David Cheng
Chair of the Supervisory Board
David Cheng is a seasoned U.S. restaurant entrepreneur and an investor in hospitality and real estate. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BW Hospitality LLC and serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the American Restaurant Development Association (ARDA).
Mr. Cheng entered the U.S. restaurant industry in 1995 and has accumulated more than three decades of experience in restaurant operations and investment. Beginning with the establishment of Chinese buffet restaurants, he continuously expanded into new dining concepts and business models in response to evolving market trends and consumer preferences. His restaurant portfolio spans Chinese buffets, Japanese hibachi, sushi, Cajun seafood, hot pot, barbecue, soup dumplings, and conveyor-belt sushi. Through these ventures, he has developed extensive expertise in restaurant development, project investment, daily operations, team management, and market expansion.
Over the years, Mr. Cheng founded BW Hospitality LLC and developed a diversified investment and operating platform encompassing multiple restaurant categories and business formats. The company’s activities include restaurant investment, company-owned operations, restaurant management, brand development, strategic partnerships, and resource integration. It is committed to identifying the potential of different cuisines and dining concepts in the U.S. market while advancing its restaurant ventures toward greater professionalism, standardization, diversification, and scalability.
With keen insight into market trends and extensive hands-on operating experience, Mr. Cheng has consistently emphasized product quality, guest experience, operational efficiency, and long-term brand value. He actively explores the integration of traditional dining concepts with modern business models, preserving the distinctive qualities of each concept while continuously improving management systems, market competitiveness, and long-term sustainability.
In addition to his work in the restaurant industry, Mr. Cheng has expanded into real estate, hotel development, and construction. He has participated in the development, investment, construction, and operation of real estate and hospitality projects, integrating his restaurant expertise with commercial real estate, hotel services, and space development. He has also invested in and operated entertainment and leisure businesses, including amusement venues and karaoke establishments, building a diversified business portfolio across the restaurant, hospitality, real estate, construction, and entertainment sectors.
As Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ARDA, Mr. Cheng brings more than 30 years of restaurant management experience, together with extensive resources in hospitality, real estate, and commercial investment. He actively contributes to the Association’s governance, oversight mechanisms, and strategic planning, helping ensure that ARDA operates with integrity, transparency, and long-term stability while safeguarding the shared interests of the Association and its members. He also supports stronger collaboration among restaurant enterprises, brands, supply-chain partners, investors, and professional service providers, promoting resource sharing and complementary partnerships while contributing to the branding, scalability, and sustainable development of the U.S. restaurant industry.
Read bio →