David Zhao | Entrepreneur, Creator, Investor

David Zhao Named to Crain’s 40 Under 40 as Chubby Group Builds the Future of Automated Dining

Claire Chu — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:43:35 +0000

David Zhao, Founding Partner of Chubby Group, was named to Crain’s New York Business’ 40 Under 40 list for 2026, recognizing his work in building restaurant concepts that combine food, technology, and operational innovation. The feature highlights Chubby Bowls, a fast-casual concept opened in Greenwich Village, and the use of automated woks designed to reduce the physical strain traditionally placed on culinary workers.

At Chubby Group, this recognition reflects a larger mission beyond restaurant expansion. Chubby Bowls was built around a practical problem: kitchen work can be physically demanding, repetitive, and difficult to sustain over time. By integrating automated cooking technology into the operation, Chubby Group is showing how hospitality can evolve in a way that supports consistency, efficiency, and a better working environment for teams.

The larger business insight is that innovation in restaurants should not only improve speed or profitability. It should solve real operational problems. Concepts like Chubby Bowls show how technology can protect quality, reduce labor strain, and create a more scalable model for the future of food. For Chubby Group, the opportunity is clear: continue building hospitality concepts where technology strengthens both the guest experience and the people behind it.

Chubby Cattle Brings All-You-Can-Eat Wagyu to Austin’s Barton Creek Square

Claire Chu — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:36:43 +0000

Chubby Cattle is bringing its immersive all-you-can-eat wagyu yakiniku concept to Austin’s Barton Creek Square, adding a premium dining experience to one of the city’s major retail destinations. The upcoming location is planned for the mall’s upper level near Nordstrom and will feature tabletop Japanese barbecue, sushi, buffet offerings, and tiered packages that give guests access to different levels of premium meats, including Japanese A5 wagyu.

For Chubby Group, this Austin expansion reflects the company’s continued strategy of placing high-energy dining concepts in environments where traffic and customer intent already exist. Barton Creek Square gives Chubby Cattle access to a retail setting where guests are already spending time, shopping, gathering, and looking for dining options that feel more experiential than traditional mall food. The concept’s mix of wagyu, interactive grilling, and buffet-style abundance turns the restaurant into a destination within the mall itself.

The larger business insight is that modern retail needs concepts that create reasons to stay longer and return more often. Dining is no longer just an amenity inside malls—it is becoming one of the strongest drivers of traffic and engagement. For Chubby Group, the opportunity is clear: continue building restaurant experiences that combine premium ingredients, entertainment value, and scalable operations in high-traffic locations.

Chubby Cattle BBQ Enters Austin — Bringing Premium Wagyu Dining to Barton Creek Square

Claire Chu — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:29:04 +0000

Chubby Cattle BBQ is officially entering the Austin market with a new location at Barton Creek Square, bringing its all-you-can-eat Japanese barbecue experience to one of the city’s major retail destinations. The concept centers on tabletop yakiniku-style grilling, premium wagyu, sushi, hand rolls, seafood, Japanese desserts, and a tiered dining structure that gives guests multiple ways to experience the brand.

For Chubby Group, Austin represents a strong fit for the next phase of Chubby Cattle’s growth. The city is known for adventurous diners, strong food culture, and a customer base that values both quality and experience. By placing Chubby Cattle inside Barton Creek Square, the brand is positioned in a high-traffic environment where premium dining can become part of a broader retail and lifestyle experience.

The larger business insight is that restaurant expansion is no longer just about entering new markets. It is about matching the right concept with the right customer behavior. Chubby Cattle’s model combines premium ingredients, interactive dining, and immersive design into a format built for both volume and repeat visits. For Chubby Group, Austin is another opportunity to prove that experience-driven dining can scale while still feeling elevated.

Luxury All-You-Can-Eat Dining Is Rising — And Chubby Group Is Helping Redefine the Category

Claire Chu — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:07:22 +0000

Luxury all-you-can-eat dining is moving far beyond the old buffet model. The New York Times highlights a new wave of unlimited dining experiences built around premium ingredients like Japanese A5 wagyu, grilled lobster, caviar, toro, lamb, and other high-end offerings. Instead of feeling like budget dining, these concepts are being positioned as accessible luxury: a way for guests to experience abundance, status, and hospitality without the traditional à la carte price structure.

At Chubby Group, this shift is already part of the company’s DNA. The article specifically notes Chubby Group’s role in the category through Niku X, as well as its all-you-can-eat yakiniku and hot pot concepts across the country, including Chubby Cattle Hot Pot in Denver and Chubby Cattle BBQ in Duluth. For Chubby Group, the draw is not simply unlimited food. It is the ability to combine premium ingredients, immersive environments, and interactive dining into an experience that feels elevated, social, and repeatable.

The larger business insight is that luxury and value are no longer opposites. When executed well, all-you-can-eat can become a premium model built around access, experience, and operational strength. The brands that win in this category will be the ones that make abundance feel intentional, protect quality at scale, and turn dining into a memorable occasion guests want to share and revisit.

Chubby Cattle Shabu Named Among Georgia’s Most Popular Restaurants This June

Claire Chu — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:22:31 +0000

A June roundup of Georgia’s most popular restaurants, based on Yelp ratings and reviews, included Chubby Cattle Shabu in Duluth among five featured destinations statewide. The location earned a 4.8-star Yelp rating, with guests highlighting its interactive hot pot experience and premium menu options including Wagyu nigiri, sweet shrimp sashimi, and Japanese A5 ribeye.

For Chubby Group, recognition like this matters because it reflects more than a strong menu. Chubby Cattle Shabu is built around participation: guests select, cook, share, and spend time around the table. That interactive format turns premium ingredients into a more memorable occasion, giving the concept a reason to stand out in a crowded dining market.

The business takeaway is simple: customer-led discovery compounds. When product quality, hospitality, and experience work together, strong ratings can turn into recommendations, repeat visits, and lasting local relevance. For Chubby Group, the goal is not simply to be noticed once, but to create restaurant experiences guests want to return to and tell others about.

Chubby Cattle Nears Woodfield Mall Debut as Dining and Entertainment Reshape Retail

Claire Chu — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:17:54 +0000

Woodfield Mall is continuing to add new retail, fitness, and entertainment tenants this summer, with Chubby Cattle listed among the concepts in their final preparation stage. Positioned near Sbarro, the upcoming restaurant will join a changing mall environment where apparel, fitness, gaming, and dining are all playing a role in giving visitors more reasons to spend time on-site.

For Chubby Group, Woodfield is a strong example of why location strategy matters. Chubby Cattle is entering an environment built around discovery, activity, and shared experiences—not just traditional shopping. Its interactive wagyu dining format gives guests a reason to make the restaurant part of a larger day out, while placing the brand in front of high-volume traffic already visiting the mall for retail and entertainment.

The broader lesson is that mall dining is no longer an afterthought. As retail destinations evolve, restaurants are becoming essential anchors that can extend visits, create energy, and drive repeat traffic. For Chubby Group, the opportunity is to pair a differentiated dining experience with locations where entertainment, convenience, and customer intent already come together.

Chubby Cattle’s Plano Debut Showed the Power of Interactive Hot Pot

Claire Chu — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:07:54 +0000

A 2018 Community Impact report previewed Chubby Cattle’s planned Plano opening, bringing a Mongolian-style hot pot experience to Coit Road. The concept stood out for its conveyor-belt format, allowing guests to select individual dishes as part of a more interactive, table-centered dining experience.

For Chubby Group, this early Plano entry reflects a principle that continues to matter across hospitality: the experience should be as intentional as the food. Chubby Cattle turned hot pot into a participatory occasion, giving guests more choice, more interaction, and a reason to stay engaged with the concept from the first dish to the last.

The larger lesson is that differentiated formats create value beyond initial novelty. When premium ingredients, thoughtful service design, and a memorable setting work together, they can turn a meal into a repeatable reason to return. That is the kind of experience-led foundation that helps a restaurant concept scale with purpose.

Chubby Group Brings Two New Social Dining Concepts to Topanga Social

Claire Chu — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 20:14:26 +0000

Chubby Social and Chubby Cove are set to join Topanga Social at Westfield Topanga in Woodland Hills as part of the destination’s next phase of openings. Expected to roll out during Summer 2026, the two concepts will enter a growing lineup of food, beverage, and entertainment tenants designed to make the venue a place where guests can spend an entire evening, not just grab a meal.

For Chubby Group, this is a meaningful expansion beyond a traditional restaurant opening. Chubby Social and Chubby Cove introduce new hospitality formats centered on social dining and curated beverage experiences, placing the group inside an entertainment-led environment built for discovery, repeat visits, and shared experiences. It is a strong fit for Topanga Social’s broader mix of restaurants, bars, mini golf, escape rooms, and interactive attractions.

The opportunity in hospitality is increasingly about creating ecosystems, not standalone transactions. Concepts that give guests more reasons to stay, return, and experience different occasions under one roof create stronger long-term value. For Chubby Group, entering Topanga Social is a strategic move into a destination where food, entertainment, and community are designed to work together.

Chubby Cattle’s National Growth Is Building More Than a Restaurant Footprint

Claire Chu — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 20:09:48 +0000

Chubby Cattle’s expansion across America reflects the brand’s evolution from its original hot pot concept into a broader dining platform that now includes BBQ and shabu shabu. Across each format, the through line remains the same: premium ingredients, interactive dining, and an experience designed to feel elevated without becoming inaccessible.

At Chubby Group, national expansion is not simply about adding locations. As the footprint grows, stronger supply-chain integration and purchasing power can help protect product quality while creating better value for guests. That is why scale matters to Chubby Cattle in a practical way: the operating model is designed to make the guest experience more consistent and more competitive as the brand grows.

The larger lesson is that restaurant growth only becomes durable when scale improves the product, not just the map. The brands built for the long term are the ones that connect culinary vision with operational discipline, then use that foundation to deliver a recognizable experience in every market. For Chubby Group, the opportunity is to keep building that kind of platform across formats, cities, and customer occasions.

San Antonio Welcomes Chubby Cattle BBQ — Premium Wagyu Dining Continues to Reshape Texas’ Restaurant Scene

Claire Chu — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:59:07 +0000

San Antonio’s dining landscape continues to evolve with the arrival of Chubby Cattle BBQ, introducing its all-you-can-eat premium wagyu experience to one of Texas’ fastest-growing food markets. The concept combines high-quality Japanese wagyu, interactive tabletop grilling, and technology-driven hospitality to create an experience that extends well beyond a traditional barbecue restaurant. As consumer demand shifts toward immersive dining, concepts that blend premium ingredients with memorable experiences are becoming major attractions across the country.

For Chubby Group, this expansion reflects a deliberate long-term strategy. Texas has become one of the company’s strongest growth markets, and San Antonio represents another opportunity to bring premium wagyu dining into a city with an increasingly diverse and sophisticated restaurant scene. Rather than simply opening new locations, Chubby Group continues building destination restaurants that encourage repeat visits through hospitality, innovation, and a differentiated customer experience.

The broader restaurant industry is moving toward concepts that create lasting impressions instead of simply serving meals. Consumers increasingly value interaction, atmosphere, and premium quality alongside exceptional food. For Chubby Group, the path forward remains consistent: expand thoughtfully into high-growth markets while continuing to elevate the standard for experience-driven hospitality through concepts that are built to scale and designed to keep guests coming back.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/food/article/bbq-buffet-san-antonio-22285807.php