China Wok

Rapid City is the second-largest city in South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Situated at 1575 N Lacrosse Street, China Wok is one of its most well known Chinese restaurants. It is located in an easy accessible area near several hotels including Days Inn, tourism areas, an air force base, and the highway into town. This ensures a large number of customers and a brisk business, making it a wonderful location to run a restaurant. According to Lee, the owner, the constant demand for Chinese food, especially for authentic fare, is increasing, as more and more Americans have become fans of Chinese cuisine. Like many Chinese take-out restaurants, China Wok in Rapid City, South Dakota puts less emphasis on its interior décor and more emphasis on the food, something that keeps customers consistently coming back. “I will always appreciate the loving concern and thoughtfulness from so many people, people we know well and even those we don’t know,” says Lee. “Good food is the reason I do this but the relationships are what make it special.” This take-out restaurant provides American styled Chinese food alongside a smattering of Thai choices. China Wok also boasts an advanced software program that tallies up monthly sales numbers. This equipment, according to Lee, is useful to him as it gives him a deeper insight into his customers’ preferences and allows him to more easily identify whether items need to be added in or taken out of the existing menu. Lee normally updates and renews the menu every six months to keep the menu fresh and give customers new choices. What’s Lee’s recipe for success? Great food at reasonable prices combined with exceptional people in an inviting atmosphere. While Lee has devoted his life to the catering industry, cooking is more than just a career. Lee sincerely loves cooking and being able to introduce authentic Chinese cuisine to the residents of Rapid City. As for the future, he plans on seeking continuing to innovate and hopefully expanding one of his restaurants into a 400-seat upscale super buffet eatery.