Vapiano has secured an agreement with University of Houston graduate student, Soomyee Song, studying at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, to open five units throughout Houston, Texas. Vapiano, the innovative fast casual restaurant and lounge, has exploded in popularity across Europe and the U.S. and recently announced new deals in exciting markets such as Detroit, Atlanta and Dallas. After winning Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2008 ‘Hot Concept!’ award and the 2006 European Hot Concept Award from Food Service Europe & Middle East, Vapiano has continued to amplify its momentum and shows no sign of slowing. Currently, Vapiano has four U.S. locations open in Washington, DC and Ft. Myers, Florida with more than 30 restaurants worldwide.
Song and husband Eugene, a marketing executive with LG Electronics are looking to open their first location in the Galleria area and then plan to move to major neighborhoods throughout the Houston area including Woodland, Sugarland and Champion Forest. Song’s first restaurant should be up and running by June 2009, right after her graduation from the University of Houston, and all five should be open by 2014.
Song grew up in Germany and has been a long-time fan of Vapiano since spending her summers there. “After growing up in Germany, I moved to Korea. It wasn’t until I came to the U.S. for my husband’s job that I heard Vapiano was franchising in the states,” says Song. “I immediately looked into the opportunity because of my love and passion for the concept. After working in consulting for quite some time, I took a chance and enrolled in graduate school to fulfill my dream of working in the restaurant and hospitality industry.”
