Iron Chef Jose Garces Announces Expansion of Buena Onda With Five New Locations

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September 21, 2023 // Franchising.com // Philadelphia, PA - Just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month, Chef Jose Garces and Ballard Brands are proud to announce the awarding of the first five Buena Onda franchise licenses to its newest franchisees, business partners Zong Chen and Alexis Chen. Chef Jose Garces serves as Chief Culinary Officer of Ideation Hospitality & Garces Group, a restaurant group with multiple concepts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, in partnership with Ballard Brands. The five new locations are aiming to open in the DC, Maryland and Virginia region - with the first location lease signed for Pike Center in Rockville, Maryland, with an anticipated opening date in 2024.

Buena Onda’s menu, developed by Garces, takes inspiration from Baja peninsula’s culture, seafood shacks, and taquerias. Literally translating to “good vibes” in Spanish, Buena Onda offers a laid-back, casual experience for guests complete with a well-rounded menu with approachable flavors, friendly service, and relaxing tranquillo décor.

Chef Jose Garces stands at the forefront of the Buena Onda brand. As an Iron Chef, James Beard Award-winner, television star, cookbook author, entrepreneur, and food innovator, Garces is known as a culinary authority of Spanish and Latin-American food. With recent appearances on national Food Network programming, the launch of Como Como, a new product line in Costco stores, and a partnership with chef-driven meal delivery service, CookUnity, Garces has established himself as an innovator, thought leader, and one of the foremost experts in the culinary field with capabilities that extend far beyond most chefs.

"Chef Jose Garces has taken high quality ingredients and built the Buena Onda brand to focus on an elevated culinary experience coupled with incredible hospitality," said Ballard Brands Chief Development Officer David Mesa.

For the first five franchise licenses, Buena Onda will expand with the first official franchise partners - Zong Chen and Alexis Chen.

The two business partners have known each other since they were both 18 (for 16 years) and both come from families that immigrated to the United State and both from families that have years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

For the first location in the new market, the lease is also now signed for their first location coming to Pike Center ( 12137 Rockville Pike, Suite 14) in Rockville Maryland, in Montgomery County. Construction is expected to start in the first quarter of 2024, with an estimated opening in the second or third quarter of 2024.

When asked about why Rockville, MD and the DMV region, Zong replied, "My restaurant history has always involved business in the Rockville Bethesda region including early on in my career. We have another business nearby and numerous businesses in Montgomery County where we consider it to be home to us."

"I come from a large family who has always been focused on food as a common vehicle bringing people together. Growing up in the DMV I worked long and hard with my Father at the family take out restaurant and began to appreciate the dedication and commitment needed to run a business not just a food business. My Father worked so hard and I became determined to help implement methods to create more efficiencies and knew from that point my future would involve food business with best-in-class efficiencies and highest quality. My next step was working as a chef in one of the leading sushi restaurants in the DMV where I honed my skills and passion to grow and go out on my own as a foodie entrepreneur."

When asked why Buena Onda and why Chef Jose Garces, Alexis replied, "When we visited the original Philly location, Zong noticed several key characteristics of Buena Onda, the food looked appealing and it satisfied our craving for high quality taqueria food; however, the clincher was when we visited their kitchen and saw how easy it was for the kitchen staff to assemble the food and how quickly it was delivered in front of customers. Although we do R&D in house and have a team of experienced chefs that make various Asian cuisines and assorted desserts, western cuisines were an uncharted territory for us."

She added, "Our parents’ restaurants relied heavily on skilled labor, and hiring and high food cost made their business unsustainable. From that experience we realized the need to work with best-in-class brands that have SOP, and a reliable supply chain. It’s an honor to work with Chef Garces and the entire team at Garces Brands and Ballard Brands. Everyone's an expert in what they do, and it has been a great learning experience for us both."

SOURCE Buena Onda

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