| China Coast | |
| Type: | Wholly owned subsidiary |
| Location City: | Orlando, Florida |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Industry: | Restaurants |
| Genre: | Casual dining |
| Products: | American Chinese cuisine |
| Parent: | Darden Restaurants Inc. |
| Locations: | 51 |
| Area Served: | United States Of America |
China Coast was a casual dining American restaurant chain owned by Darden Restaurants Inc., specializing in American Chinese cuisine.
Founded in 1990 in Orlando, Florida,[1] China Coast was intended to join Olive Garden and Red Lobster as Darden's signature properties.[2] It had been expected by executives to become the top Chinese-style restaurant chain in the U.S. by the latter half of the 1990s, but abruptly closed in 1995 due to poor reception and mounting financial losses.[2]
The menu featured Americanized dishes at low prices, with Western cutlery, Chinese chopsticks, and introductory chopsticks for children available.[3] The signature menu item was "China Coast Bread," which was fried and served with an almond spread.[4] Entrees were inspired by Sichuan, Cantonese, and Beijing cuisine, and also included Taiwanese dishes like Mongolian beef.[5] In addition to traditional Chinese dishes like hot and sour soup, zhajiangmian, and wonton soup, the menu included American items that were given Chinese-inspired names, like a dish of barbecue ribs and French fries that was listed on the menu as "dragon bones."[6] [5] The dessert menu exclusively featured American items, including "Double Happiness Cheesecake" and chocolate brownies.[7] [5]
Built at an average cost of $2 million USD each, China Coast restaurants were designed to resemble pagodas and included open-air kitchens, bamboo and silk design elements, and decorations imported from China.[2] [8] [9] By using open-air kitchens and table-side cooking, kitchen staff could cater the intensity of spices to each diner's preferences.[10] Waitstaff were dressed in Americanized Chinese clothing, including satin tunics.[7]
After operating several successful locations in the Orlando area, China Coast began a rapid and ill-fated national expansion in 1993, ultimately resulting in its demise.[11] [12] [2] Initial industry analyses projected success due to Americans liking Chinese food but not knowing how to cook it themselves at home.[13] However, problems quickly mounted, including negative reviews, poor service, inadequate staff training, expensive physical design, and a complicated concept and process that were cited by the company as factors contributing to the chain's downfall.[2] Industry analysts noted the chain's inconsistency with service and food quality, as well as expensive construction and land costs in high-profile commercial districts.[8] [14] Although the company sought to become customers' preferred option over local, independent Chinese restaurants, China Coast struggled to attract diners who preferred more authentic food and were committed to locally-owned Chinese restaurants.[13] [7] [15]
In 1994, expansion plans were halted after reaching a peak of 52 China Coast restaurants, up from nine at the beginning of the year.[16] [17] At the time of the chain's closing in August 1995, it operated 51 locations with about 3,000 employees in the United States.[12] [18] [19] Darden spent more than $100 million USD on the chain, which never turned a profit and was losing about $7 million USD per quarter at the time of its closure.[2] The chain also struggled to sell its empty locations, due to high land costs and expensive conversions needed to change the buildings' unusual design.[14]