Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese influences are the building blocks of Fire Bowl Café, which husband-and-wife team Gigi Lee and Daniel Pao opened 16 years ago.
Lee and Pao had both worked in the restaurant business for several years and decided to open an Asian eatery to serve the Austin area, where they lived at the time.
“We are foodies,” Lee said. “We always enjoy eating out, but we are also very health-conscious. We want to have good flavor yet have good ingredients.”
Operations Manager David Schaare said after successfully opening in Sunset Valley in 1999 and in Round Rock in February 2001, the owners opened a third location near the Arboretum in March 2003. They felt the area was underserved in the fast-casual restaurant market and could use another affordable option for a quick and healthy lunch and dinner, he said.
