Sutas and Nucharee Pipatjarasgit, immigrants from Bangkok, Thailand, came to the United States in 1968 with only $300 to pursue the American Dream. 25 years later, through a handshake promise and borrowed money, the family designed and opened their first Magic Wok in a Toledo, Ohio mall food court. Their vision was to serve fresh Asian entrees in an open environment.
After years of success and increased popularity, Magic Wok needed a facility to accommodate the growing business; particularly for various sauces used throughout the menu. The facility would need to be able to provide recipe modifications for increased batch production, food safety compliance and other assistance specifically geared toward food entrepreneurs.
While searching for facilities in 2014, Magic Wok learned about CIFT’s Northwest Ohio Cooperative Kitchen (NOCK). The NOCK would allow Magic Wok to expand and process a consistent product in an environment that adheres to food safety guidelines, saving each location from handling these time consuming tasks. A few months later, the company began processing at the NOCK.
Fast forward to 2022, Magic Wok continues to use the facility on a regular basis as an integral part of its successful food operation.
Magic Wok has grown to 11 locations throughout Ohio and Michigan, as well as three locations in Bahrain, Western Asia.
“As our business grows, product consistency and quality control become more difficult to manage. The convenience of using the NOCK has been an integral part of meeting this challenge and has allowed us to mass produce our sauces to fulfill our demand. We recommend the NOCK to any small business that is looking for a facility to test and produce their products without investing a large amount of capital.” – Annie Pipatjarasgit, Owner and Marketing Director of Magic Wok
Learn more about the NOCK and small business assistance services at our website.