Atlanta’s Fast-Casual Asian Kitchen Will Blanket Houston With Locations

Atlanta’s beloved Pan-Asian eatery Tin Drum Asian Kitchen picked Houston as its first expansion market out of its home turf.

The first of five planned locations is scheduled to debut in central Houston before the end of 2019, with locations being scouted out now. Founder Steven Chan built upon his architectural degree from Georgia Tech to craft an Atlanta-based brand inspired by bustling streets cafes of his native Hong Kong.

Along with its wildly popular crab and cheese spring rolls, orders include “Not In A Bowl” sidewalk sandwiches, tikka masala, Singapore curry noodles, Thai curry with coconut milk, Korean fried chicken sliders, and Vietnamese spring rolls. Chan calls the Houston market “one of the most culturally diverse cities in the country with diners who crave international flavors,” he says, in a statement.

Houston residents and restaurateurs Shairoz Lakhani, Avez Maredia and Faizan Momin were tapped as area franchisees, who currently own and operate three Wingstop restaurants in Texas with two more under construction. The trio discovered Tin Drum while they were college students in Georgia. Tin Drum debuted in Atlanta more than 15 years ago, with 11 locations currently sprinkled throughout the metro area.

Tin Drum is just the latest Atlanta eatery to set its sights on Houston. In the last month alone, poke bowl chain Poke Burri and ramen bar Lifting Noodles announced that both would open Space City outposts in the coming months. Before that, Houston native and Atlanta restaurateur Ford Fry brought Superica (and sister spot La Lucha) to town. The culinary exchange has also gone in the opposite direction — earlier this year, Houston cult-favorite Turkey Leg Hut announced that it would expand to Atlanta.

Stay tuned for more details on locations and opening dates for Houston’s Tin Drum outposts.