Xi’an Famous Foods Is Expanding to ‘Regain Ground’ | Eater NY

"A hand-pulled noodle chain boosted by a stamp of approval from Anthony Bourdain, Xi’an Famous Foods began in 2005 as a small stall in Flushing’s Golden Mall founded by David Shi and grew into a citywide operation after Bourdain—who said “I’ve never had anything like this” as he bit into a lamb burger—helped spotlight the business. It expanded to neighborhoods including Flushing, Greenpoint, and Downtown Brooklyn but was hit hard by the pandemic and closed eight locations. Now the chain is bouncing back: it opened new shops in Williamsburg and Long Island City last year, added a second Flushing location at the $800 million Tangram Mall, and recently returned to Midtown with a new noodle shop at 60 W. 45th Street (near Sixth Avenue), purchasing the building for $6.6 million so it could keep noodle prices under $10. With 13 locations now, the company has started delivering from several stores, ships dumplings and chile oils nationwide, and — as CEO Jason Wang says — is “hopeful to regain our ground” and begin regional expansion toward the end of the year to cities like Philadelphia and Boston. Wang also notes that owning the Midtown site lets them be “a little bit more leniently in terms of rent,” unlike third‑party landlords who, in his words, will “suck the blood.”" - Luke Fortney