The Toledo-based eatery Balance Pan-Asian Grille recently announced plans to expand to Columbus with 10 new locations in the area. Although the first location hasn’t yet been determined, the team at Balance Grille is excited to bring their take on Asian-fusion cuisine to the Columbus market.
Bryon Stephens, Chief Development Officer for Balance Pan-Asian Grille, tells What Now Columbus that they hope to have the first restaurant open by 2024.
“Our goal is to find a site and start development during this year, hopefully opening by the middle of next year,” Stephens said.
The eatery offers fresh, fast-casual fare and although they’re a growing organization, they’re also becoming known for not having a typical managerial hierarchy, a menu full of fresh, healthy food and a commitment to the planet.
Their staff structure is distinctive in that it doesn’t feature managerial staff, which according to Stephens, can put a ceiling on the pay scales for employees. Instead of management staff, employees can be cross-trained in several areas, according to their interests or skills, and this structure allows employees to earn a salary more in line with a manager.
Also unique to the eatery, is an 8,600 square foot aquaponics farm, called Balance Farms, where they grow microgreens, lettuce and basil in the bottom level of a parking garage in downtown Toledo. The farm provides fresh greens and herbs that are incorporated into the menu, and they also produce enough to provide microgreens to other regional restaurants and grocers, which helps reduce the amount of food miles the items travel in order to get in front of the consumer.
“I think it shows who we are. We care about our customers and our planet and we’re executing strategies to live what our beliefs are,” Stephens said of the farm.
The menu features bowls, such as a Filipino adobo bowl made with traditional seasonings used in Filipino cuisine and the budda bowl that features Indian-inspired spicy butter sauce and chickpeas, with options to make every style of bowl vegan. The Asian taco options include Korean barbecue style tacos topped with sesame oil and soy sauce and grilled chicken tacos served with wasabi aioli. There’s also a large selection of bubble teas and snacks such as veggie egg rolls, steamed edamame and wok-fired curry cauliflower.
