Before Big Way Hot Pot hit Burnaby in 2022, co-founders Jack Yao and Christiana Luo had cut their teeth running a coffee shop in Australia—an experience that convinced them they could run “not just one restaurant, but multiple locations.”
That exposure to café culture led to a light-bulb moment: what if they transformed the traditionally communal, time-intensive dining experience of hot pot into a casual, build-your-own bowl concept? Their vision for a chain-style hot pot brand would “simplify the operation of the kitchen,” standardize the dining experience and bloom beyond a single brick-and-mortar restaurant.
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Big Way Hot Pot restaurants have multiplied in number while the brand has maintained corporate ownership rather than franchising out. There are now 25 locations across North America, including in Toronto and California. To secure the chain’s future, they completed two drafts of strategic investment, including US$43 million from leading Hong Kong restaurant group Jiumaojiu International Holdings, earning more than $60 million in revenue last year by “closing the gap between traditional hot pot and the expectations of modern North American diners.”
Looking ahead, Big Way’s founders are positioning the brand as a long-term staple of Asian dining in North America. They project sales to be more than $100 million in their next fiscal, with over 1,500 employees currently on the payroll. In the next four years, they aim to open 100 locations, hoping diners will think of Big Way Hot Pot the next time they’re hatching plans for a big communal meal.
What’s your most-used app?
CL: We both use Muck, a workspace communication tool… we set up all the meetings, calendars, plans.
What’s an odd job you’ve had?
CL: I have knocked at doors and asked people to fill out a marketing survey form.
What’s the best leadership advice you’ve ever received?
JY: You don’t need to speed up. You need to keep your own pace.
What word would your employees use to describe you?
CL: Humble.
What’s your favourite local business (besides your own)?
JY & CL: Cactus Club.
Check out the full list of Entrepreneur of the Year 2026 winners and finalists here.
