New Restaurant Announced for Former Pei Wei Location in Lubbock

After nearly two decades in Lubbock, Pei Wei, located at Kingsgate Center North at 4210 82nd St. #230 called it quits early this year.

Despite Pei Wei's closure, that location is still solid gold, as Kingsgate has always been a well-attended shopping center here in Lubbock. So it was inevitable that a new eatery would move into that location.

Read More: Pei Wei Closes Its Doors In Lubbock After Nearly 20 Years |

The New Restaurant Taking Over Pei Wei’s Old Spot

If you miss eating asian cuisine in Kingsgate, I have great news for you. The new restaurant going into Pei Wei's former location is Hokkaido Ramen & Sushi, according to a Facebook post from the business.

According to the post, the restaurant will celebrate its Grand Opening on Tuesday, August 5th.

Beyond the pictures included in this post, there are scant details about this new restaurant; however, knowing that they will serve ramen and sushi is good enough for me to try it. It is possibly affiliated with other ramen and sushi restaurants of the same name; however, I was unable to confirm this yet.

Why Pei Wei Closed Its Lubbock Location

Pei Wei quietly closed both its Lubbock and The Strand at Huebner Oaks shopping mall location in San Antonio this year. No explanation was publicly given for either closure that I could find.

Read More: Retail Growth In Central Lubbock Welcomes New Bargain Stores

However, as someone who works a stone's throw from the former Pei Wei location, I can take an educated guess.

I would occasionally order food from Pei Wei to pick up on the way home, as a healthier/ lighter fare option. Usually, there would only be one or two tables sat at 5:30 p.m., which is obviously not a good sign.

My orders would be rather inconsistent in quality and ingredients, which is also not a good indicator of the health of a restaurant, particularly a chain that should have set recipes for each entree.

When Pei Wei first opened in Lubbock, I remember lines out the door and strict "no table saving" rules as the eatery was always full of folks. The portions were huge, fresh, and steaming hot, made to order. However, over time, it lost its luster and faced more competition from other Asian fare in Lubbock.

Pro tip: if you miss Pei Wei's lettuce wraps, you can still get them at P.F. Changs (formerly a sister restaurant, although now the concepts are not owned by the same company). If you are looking for a locally owned option for lettuce wraps, I recommend the ones at Fortune Cookie (7006 University Ave).

Welcome to Lubbock Hokkaido Ramen & Sushi! I can't wait to try it!