We had the good fortune of connecting with E. John Banquil, Jr. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi E. John, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success and the success of Ling & Louie’s Restaurants is the practice of kaizen, the philosophy of continuous improvement.

The contemporary restaurant scene is constantly evolving. People know more about the culinary world than they ever have. They are bombarded with beautiful, eye-catching dishes on social media. And spending in restaurants has matched spending in grocery stores for the past two years. As a restaurant brand, if you’re not improving and evolving, you will be left behind.

At Ling & Louie’s Restaurants, one of our core values is “We are Innovative & Dynamic.” This means that we work tirelessly to improve our operations. We reflect on our past performance. We are constantly reevaluating our standards and recipes, evolving them to not just stay relevant, but to be a standard-bearer. We work to continuously educate our teams so they have the knowledge and tools they need to create exceptional experiences. We look to the future to identify trends. Most importantly, we strive daily for perfection and settle for nothing less than excellence.

What should our readers know about your business?
As I said above, Ling & Louie’s was founded by Randy Schoch. Randy’s vision was to blend traditional Asian flavors with modern presentation, creating a unique dining experience. He gathered a team of culinary professionals to develop a standout menu, making Ling & Louie’s a top dining destination since 2008.

The first “Asian Bar and Grill” opened in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2008, followed by several franchise locations in Chandler, Arizona; Meridian, Idaho; and DFW International Airport.

In 2019, I purchased the Ling & Louie’s Restaurants brand from Randy, aiming to enhance its excitement and create a new future for the concept. The COVID-19 pandemic sparked innovation, leading to the launch of Ghost Street Asian Taqueria, our virtual ghost kitchen offering Asian-inspired street tacos and more for takeout and delivery, with plans for a physical location in the future.

In 2021, Ling & Louie’s introduced Ling’s Wok Shop, a fresh-casual dining concept combining fast- casual convenience with full-service hospitality, offering a new and exciting culinary experience. Now in our third year of business, we are looking to expand our newest brand across the Valley.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting, I’d take them to the following places to eat (besides my own restaurants): Hiro Sushi, Steak 44, Noble Eatery, Tacos Chiwas, and Buck & Rider.

Places to drink would include: Century Grand, Barcoa, and Little Rituals.

Depending on the season, activities would include a day in Old Town Scottsdale, a night out in DTPHX, a sporting event (Mercury, Suns, Spring Training, or Cardinals game), a trip to the Desert Botanical Garden and/or the Phoenix Zoo, likely a trip to Sedona, Flagstaff, and the Grand Canyon.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, I’d like to give a shoutout to my wife, Miriam, and my kids, Tristen and Elijah. The three of them have sacrificed more than anyone to see me succeed. Their love, support and encouragement has been a driving force and has given me the strength to get to this point in my life.

Just as important as my family is our team at Ling & Louie’s Restaurants. They are the glue that holds our company together and brings my vision to life.

A year ago, I joined a group of fellow CEO’s called Vistage. Our chair, Lisa, has been essential to the growth that I and my company has seen over the past year. I encourage everyone looking to grow to join a peer group. The comradery, advice, and shared visions are both inspiring and priceless.

Ling & Louie’s Restaurants was started by veteran restaurateur, Randy Schoch. He presented the opportunity for me to buy the company from him 6 years ago after I had worked for him for over a decade. His mentorship over the years has helped me in more ways than I can describe.

Website: https://www.lingandlouiesrestaurants.com

Instagram: @lingandlouies; @lingswokshop; @ghoststreettacos; @restaurantdad (personal)

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lingandlouies/

Twitter: @lingandlouies; @lingswokshop; @ghoststreettacos

Facebook: @lingandlouies; @lingswokshop; @ghoststreettacos

Image Credits
Everardo Keeme, Christian Houda, Austin Baker

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