{"id":5355,"date":"2019-01-16T21:56:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-16T21:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/?p=5355"},"modified":"2023-04-17T18:23:46","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T18:23:46","slug":"new-bento-babies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/2019\/01\/new-bento-babies\/","title":{"rendered":"New Bento Babies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.<\/p><cite>\u2013 James Cash \u201cJ. C.\u201d Penney Jr.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>We couldn\u2019t agree more with Mr. Penney. When our story began in 2002, co-founders and brothers Jimmy and Johnny say the inception of Bento Cafe resulted from the perfect storm brewing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>the economic shift at the time after 9\/11<\/li><li>Johnny\u2019s own impending graduation from the University of Florida (because we all feel that pressure to figure out our whole lives if we haven\u2019t already in that short 4-year span amirite)<\/li><li>patiently waiting for the ideal time and location<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And above all they wanted to honor their father\u2019s culinary legacy in traditional Chinese cuisine \u2013 in a more fresh, approachable way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often being in the kitchen with their dad and wearing many hats, they were able to absorb invaluable lessons and an understanding of the business from a young age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rooted in Family and Tradition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Jimmy and Johnny\u2019s deep appreciation for their dad\u2019s hard work, sparked their own inner fuel to make good, high quality Asian food faster and more accessible for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Growing up in the restaurant business, they saw the need and opportunity to bridge the gap between traditional ways of eating Asian food (mostly Chinese take out in the white boxes with some fortune cookies if you\u2019re lucky) with a more modern and open approach to the cuisine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-image-5540\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_0730-1-1024x763.jpeg\" alt=\"Johnny and Jimmy with their parents at the second ever Bento Cafe in Gainesville at the Archer Road location.\" class=\"wp-image-5540\"\/><figcaption><i>Johnny and Jimmy with their parents at the second ever Bento Cafe in Gainesville at the Archer Road location.<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The Bento concept places emphasis on fresh-to-order Asian fare tailored to the unique needs of the ever-growing, always-on-the go crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This inclusive approach would help with connecting the two seemingly distant generations of old school and new school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bento Evolves With You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sixteen years, 11 locations, 7 cities, and a growing team of 500 members later, there is no ceiling in growth for our Bento family with more new store openings on the horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bento couldn\u2019t do all of this without you and your unwavering loyalty to us, or more aptly to our Pao Pao (spicy cream) chicken (let\u2019s be real).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recently we\u2019ve been busy expanding, and even fortunate enough to tread new territory. So without further ado, let\u2019s shine the spotlight on some of the latest members of the family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#BentoInTheBurg<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the recent expansions landed us in sunny St. Pete, all less than half a mile from The University of South Florida St. Pete, the surreal Salvador Dali Museum, the Al Lang Stadium home to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and in the heart of downtown St. Pete. It\u2019s a spot we\u2019ve been scheming for quite some time, to be honest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe were drawn to downtown St. Pete for its rapid real estate market growth, the incredible transformation of the business district, and its proximity to the USF St. Pete campus and notable hospitals,\u201d said Johnny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/BentoGrandOpening-1-of-1-1-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"BentoGrandOpening (1 of 1) (1)\" class=\"wp-image-5363\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, he wanted Bento to be part of the ever-expanding development of the \u2018Burg. Johnny was confident that Bento and St. Pete\u2019s energetic live, work, and play community would be the perfect match with the concept\u2019s fast, easygoing, and fresh vibes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith so many young professionals drawn to this area, the community will benefit from a quick, casual dining experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We opened doors to the very first Bento in the Tampa Bay area this past October where we had the warmest welcome, including a ribbon cutting courtesy of Mayor Kriseman, who helped us kick off our grand opening. We are happy to be the new kids on the sunniest block and look forward to creating so many new tasty memories together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/BentoGrandOpening-1-of-1-128-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"BentoGrandOpening (1 of 1)-128\" class=\"wp-image-5360\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#BentoInThePark<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re so proud to call the City Beautiful our home, and are grateful to contribute to its perpetual growth in Orlando and in its surrounding areas. It brings us great joy to have had our Winter Park location join us this past November \u2013 also marking our fourth Central Florida Bento (we now have all your Pao Pao chicken needs covered in every corner of the city \ud83d\ude1c).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur first Orlando location opened in downtown ten years ago and now we\u2019re choosing to build our headquarters here as we know Orlando will be our home for many years to come,\u201d says Johnny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/DSC_7724-1024x678.jpg\" alt=\"DSC_7724\" class=\"wp-image-5367\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re happy to add a fresh bite for every appetite whether you\u2019re perusing the city\u2019s world class art, local specialty stores, or the famed Saturday Farmers\u2019 Market (hello IG photo opps galore). Soon you will also be able to bulk up on protein with one of our build-a-poke bowls after leg day at our neighbors, LA Fitness. The gym is currently going through $4.2 million worth of renovations. Gains and the full update of the new LA Fitness anticipated: April 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meet us in the park \ud83e\udd17<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#BentoInTheSwamp (this baby is almost ready to make its entrance)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Gainesville is the birthplace of Bento, and we couldn\u2019t be more excited to go back to our orange and blue roots 16 years later to set up Gainesville\u2019s third Bento at The Standard just a walk across from the University of Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coming back to where we launched is an opportunity to add to the impassioned community that has provided us with so much support and a chance to thrive from day one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/image-1-1024x511.png\" alt=\"image (1)\" class=\"wp-image-5533\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-image-5534\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GNV-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"bento cafe, bento, gainesville\" class=\"wp-image-5534\"\/><figcaption><i>Before and after of our third Gainesville location set to open January 2019.<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The student population, families, and business professionals all over town have shown us so much love, and we couldn\u2019t be more grateful to add another Bento in our beloved swamp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Best is Yet to Come<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While these locations mark the latest members to join the family, we look forward to more development in the upcoming year and beyond \u2013 satisfying all your roll, bowl, box, and tea cravings one city at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a very exciting time for Bento Group, especially with all of our expansions,\u201d said David Yu, Bento Group partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen Jimmy and Johnny Tung were originally planning for the first Bento opening, they hadn\u2019t really envisioned how massive it would grow to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bento Baby Store Details:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bento St. Pete<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>320 3rd St. South<br>St. Petersburg, FL 33701<br>(727) 317-5533<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bento Winter Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>501 Orlando Avenue #221<br>Winter Park, FL 32789<br>407-755-3555<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bento UF<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>150 NW 13th Street, Suite 60<br>Gainesville, FL 32601<br>352-240-6428<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"s2\"><\/span><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.\u2013 James&#8230;","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7587,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5355"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eatatbento.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}