WORTHINGTON — Eight months after its planned opening in the former Pizza Hut site on North Humiston Avenue, Chino's Kitchen will make its debut Friday for those looking for a new eatery in Worthington.
Owner Sean Nine said this week he still can't believe his dream of owning a restaurant is becoming a reality.
“Now it's my turn,” he said with a smile. “I'm excited to see other restaurants open. Finally, it's my turn. I hope everyone will come and try the new dishes.”
Please come and try new dishes.
sean nine
Chino's Kitchen offers a variety of cuisines, from traditional Thai to Mexican to American cuisine.
“In Spanish, chino means Asian and kitchen means American,” he said of the name.
The restaurant is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Nine employs approximately eight employees to fill a variety of full-time and part-time positions, including three cooks.
“One (cook) cooks Mexican food, I cook Thai food, and the other cooks American food,” Nine said. “I have some friends who I worked with in my previous jobs who are coming to help me.”
The five-page menu features the best Thai dishes, the most popular Mexican dishes, and American favorites including sandwiches, fries, chicken wings, and pizza.
Mr. Nain, who will be the main cook of Thai cuisine, allows guests to choose from meats served with sticky rice to several types of pho (Thai's version of noodle soup), pad thai, ka pau, fried rice and many other dishes. He said he could. . There are also egg rolls, Thai sausage balls, rotis, and chicken and pork bao (steamed buns with meat inside).
Asian boba (bubble tea) lovers can choose from 18 different varieties, from fruity to coffee, coconut, and chocolate flavors. We also have fountain pops, Mexican cola, regular tea, coffee, and water.
Mexican food includes tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas, fajitas, nachos, tamales, rice, beans, and more.
“Aside from our main menu, we also cater for birthdays and weddings,” Nine said. “It's a completely different menu.”
As people settle into their daily routine, Nine said they hope to add weekly specials to the menu and introduce some of the options available to order from the catering menu.
Nine is excited to finally open a restaurant. He said things outside of his control led to the delay, including hiring contractors, plumbers and electricians to prepare the restaurant for opening.
“I truly apologize for that,” he said, adding that he was grateful to know that people were anxious and looking forward to the opening.
The extra time allowed us to think about different menu options, and bubble tea was something we hadn't originally considered.
When customers enter the restaurant, they have the option of sitting down to eat or ordering food at the front counter.
“We want customers to sit down, relax, and look at the menu,” Nine says. “Or, if you prefer to order takeout directly at the counter, you can check out there.”
A few weeks ago, Nine hosted an event for family and friends that included prayers and blessings for the business, followed by a meal.
“We could have opened earlier, but we wanted to give people time to plan their visit,” he says.
Parking is limited in the parking lot, but Nine has permission for customers to park in either the Verizon lot south of Chino's Kitchen or the laundromat lot to the north.
Julie Banger became editor of the Globe in July 2021 after working as a beat reporter at the Worthington newspaper since December 2003. She earned her bachelor's degree in agricultural journalism from South Dakota State University.
