Patrick Cheng: The Operator Behind General Tso’s Catering

A clear idea in a tough year

Patrick Cheng launched General Tso’s Catering in Atlanta after turning a struggling take-out shop during the pandemic into a fast, reliable catering kitchen. He saw two things at once. Offices still needed group meals. Most small restaurants did not have systems built for speed, scale, and consistency. Patrick used that gap as his opening. He rebuilt workflow, menus, and delivery into a simple model that could produce more than 200 meals per hour from roughly 800 square feet. The goal was not flash. The goal was reliable results for teams across metro Atlanta.

Early roots in supply and operations

Patrick has a degree in Business Administration and spent years in food supply and logistics before restaurant ownership. That work taught him how to move product on time, watch cost lines, and protect quality during busy hours. He learned the value of clean purchasing, tight prep windows, and straight communication with vendors. When he stepped into the restaurant world, he brought a supply-chain mindset with him. That is why his kitchens run on clear numbers, not guesswork.

Building a catering engine

The shift from retail take-out to catering started with a simple rule. Make it easy for the customer and easy for the kitchen. Patrick redesigned the menu for high satisfaction and fast execution. He standardized portions, labeled pans and stations, and cut motion inside the kitchen. He set up digital order flow, heat-holding standards, and driver routes that match Atlanta traffic patterns. The outcome is a kitchen that can feed a few dozen or a few hundred with the same consistency. Corporate offices book because they get hot food on time. Admins rebook because setup is simple and cleanup is fast.

Technology with a human touch

Patrick uses practical tools, not buzzwords. Orders move through a clean digital stack. Inventory is tracked to reduce waste. Delivery timing is monitored and adjusted day by day. Training happens with short videos, checklists, and phone-based tools that are easy for any team member to use. He also invests in people. Many staff members are first-generation workers and non-native English speakers. Clear visuals, WhatsApp updates, and simple SOPs help everyone do great work. The result is speed without the cold feel of automation.

What makes the brand different

Three ideas define General Tso’s Catering. First, reliability. The team sizes trays correctly, confirms delivery windows early, and plans backup routes when Atlanta traffic turns rough. Second, clarity. Menus are simple to order, easy to serve, and friendly for mixed diets in an office setting. Third, care. Patrick treats customer time as a real cost. When a meeting starts on time with hot food, the brand did its job.

Community first in Atlanta

General Tso’s is a local brand with local roots. Patrick and his team have donated more than 19,000 meals to schools, nonprofits, and community groups. Through NextGen Impact Georgia, he supports immigrant founders and local youth with business basics, mentorship, and small grants. The company partners with chambers of commerce and business associations to push small business visibility and cross-community collaboration. For Patrick, community is not a side project. It is part of the operating plan.

Lessons from hard seasons

The pandemic years brought supply swings, staffing gaps, and a fast move to digital. Patrick responded with cross-training, smarter purchasing, and tighter prep. He built a bench so one person can cover another without breaking service. He simplified the menu where it helped speed and quality. He trimmed steps that did not add value to the plate. The kitchen came out of those years lean, steady, and ready for growth.

Operating at scale from a small footprint

Feeding hundreds from an 800-square-foot kitchen requires discipline. Patrick maps every square foot. Cold storage is labeled and rotated. Prep lists are locked in by time of day. Hot line stations are set by volume forecast, not habit. Drivers know load order and drop order before they arrive. This is why the team can hit events across metro Atlanta and maintain temperature, texture, and timing. Offices care about taste. They also care about lines that move and rooms that reset fast. Patrick designs for both.

Food that travels well and wins repeat orders

Corporate catering lives and dies on how food travels. Patrick backs favorites that hold heat, keep texture, and satisfy a wide crowd. Dishes like General Tso’s Chicken, Steak and Broccoli, Shrimp Fried Rice, and veggie options are planned for large groups and mixed preferences. Sauces are balanced for flavor without soggy results. Labels are clear. Allergens are noted. These details protect the guest and the meeting.

Culture and leadership

Patrick runs the company like a long-term project. He speaks often about discipline, gratitude, and simple systems. New hires get hands-on practice with real feedback. Team leads grow from within. Wins are shared. Mistakes are reviewed without drama so the process gets stronger. Customers feel that culture in small ways, like an extra check-in call before a delivery, a properly packed sauce kit, or a driver who knows where to stage trays in a tight room.

The vision ahead

Short term, Patrick is expanding corporate programs, route density, and digital ordering so offices can book in a few clicks. Long term, he is exploring franchise or group models in cities like Chicago, New York, and Dallas. The north star is clear. Make General Tso’s the most trusted name in modern Chinese-American catering. Keep the heart of the food. Keep the speed of the system. Keep the service personal.

Why offices choose General Tso’s in Atlanta

Procurement teams and office managers want three things. Predictable cost, predictable timing, and happy teams. Patrick’s model supports all three. Pricing is clear. Portions are honest. Delivery slots are respected. The menu covers meat lovers and vegetarians without making the order complex. Cleanup is easy. Reorders are fast. Over time, that consistency turns first-time buyers into long-term partners.

Favourite picks from the founder

Ask Patrick for his go-to plate and he keeps it simple. General Tso’s Chicken for the classic hit. Steak and Broccoli for balance. Shrimp Fried Rice for speed and comfort in one tray. These choices are not about trend. They are about what feeds a room well and sends people back to work happy.

A note to customers

Patrick often says that every tray carries a promise. A promise to respect time, budget, and the people in the room. When you order from General Tso’s, you support a team that worked through hard seasons and chose to build something useful for Atlanta. It is food, yes. It is also a daily act of service.

Closing

Patrick Cheng built General Tso’s Catering by mixing discipline with care. He took a small kitchen and turned it into a dependable engine for group meals. He invested in people and simple technology. He stayed local and gave back. That is why the brand keeps growing in Atlanta’s corporate catering scene. It works. It respects the clock, the budget, and the guest. And it tastes good.