# Jack Yao

> Jack Yao is the founder and CEO of Big Way Hot Pot, the British Columbia restaurant company he built with co-founder Christiana Luo. His earlier work included a Gloria Jean’s Coffees franchise in Melbourne and roles at The Dolar Shop and Boiling Point. Big Way dates its founding to 2021 and opened its first Burnaby restaurant in 2022; its individual, pay-by-weight format subsequently expanded into Ontario and California. Yao and Luo were named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Canada 2026 Pacific finalists in the Brand-Led Growth category.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Big Way Hot Pot
- **Organizations:** Big Way Hot Pot, Gloria Jean’s Coffees (former franchise operator), The Dolar Shop (previous employment), Boiling Point (previous employment)
- **Known for:** Co-founded and leads Big Way Hot Pot, which had 22 restaurants in British Columbia, Ontario and California and about 1,400 employees as reported on May 1, 2026., Named with Christiana Luo among EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Canada 2026 Pacific finalists in Brand-Led Growth., Led Big Way during its expansion beyond British Columbia into Ontario and California.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2017** — Operated a Gloria Jean’s Coffees franchise in Melbourne, Australia, with Christiana Luo.
- **2017** — Moved from Australia to Vancouver with Luo.
- **Before Big Way** — Worked at The Dolar Shop and Boiling Point.
- **2021** — Founded Big Way Hot Pot with Christiana Luo; serves as founder and CEO.
- **2022** — Big Way opened its first restaurant in Burnaby, British Columbia.
- **2024** — Announced further Metro Vancouver expansion and plans for entry into Los Angeles.
- **2025** — Big Way opened in Scarborough on February 18; celebrated its first US location in Rowland Heights on July 20.
- **2026** — Jiumaojiu announced a US$43 million follow-on transaction; Yao and Luo were named EY Pacific finalists; Yao participated in the August 25 TOA summit panel in Arcadia.

## Achievements

- Co-founded and leads Big Way Hot Pot, which had 22 restaurants in British Columbia, Ontario and California and about 1,400 employees as reported on May 1, 2026.
- Named with Christiana Luo among EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Canada 2026 Pacific finalists in Brand-Led Growth.
- Led Big Way during its expansion beyond British Columbia into Ontario and California.
- Big Way secured an initial US$4 million Jiumaojiu investment in July 2025, followed by a US$43 million transaction announced in February 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — ARDA named Yao among participants at the 2026 Globalization of Chinese Cuisine Conference at New York’s Rainbow Room in a September 9 report.
- **2026-09** — Big Way announced September 18 grand-opening celebrations for Queen Street in Toronto and White Rock in British Columbia.
- **2026-08** — Participated in an August 25 TOA summit panel in Arcadia with Neil Zhao and Stephanie Zhao on restaurant growth and organization.
- **2026-06** — Listed alongside Christiana Luo as an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Canada 2026 Pacific finalist in Brand-Led Growth.
- **2026-02** — Jiumaojiu announced US$28 million in new preferred shares and US$15 million in purchases from existing shareholders, taking its economic interest to about 49%.

## Links

- Website: https://www.bigwayhotpot.com/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jack-yao
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-20