From humble origins in Shanghai, China, Charlie Zhang embarked on the road of destiny, drawn by the American dream. With only a few dollars in his pocket, but a strong determination to succeed, Zhang arrived in California in 1980 and began supporting himself as a restaurant dishwasher and as gas station attendant. In a few years, he saved enough money to fund his own modest restaurant. Zhang learned the restaurant business quickly, and by dint of hard work, coupled with keen business acumen, he founded Pick Up Stix, a popular Chinese fast food chain, which eventually expanded to more than 100 restaurants and was later sold to TGI Friday in 2001.