A fast-casual Asian eatery offering stir-fries, poké, salads, and smoothies recently opened in the former Blaze Pizza storefront at Cranbrook Village.
Fuel’d is geared to provide “healthy ways to eat every day,” according to Irene Gao, an owner of this location by way of a profit sharing arrangement. Founded in 2022 by David Yang and Peter Jones, the company has other stores in East Lansing, Flint, and the Atlanta area.
The spacious dining room features a full-wall graphic of a person doing a handstand outside the U-M law school with the words “take a stand.” That’s where we sat down for an impromptu interview, since efforts to arrange a phone call with Yang had come to naught.
Gao is new to the business, so her brother, Gian Gao, has been helping out as she and her growing staff of seven gain their footing. He says the stir-fries are the biggest draw. Diners can see and select among four noodles or white or brown rice, some eighteen vegetables, eight proteins, six sauces, and sixteen garnishes. It takes about two minutes to cook in their conventional or (if they’re busy) automatic rotating woks.
“I don’t know how to put it in pretty words,” he says. “Just Subway, but better.”
A similar selection process happens for salads and their second-biggest seller, the poké bowls, based with mixed greens and/or white, brown, or sushi rice. The raw tuna and salmon comes from Chicago’s Martinez Produce & Seafood, while the fresh veggies are sourced from Brighton-based Gelardi Produce.
“That’s the number one part: you cannot mess with the quality here in Ann Arbor,” Gian Gao stresses. “As long as we keep that up, it’ll be good.”
Fuel’d, 980 W. Eisenhower. (Cranbrook Village). (734) 585–5831. Daily 11 a.m.–9 p.m. fueldfoods.com
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