VCU alum and restaurateur Chris Tsui will be featured commencement speaker

By Mike Porter

Chris Tsui, founder and president of EAT Restaurant Partners, will be the featured speaker at Virginia Commonwealth University's December commencement.

Tsui came to the United States at a young age, and his parents settled in Richmond. He worked as a busboy and then a waiter at Peking, one of the first and most prominent Chinese restaurants in Richmond, which his uncle co-founded. Tsui became general manager after graduating from VCU in 1991 with a degree in business administration and management.

Tsui's restaurants include Osaka Sushi & Steak, which he founded in 2002, as well as Beijing on Grove, Fat Dragon, Wild Ginger, Wong Gonzalez and Boulevard Burger & Brew. Overall, EAT Restaurant Partners has a roster of a dozen restaurants in the Richmond area. Tsui also has been an active advocate for the region, including serving on advisory boards for organizations such as Venture Richmond and Richmond Region Tourism.

VCU will hold universitywide commencement exercises on Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.