Cream of the Crop This is the eighth article in a 10-part series acknowledging the achievements of Hong Kong's most esteemed female entrepreneurs An authentic taste for success Despite fierce competition in the catering industry, a start-up Spanish restaurant has grown into a group of 21 branded dining houses in the past 16 years. Fuelled by gastronomic passion, group head Anna Chau talks to Sophie Leung about her love of authentic cuisine Growing up surrounded by food and learning the ropes in a restaurant where her father worked, cultivated an unsurpassed love of culinary art for Anna Chau, currently chief executive officer, King Parrot Group. Indeed, by the age of 13 she was au fait with a cocktail menu. Across the Pacific several years later, a western restaurant in Vancouver provided further training opportunities for Ms Chau and she had the chance to perfect her culinary and customer service skills. In Vancouver Ms Chau managed, waited on tables and even washed dishes in the restaurant. Though perpetually busy she often confided in others that she enjoyed the hustle and bustle of such a hectic professional life. Unknown to her customers, in the corner of the restaurant was a mystery guest —n ot a food and hygiene critic, but a baby boy. Ms Chau was so busy she had to bring her son along. Over time, he became such a permanent restaurant feature that many regular customers asked if they could babysit him. Good returns As a winner of the China Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs award, Ms Chau prides herself on successfully enhancing the diversity of Hong Kong's food culture. In 1992, Ms Chau's brother invited her back to Hong Kong to manage the Spanish restaurant El Cid. From then on a unique domino effect followed —t he success of the first restaurant propelled her to open the second and the third —e ach featuring alternative branding and distinctive cuisine. An adventurous retreat with family in the North Pole Supplementary photos: Courtesy of Anna Chau Ms Chau explains the reason for avoiding the chain business model. "I agree the economic scale of chain restaurants can streamline costs and raise profit margins. But I love tasting new cuisines and I want my customers to enjoy a variety of non-conventional dining experiences. Besides, I can focus on creating new dishes rather than replicating tried and tested ones." Today, King Parrot Group boasts 30 restaurants representing 21 brands in Hong Kong. Serving international cuisine originating from places as far afield as Spain, Russia and Cuba, the group is set to open two more outlets by the end of this year. Fortunately for Ms Chau, her son's early encounters with food and beverage have paid off as the 30-year-old now assists his mother in managing one of the restaurants in Hong Kong. Industry expertise Ms Chau is similarly innovative in her approach to team management. She orchestrates annual cross-training sessions every October to expose her 1,000-strong workforce to a wider culinary knowledge base encompassing wine appreciation, customer service, presentation skills and sales techniques. Staff are encouraged to join themed training sessions regardless of the cuisine they serve or their level of seniority. In this sense, alongside traditional vertical development and promotion, staff develop horizontally in catering. She adds, "I want to foster a sense of professional aspiration in my team." Female in a leading role To serve Hong Kong residents who are becoming ever-more discerning about international cuisine, Ms Chau invites overseas guest chefs to share their skills for a year in situ at King Parrot restaurants. In addition, she sponsors local chefs' overseas study programmes and picks up culinary hints and tips when abroad herself. To ensure the standard and authenticity of traditional dishes are second to none, Ms Chan imports all the basic ingredients from overseas. Her expertise in the industry however has taught her to vary the quantity of certain ingredients to cater to local tastes. Compromise is not an option though. "For instance, Thai lime is the essence and spirit of Thai cuisine, so I import lime from Thailand instead of mainland China despite the higher costs involved," reveals Ms Chau. "Customers come to our restaurants not only for the food, but also to soak up the unique atmosphere," notes Ms Chau. Musicians and artists perform in many restaurants offering diners both themed entertainment and a cheerful ambience. The decor is also central to the concept of themed dining and Ms Chau is a perfectionist when it comes to the delicate touches well-travelled customers expect. Female in a leading role Subtle flavour In contrast to the popular perception of a woman at the top, Ms Chau exhibits a softer side when it comes to staff and customer relationships. "Though unwise from a business perspective, I refuse to skimp on the costs of sustaining any of our restaurants," says Ms Chau. Concerning El Cid, the Spanish restaurant on Knutsford Terrace, she feels her staff should take time to explain the concept of tapas and other Spanish dishes. She continues, "I work for my love of food as opposed to financial gain." Adopting a family approach to handling staff, Ms Chau makes herself accessible to everyone and cares about team morale. She was fortunate enough during the economic downturn in 2003 to record a 90 per cent surge in group business levels during the SARS outbreak mainly thanks to open garden-style restaurants in places like Stanley where nervous residents flocked to dine. Ms Chau, mother of two, emphasises that the most important component of life is her family. However, she admits, "I would like to have spent more time with my children as they were growing up." Fortunately, her solid relationship with her family today more than makes up for time lost in the past. Taken from Career Times 19 September 2008, p. A20 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]