(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-03-30 10:47

They call this the Great Chinese Dream; the adventurer's equivalent of the American Dream; to arrive in China, begin a business, and to make it rich. For 36-year-old Australian Kris Ryan, he hit the grand slam of all Chinese Dreams; operating multiple business enterprises within Beijing's five Rings. In the Great Chinese Dream, all it takes is a little guanxi.

"The more friends you've got the better," says Ryan, in an unassuming and friendly tone. "I really wanted (to employ) Beijingren. They always know someone who knows someone who can help you. They need you as much as you need them." In addition to employing locals, Ryan has found success in creating businesses, both his Food & Beverage and Design & Build companies, with what John Lennon once referred to as "a little help from my (Ryan's expat) friends".

The Food & Beverage company owns two restaurants and bars off Sanlitun Beilu, both the Mexican joint The Saddle and the two-months-old Cox. Famous for their chicken-wings and burritos, on April 13 The Saddle/Cox empire will have competition from another Mexican dive opening nearby on Sanlitun Nanlu, also owned by Ryan.

Speaking with BJW last December, Ryan's future business plan involved opening seven or more restaurants in Beijing from Chaoyang to Haidian. "They would offer the same food as now (in The Saddle/Cox)," Ryan said, "but I want to position it differently on a main road, to geographically spread throughout Beijing and China." Ryan was also brainstorming the possibility of offering fast-food Mexican entrees, a la KFC style.

Ryan's ideas have come to fruition in the yet-untitled restaurant-bar on Sanlitun Nanlu where Midnight and Grappa's once resided. Located along the thoroughfare that connects Sanlitun Beilu's glitter-bars with Nanlu's Browns, Bookworm, and Salsa Caribe crowd, Ryan's new place has employed the "Location! Location! Location!" business maxim to good use.

"We've joked about calling it 'The Rubix Cube'," says Ryan, an appropriate reference to the 1980s toy fad considering the venue's green and yellow block exterior. While no official name has been chosen yet, hundreds of potential names have been suggested on a popular Beijing forum, including the somewhat amusing Peking Toms, Crazy Horse, Dix, Midnight Cowboy, Pure Girl, Brokeback, The Liver Spot, Barbar Bar, and Sexual Revolution '07.

In addition to popular Mexican dishes and the usual drinks, the new place will introduce California style pizza-by-the-slice, where toppings are custom ordered for the patrons by the patrons.

Rivaling the sliced-pizza for celebrity will be Ryan's offering of a 4am gourmet breakfast. This service insures that the party continues long into the morning, making this Nanlu joint the new after-after-hours hangout spot.

Address:The Saddle, and Cox, restaurants & bars, Sanlitun Beilu.