The unlikely restaurateur
Updated: 2014-09-19 14:59
By Yu Ran(Shanghai Star)
|
||||||||
Charles Zeng's laid-back eateries attract a younger crowd who are drawn to his innovative kitchen creations [Photo/Provided to shanghai star] |
It was a steep learning curve for Charles Zeng, whose first job in hospitality was reversing the fortunes of a failing restaurant. But after only three years in the trade, he stands at the helm of three successful eateries.
Charles Zeng had almost no experience in the hospitality industry when he took on the management of his father's restaurant, which was in danger of going bankrupt, in 2011.
But not only did the enterprising Zeng reverse the fortunes of his father's eatery, but three years on he has also opened two successful restaurants of his own.
Born in Shanghai, but having grown up in the United States, 28-year-old Zeng was working as a consultant in New York when he decided to quit his job and return to China to run Piro, an American bar and grill. At first, he thought operating the restaurant would be easy, but his relaxed attitude soon proved foolish. He was shocked when Piro kept losing money, it's unsteady performance meant it failed to retain regular customers.
"I didn't want to be a loser, shutting down the restaurant because of financial problems, so I stepped into the kitchen and began seriously getting involved in the business," Zeng says.
He switched his focus and began to revitalize the restaurant from the ground up. He started with learning to cook, creating dishes to improve the menu, chatting with customers for their suggestions about the food, and having more communication with his employees.
"Running a restaurant is the same as any other service-oriented business, which requires the owner to deal with a wide range of matters. For me, it was also a process of obtaining experience and learning lessons," says Zeng.
It only took Zeng a few months to turn Piro around, and it is now a popular and profitable restaurant.
- Star Stefanie Sun holds concert in Beijing
- Faye Wong's manager refutes star's drug rumors
- Lu Yi and daughter Bei Er pose for street snaps
- Photoshoots of actress Li Xiaomeng
- Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards
- Fan Bingbing, first Chinese actress in Barbie Hall of Fame
- Awarding ceremony of 2014 hito Pop Music held in Taipei
- Zhao Liying's photo shoot for Children's Day
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Top 10 cheapest new energy cars promoted in China |
11th China-ASEAN Expo |
Go Wuxi: Canal city in transition |
Budding businesses of the digital age |
Top 10 most used desktop instant messaging tools |
Top 8 executives who left western firms for Chinese companies |
Today's Top News
Xi, Modi set friendly tone for visit
China refutes US hacking charges
Chinese naval chief debuts at Seapower forum
Security risks found in half of China's govt websites
Chinese like trade, FDI, not acquisitions: Survey
Multilingual services bills on Brown's desk
Baidu speeds up online commerce
Ma named 'Asia Game Changer of the Year'
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |