Angus Tse Sui-lun hit the right chord when he decided to put his business acumen to the test, whetting the appetite of Hong Kong's growing army of dessert aficionados. He says Hong Kong, where Western and Eastern cultures meet, helps business grow from the start. Sophie He reports.

Angus Tse Sui-lun may or may not have that sweet tooth himself, but seeing how Hong Kong people have grown craving for desserts is enough to nudge him into throwing his hat into the entrepreneurial ring.

He's now at the helm at Tong Pak Fu Catering Management Ltd, having turned it into a local brand name dessert house after taking over the restaurant chain in 2012.

And, Hong Kong, it seems, is still too small a stage for him to act. Tse has set his sights on the mainland's vast market, convinced it offers uninhibited business potential.

"In recent years, dessert restaurants are becoming more and more popular on the mainland. Since Tong Pak Fu is a Hong Kong dessert restaurant chain that has already gained a reputation in the local market, it could make things easier for us to expand on the mainland," Tse told China Daily.

Tong Pak Fu currently operates three stores in Hong Kong - all at prime spots on the bustling streets of Mong Kok. Tse said that to open a dessert restaurant with around 50 seats in Mong Kok would require a startup investment of between HK$800,000 and HK$1 million, plus a monthly rent in the HK$100,000-HK$200,000 range.

Depending on the performance of each store, he reckoned that to break even would probably take one or two years.

Tong Pak Fu is looking for other retail locations on Hong Kong Island and in Tsim Sha Tsui, and plans to open two more stores in the next few months.

The company's thrust is to better position itself for the thrust into the mainland.

"We have established a food processing factory in Shenzhen, although it has yet to start production. It will be able to supply foodstuff to Tong Pak Fu restaurants on the mainland," Tse said.

Besides three restaurants the group already operates on the mainland, it aims to open seven more stores there within the next six months - in Guangdong province.