CHARLEMAGNE LIM
Business: Little Asia
Category: The Young Millionaires
" We're probably the only restaurants here in the Philippines that don't have a supervisor or a manager."
He set up his first business venture in 2000, when he started supplying liquor to a hotel in Malate. It didn't do as good as I'd hoped and had to close it down after a year, and a cousin invited him to open a restaurant.
The day they opened Little Asia in Tomas Morato in December 2001, his geomancer told him that for good luck he should open at 7 p.m., but as early as 4 p.m. they already had customers lining up outside so by the time they opened up it was already packed. And similarly packed when they open their second branch in Promenade, Greenhills, in December 2004.
"I believe people keep coming back because the dishes we serve are unique. We have around 150 dishes but still we update our menu twice a year to add more so our regular clients can always expect something new. But the amazing thing is we don't have a Chinese chef and never did. We developed all the recipes ourselves from the memories of the food that we ate during our travel abroad."
Ambiance is a big attraction. They make sure their interiors have a distinct refreshing and cozy atmosphere. But their best asset are their service.
"I visit my two outlets every day and talk to all my customers.. And my staffs and I are like barkada. We play basketball every Sunday, and when business is really good, I even take them out to drink."
Every Chinese New Year, they hire the best lion dance troupe to perform in our stores. This group costs more than P1,000 per minute, but they're well worth it because they entertain the customers and drive the bad spirits away.
GOLDEN RULE:
"Putting up a restaurant is really all about hard work and common sense. I make sure my bathrooms are always clean, my cooks wash their hands, and my waiters always hand something to a customer using both hands--the Chinese gesture of respect."
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