CHINATOWN LEGEND: starts empire from being a cheap labour, only one day off per years
By Phil Yang Published: 23:42, 19 May 2014 Edit By Cindy ChenArt Editor Lisi Liu
Viewed from the appurtenance along, his solemn dressing and slicked-back silver hair show sufficient similarities to classic character “Corleone” in movie “godfather”. For those people who know him, they will say that he has the equivalent influences in Newcastle Chinatown to “Corleone”. He is the owner of three of the most popular restaurants in Stowell Street, where the Chinese community located. Moreover, his capacities in social activity or contribution offer him the extremely louder voice within local Chinese community. They call him: Brother Choi.
Brother Choi always holds the passion in discussing any public affairs
1986, the British government signed The Sino-British Joint Declaration with the People's Republic in Beijing which declares to return colony Hong Kong back to China. As a result of fear towards ideology, thousands of Hong Kong local residents chose to flee away to UK. Driven by the immigrant tide, the young Brother Choi set feet on England to make living. It shows largely identical but with minor differences for vast majority Chinese people start from scratch to survive in UK. They build up life by washing dish one by one, years by years, so it is to Brother Choi.
Dish washer is the lowest level labour in Chinese catering industry, not only it is humdrum, but also highly energy consuming. For a young boy, it is easily exhausted in both physical, but also psychical.
However, this job becomes the main content of life in the following 20 years.
In the 90s, he moved to the front stage to start his own business from the kitchen. The first small restaurant opened in Durham. “It is my dream to own a shop, I made it there”.
After 8 years operation, he finally chose to leave the stage to “explore the world”. For the reason he abandoned, he keeps in silence.
After several years sleep, he has been activated by a friend who invites him to start a Cantonese style takeaway shop in Newcastle Chinatown named “Chinatown Express”. The 20 years experiences working in kitchen contribute his precision of taste and the flexible operation philosophy. Those two elements leads to the popular of “Chinatown Express”.
As he explained, the extreme best quality services is the lodestone to attract customers. It is like the very two end of the balance for good services and good business performance.
With the business philosophy, he sooner started another two restaurant in Newcastle Chinatown, including the over 140 seats Hong Kong Style Restaurant “Sky” and the most popular KTV “Red Diner”.
He shows extreme concerns to customers. After we request to interview the customers eating in the site, he reject us immediately because the interview will interrupt the feeling of food.
The update of business takes more of his energy, he need to inspect, supervise and arrange the operation of his empire. More important to him is to collect feedbacks from his customers. He maintains this working pattern since he started his own business, only one day off per year.
The rapidly boost business open a resource towards fortune. But he says that the hard working is not for money, but for “dream”.
2008, he heard about that the only Chinese Language School in Newcastle may face a closure by UK government due to the crucial financial crisis. He immediately invested huge amount capital to save it until now. This school is the only Chinese Language which can offer the A Level and B Level diploma.
Meanwhile, he also shows sympathy to local communities’ affairs. The Newcastle Chinese Association of aged people set up every second Thursday monthly to be the gathering day. However, there is no enough room for the association to hold such event. After aware of the situation, he closes his biggest store for them to hold party and food on every second Thursday per month.
Apart from this, he also show no rejection to various request of donation. He distinguish himself from other businessmen: I would like be delightful for their request, thanks them for offering me the chance to do charity.
If the requirement of service quality and the sympathy lay the foundation to his business, the a sharp business sense may help his career to be substantial.
Yet the silver hairs, he is more willing to interact with young generations. The Chinese youth call him “Papa” due to his parental care. Opposite, he absorbs the new idea from those young people.
On March 2014, a website named “Newcastle Chinatown” appeared on internet. It declaims itself as the web portals of the Newcastle Chinatown community, provides the current affairs, latest dynamic of catering industry, as well as the history and cultures.
This website is designed and sponsored by Brother Choi. He says the initial target is to demonstrate the current dynamic of Chinatown, to educate the young generation as well. More importantly, it is to establish the bridge to communicate the UK government and local Chinese Enterprise for the better opportunities.
The years’ exploration gives his numerous titles in both business and associations. He shows no interest to them: I am businessman, should be greedy in desire.
I work for my goal, my dream. When he say this, he is 49 years old.