Do you dream of running your own restaurant one day? If you answered yes, this story is for you.
It is hard work to open and run a restaurant. But Mr.In Gurung was willing to work hard. This is In Gurung's story. ('In' is pronounced "Een".) Born in Nepal, even as a young man, he already wanted to run his own restaurant. He opened one in Kathmandu, but due to inexperience he had to give it up after only a year.
He attempted another restaurant in 1996. This time in Shenzhen,China. But soon he discovered that he was too early. Local people still didn't understand Western food. He gave up after six months.
And so when In Gurung opened Sole Mio Restaurant in Hong Kong in late 1999, he couldn't have imagined how well it would do. Almost from day one, Sole Mio was packed with expat diners night after night. It was the kind of restaurant that every restaurant owner wanted. It had the right food, at the right time, and at the right place! Sometimes, customers would arrive at dinner time when all the tables were occupied. In Gurung would tell them: "perhaps, if you come back in half an hour, there might be a table available for you...". And to In Gurung's relief, he says: "They really would come back!"
Sole Mio is now twenty years old. "I'm a survivor," says In Gurung .
Since opening Sole Mio In must have opened and closed around 4 or 5 other restaurants. "It's not a get rich quick business," said In Gurung about the restaurant business, "sometimes, it takes a long time ..."
In Gurung has another restaurant that has survived. It's name is Na Thai and is located in Happy Valley. Na Thai offers authentic Thai food. Na Thai has been in business for eight years now.
Sole Mio offers Italian cuisine and fine wine. Diners can choose 2 or 3 course meals. A meal, plus wine can easily add up to at least HK$350.00 per person! It isn't a big restaurant. In Gurung says it can seat 46 people.
When you dine in Sole Mio, In Gurung will be there to welcome you. And during your dinner, he will regularly check on your table to make sure you're happy with your food and wine.
I asked In Gurung where he got the idea to open an Italian restaurant. In Gurung explained that he had worked as a restaurant manager in Hong Kong for six years and all the restaurants he managed happened to be Italian restaurants! In Gurung believes that Italian food is the best food.
Sole Mio does not use produce from the local markets in Hong Kong. Sole Mio uses ingredients flown in from Australia, the US, etc. These ingredients include asparagus, Romaine lettuce, rockets, melons,Parmesan cheese, herbs, lamb, mussel, salmon etc...
I didn't know that there are people who are in the business of flying in fresh farm produce from Australia, the US, etc... which they supply to upscale restaurants like Sole Mio. So, it pays to work in an Italian restaurant first if you plan to open one yourself. You'll need the contact numbers of these suppliers!
When asked how he got the restaurant manager job In Gurung said: "I have a diploma in Hotel & Restaurant Management! And I have worked in a 5-star hotel in Kathmandu operated by the Oberoi Group. You know, the Oberoi Group?" (Oberoi Group operates 35 luxury hotels in six countries, according to wikipedia.org.) In Gurung explains further. He says that because his job in a hotel in Kathmandu was paying so little, he decided to go into trading. He would travel to Hong Kong to buy things like wristwatches and sell them in Kathmandu. But at the same time, he kept in close touch with the Nepali network of friends and relatives already working in Hong Kong to remind them that he was looking for work in Hong Kong. Sometime in 1993, a Nepali friend recommended him to a restaurant owner who was looking for a manager for one of his restaurants. In Gurung was asked to come in for an interview and was hired and the company processed his Hong Kong work visa for him.
I asked In Gurung if he had to borrow money from his relatives to open any of his restaurants. In Gurung took a moment to process my question and then replied: "I have partners and I used my savings and borrowed some from my relatives. This is why I had to work very hard. I didn't have any sort of safety net that would save me if I failed."
Every restaurant operator will face this problem everytime their lease contract is about to expire and the landlord wants to increase the rent. Should they stay or move to another place?
Sole Mio chose to stay but had to put up with paying more rent every two or three years. So, finally, after fifteen years in the same address, In Gurung decided that the latest rent the landlord wanted was just too much. In Gurung says the landlord wanted HK$138,000.00 per month for a retail shop that could fit only 10 tables. This was in 2014.
Sole Mio has moved to a new location just a few feet away. It is now in Upper Ground Floor in No. 51 Elgin iStreet in Mid-Levels, SoHo, Central.
What would In Gurung say to a foreigner who is thinking of opening a business in Hong Kong? In Gurung says:"Go for it. The paperwork needed for opening a new business in Hong Kong is simple and can be done quickly. As long as you follow the regulations (e.g. fire regulations for restaurants) you can register your company today and open for business tomorrow."
