Writer: Eunice Chong Company: hoF Duration at job at time of writing: 8 months (First 3 months) Every Sunday, Eunice checks her shift timings in the shift roster so she can plan her week out. (3 months later…) Every day at about 8pm Eunice: “Brian, what time should I meet you tomorrow?” Anytime from 8.01pm – Brian: “<insert timing of first meeting. Or screenshot of iPhone calendar>” hoF is a dessert lounge that has 2 outlets in Shanghai, specializing in chocolate and cocktails. It is consistently awarded Best Dessert or Best Bar by magazines geared towards Lao Wais like City Weekend and That’s Shanghai. However, other than the regular Ang mohs, hoF has a significant headcount of local fans as well. Being an intern at hoF, you will:
You will also:
Sinan Road Staff Dinner on a Monday night when the shop is closed On a more serious note though, I really enjoy working in the Food & Beverage/Service industry and I have learnt so much from my 8 months here. Every intern starts out at hoF as a service staff though, at least for the first 3-4 months, to learn to be in touch with the ground and understand customers’ preferences and honestly it might be tough working different hours from your NOC peers. However, I was encouraged by my boss, Brian, to see it as an opportunity to be a sales person: Can you sell one more slice of that cake that has a greater profit margin, or push sales for the bottle of wine that we want to sell off? Having fun and supportive colleagues also definitely helped; teamwork is crucial in a service team. You all dart around the shop almost following a rhythm as it gets busy, push each other to take meals first while you cover each other’s backs and rejoice in satisfaction (or sigh resignedly) together as you check the sales report at the end of the day. hoF @ Sinan Road (Near Middle Huai Hai Road) I also was put in charge of external events and roadshows that hoF took part in, which gave me the chance to do everything from design of marketing materials to operations, sales and the eventual finance report. Because hoF is a small company, I got to learn and be involved in all the nitty gritty. The emergency delivery of cakes from one shop to another, liaising with for a 20k (RMB) order, updating and designing a new menu is just the tip of the iceberg. A hoF booth at one of the roadshows we did In the later part of my internship, I shadowed Brian, my boss, mentor and quite possibly the fastest speaker I know. Not only is he quick with his words, he is quick on his feet and always challenges you to be quicker than he is. His passion for this industry shines through in every project that he takes on, his ideas come fast and furious and really, I learn just by talking to him. I was lucky enough to be directly involved in the opening of a new concept store he was consulting for. I helped in the sourcing and purchasing of everything remotely related to a restaurant, measured precisely heights of tables and chairs, ran from this meeting to the next with him looking for sponsors and partners, did up presentations to present the idea to anyone we might meet. I also had the pleasure of having the first aid kit I bought put to good use on the very day it was purchased when a trainee chef sliced off half of her nail. Ouch. I cannot even begin to summarise the things that happen behind the scenes of opening a store, but seeing that place go from a black cave with gravel for floors to, I’m definitely biased but, what I feel is something great left me with an sense of satisfaction words are inadequate to describe. From a black cave to Vancas TV Studio inside Vancasa Intermezze – the restaurant inside Vancasa
As I’m left with my final 2 months in Shanghai, I am immensely thankful I happened to chance upon the email blast NOC sent out. Interning with hoF and Brian taught me a lot about doing business in China and what it takes, taught me a lot about the food & beverage industry and most importantly, taught me a lot about myself. I have no regrets. Shen: Special thanks to Eunice for writing this beautiful post about her experience, in the F&B industry in China. We'll see you back in Singapore!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
SHEN
申城 (shen cheng) is an ancient name for Shanghai.
As a group of NUS and NOC students who are in Shanghai for a year-long internship programme, we have named our student organisation as SHEN (Shanghai House of Entrepreneurs). Archives
November 2017
Categories |