What is the secret recipe to Gingko’s success?

We were losing money every month for the first three months when we first begun, but we persevered and tried to do some publicity. We then managed to get some media to cover our story and let the public know of our social mission. From then on, many came to support us.

But we never forgot our main objective, which is food. We hired a very good chef to ensure that the quality of the food is good. And we are always testing the food, adjusting pricing and style to suit our customers. At first when customers came, they came out of compassion. But after tasting our food, they said that the food is good enough to make us come again. Customers only support you once. After that, you have to take care of the main job, which really is all about the food.

We also decided western food, a fusion of French and Italian fine (and slow) dining, is the way to go. This allows our seniors to work at a more relaxed pace. Our customers appreciate that as they get to chat more with the seniors and have a leisurely dining experience.

When we first started out in HK, about six years ago, the awareness of aging issues was not as recognized as today. These days, there are more awareness and more work-integration social enterprises working with seniors.

Why F&B then?

F&B is easier for most elderly to catch up and to learn if they are willing to do so. For other things, there is a longer learning curve.

We know that F&B is very competitive, but we had the right partners, a chef and a manager who are very experienced. So with good quality products and good quality service, there is less worry about filling 100 seats.

Who are the seniors that join Gingko?

Different people join for different reasons, and they come from different backgrounds. Some have financially difficulties. One old lady wanted to earn some money to support her granddaughter to go to a university in mainland. We raised her wages so that she does not have to keep long hours at work. But she was very determined and said: “I need to work longer even though you raise my wages… As long as I can work, I need to support my granddaughter”.

Others join us because after they retire, they have no role to play at work or at home. And Gingko House allows for a positive work environment for seniors to meet people and to find something worthwhile to do.

One of our elderly used to be a communicator onboard the ship and he is multi-lingual. He speaks Japanese and French. Once, a French tourist came and said, “Your shop is so small, but you have someone that can speak French”! This is the unique kind of experience that our seniors bring.

We have many applicants who demonstrate their willingness to work. And as long as they are able to do the work, have a good attitude and can co-operate well with others, we invite them to join us at Gingko.

Of course there are also cases when we had to turn away people, there was one case when the cook was very loud, abrasive and would shout rude words, which affected the dining experience, so we had to ask him to leave.

Could you tell us more about Gingko’s operations?

We have about 25 seniors working in shifts of five to six hours and the average age is about 65 to 68. The youngest is 62 and 3 of them are over 74 years of age.

Shifts are kept short so that it does not strain the seniors too much and so that they can enjoy their job while maintaining their income. In Hong Kong, the pension is not enough for them to last through their golden years. Our seniors are paid more than some of the larger restaurants. And we tell them we know not everyone welcomes this type of job, but don’t look down yourself, we respect you, and if you respect yourself, other people will look at you differently too.

However, there is a need to recognise limitations. We mix our staff with younger people needed for strenuous work like carrying things up and down the stairs. We believe that each person has something different to offer and the job must be suitably matched.

What led you to set up your own business?

Before Gingko my partner and I were social workers working with seniors and we have set up a private home for seniors in 1998. It was also near my retirement age and we knew the senior citizens’ homes market well. We realise there was a market gap then, where there was no quality care provided at the homes. Eight seniors would be squeezed in a small room and there was no proper licensing system before 1998.

Gingko is definitely more difficult to set up, as you have to keep a constant eye on the operations. The profit is less stable than that of the senior citizens’ home and is also sensitive to the market. So we are always working very hard to see how food prepared and received by our customers. There is also a weekly change of menu.

What are Ginko’s other plans?

We are always thinking how we can get more people to join us especially when we have now opened our third outlet. We are not afraid to change our business model and products to suit our seniors. Like in the case of the third outlet, we serve double-boiled soup and Chinese dishes. This is more familiar to them and they can explain it easily to people. There is also no need to remember the French names of the dishes as in the other restaurants.

But there is still a long way to go. The baby boomers are getting older as time passes so the market for elder care services and the group of senior workers is growing very quickly.

The seniors are very valuable assets in society as they are so experienced. They can attract many customers; some can share with the customer about how to drink wine and their own life experiences. There is a lot of charisma and many things to chat about. This keeps the friendly atmosphere at our restaurants.

We hope more and more people will realize the valuable experience that elders bring as active market participants.