LINFRED Yap, managing partner at the Relish Group of Companies, believes millennial entrepreneurs have more guts compared to their older counterparts because they are more daring in pushing boundaries and introducing new and out-of-the box concepts in a business.
“We spin the good from the bad,” Yap told the BusinessMirror in an email interview. “We take challenges as opportunities to innovate and we are more open to new ways of doing business.”
For Yap, who is in his early 30s, millennials are in a better position to understand of what the current generation needs and want in their lifestyle. Furthermore, he believes the current generation is more creative and willing to step out of their comfort zone to push their creative boundaries.
Yap’s latest restaurant Rock and Seoul is a result of Yap and his group’s example of their creative work.
At first glance, Rock and Seoul looks like it was a Korean franchise opening a store in the Philippines. However, it is a purely local creation.
“It was a play of words by combining the popular music genre and putting a Korean touch to maximize the popularity of the Korean craze in the country,” Yap said during the inauguration of the restaurant on January 7 in Quezon City.
As an advocate of innovation and pushing boundaries, Yap sees a good potential in Rock and Seoul as many millennials go bananas over anything Korean and plans to establish a reputable brand name in the local franchise horizon. “I think it is high time a local concept shine as well,” Yap points out.
“With the launch of our new concepts, I can say that they make up most of the market that we cater to. The millennials are the ones who are more adventurous when it comes to what they wear, where they go, and of course, what they eat.”
According to Yap, millennials are more receptive to modern takes on traditional favorites, mashing the old with the new. With food, millennial see it more as just items to feed the body, they need to feed the soul, he added.
“We also benefit from them being social media savvy, that’s why it pays to have your food Instagram-worthy.”
Five years ago, Yap planned to open a franchise of the popular Singapore restaurant Wee Nam Kee, famously known as a place for its Hainanese Chicken rice dish.
Impressed by Yap’s seriousness, the Singaporean owner gave him the green light to open in the Philippines.
At present, Wee Nam Kee has branches in six locations: Ayala Triangle gardens, Serendra, Alabang Town Center, Triangle North of Manila (Trinoma) complex, Greenhills Promenade and Fairview Terraces.
Other restaurants belonging to the Relish Group are Kumori, Wee Nam Kee, Osaka Osho, Bird House and Seoul Station.
Yap’s passion on food paved the way for him to become an entrepreneur. Although acknowledging it is a cutthroat industry, he says the industry is interesting because it is universal and a necessity.
“There’s nothing more satisfying than being in the industry that’s really close to your heart,” Yap said.
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