Meet The Supermen Defining Shanghai's F&B Scene

Can a mere mortal become a Superman? Maybe, but it takes an enormous amount of passion, tenacity, energy, flexibility, work ethic and a thousand other adjectives. Superman was born amazing though, these guys had to work their butts off for it, maybe superman should aspire to be one of them!

WILLY TRULLAS MORENO

FOUNDER/OWNER, EL WILLY GROUP 

How did you get to where you are now?

With lots of PASSION, HARD WORK & PERSISTENCY! There will always be ups and downs but keeping the above you will end up always riding the ups and enjoying the downs too as part of the process!

What are your inspirations?

My inspirations mainly come from travelling and researching what is happening in different markets. Every year we travel to Spain, explore different areas and learn about the regional cuisine, as well as most modern concepts around the cities. We spend time with our suppliers visiting their farms, wineries, and facilities to understand where our products come from. I also find inspiration through cook books where you can learn about new culinary techniques, forms of presentations etc…

What is your biggest achievement?

I arrived in Shanghai almost 10 years ago without a penny in my pocket and was able to start el Willy restaurant without borrowing any capital, through a mutually beneficial partnership. The success of el Willy was a crucial first project, step by step we’ve been able to develop the other group venues and we’re now going international. To compare myself in my hometown of Barcelona 10 years ago with today is something I never expected.

How did you get through the difficulties you encountered?

I believe that tough times will always be part of life. Stay positive, keep on fighting and be flexible to re-invent yourself. The world moves so fast these days, especially in Asia. Stay dynamic, open minded and fast in adapting to new trends, and eventually difficulties will turn into a good ride again.

EDUARDO VARGAS

 OWNER/CHEF, AZUL & SHANGHAI RESTAURANTS SINCE 2002

How did you get to where you are now?

With time and persistence. I moved to Shanghai from Singapore 15 years ago. Firstly opened a tapas place in Shanghai “Che tapas and grill’ and the next year Azul. Still running and crazy busy. Meanwhile  joined over 18 different concepts. Some are still open, some close.  I learned with the experience and never give up, keep going with persistence.

What are your inspirations?

I am very passionate about food… this passion made me a chef and I focus on it 100%. Eating was part of this as well of course, but unfortunately that made me diabetic too. When you are high level sugar diabetic and overweight, things don t go the way you want, includingyour everyday energy level.  Last January, I took a 2 month break and moved to Phuket. I totallychanged my lifestyle there through boot camp, HIIT, and diet. I lost 24 kilos and, best of all, I was able to stop insulin injections and medicine, to this day Istill don’t need them anymore. I will always be diabetic but I’ve learned to control it with exercise, good food and healthy habits. It feels like being a new person: doing exercises in groups, walking 10,000-15,000 steps per day. I’m just happyto keep going forward and I love what I am doing now.

What is your biggest achievement?

To see people who worked and learned with me for the last 14 years… I was part of their learning experience. I guided them somehow to become what they are now, to achieve more... I feel in many ways like a sort of ‘godfather ‘ to them. Sometimes, I still give them advice. 

How did you get through the difficulties encountered?

Sometimes it is hard to keep going. Sometimes in life we make mistakes. However, even if this happens, we always have a chance to try again. Wake up the next day with a better idea. That has always made me positive and willing to improve. 

YOAN RIGART-LENISA

OWNER, URBAN THAI & CEO, IT CONSULTIS 

How did you get to where you are now?

My parents have been very supportive and understanding about my personal goals. Also one of the most important things is to get surrounded by the right friends/partners/colleagues!

What is your biggest achievement?

In almost 10 years we started other projects that didn’t work out. But we learned a lot from that. The first e-commerce website is actually what made us start our Digital Agency.  From a “failure” came a success. We also have 2 restaurants in Shanghai. In such a competitive market, it is as well an achievement. If I look at all the different businesses I would say the biggest achievement is the team spirit and family values that we’ve managed to keep with over 70 people in the group.

What are your inspirations?

My inspiration came from my grand dad who was also an Entrepreneur. After WWII, he left Italy to Vanuatu, Port-Vila (an island located in the Pacific Ocean, near Australia). There, he started a construction company, which was quite successful and completed huge building projects all around the region, it even had over 1,000 employees at one point. Since I was young I knew I wanted to be like him, but with my own business. 

How did you get through the difficulties you encountered?

With 3 completely different businesses, every day I have to face many difficulties. What is important is to be surrounded with the right people. Your staff, of course, as they carry your values to your customers, the right business partners and good balance in your personal life. Family is the biggest factor, they really support everything. My brother (who is also my business partner) and I have a strong connection with our family who supports what we are doing. I also focus on “how to be happier”, better nutrition, physical and spiritual activities. It helps a lot to deal with stress and perform better at work.  I would recommend reading:

- The Suited Monk by Raf Adams

- Bringing your whole self to work by Harvard business reviews

- How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie

AUSTIN HU

CHEF/OWNER/CO-FOUNDER, MADISON KITCHEN, UNION TRADING COMPANY

EXECUTIVE CHEF/PARTNER, BONOBO, SPOT TAIPEI

What are your inspirations?

I am inspired by the people around me on a daily basis. My former chefs, who mentored me and put up with a nonstop stream of questions over the course for fifteen years. I hope they are proud now.  My parents, who worked so hard to provide the best life they could for our family while constantly impressing on us the importance of character and hard work.  My friends, here and abroad, who haveall achieved so much in their lives and are poised for even greater things. My team, it is a pleasure and an honor to see them grow as people and industry veterans, they remind me what's really important in the grand scheme of things.

What is your biggest achievement?

There are many things I'm proud of; winning awards, getting covered by international press, opening shops in different markets… But I think it is far more important to focus on how to improve. This constant awareness keeps you motivated to move forward without distracting you. Our industry is in constant evolution. If you're not pushing yourself to continually improve both professionally and personally, you're losing ground.

How did you get through the difficulties encountered? 

Just like anyone else who's managed to survive in Shanghai's F&B landscape for more than five years, I've had more than my share of trials and tribulations. The key to survival is blind confidence, plus good support from a group that sticks with you, regardless of what you're going through.  It's natural to get down on yourself when things don't go your way and wallow in self-pity. It's a mistake to repress all of these self-doubts and simply continue as if they never happened. Give it time, mourn your losses, try and reflect on what led you down that road, and hopefully, learn to be better from it. When you're going through all that garbage, see your closest relatives. Believe me, they want to be there for you.  Do not let it break your spirit, if you don't believe in yourself how can you expect anyone else to?

CHARLES CARRARD

VICE PRESIDENT/CO-OWNER/SUPERVISOR PARADOX WINES & SPIRIT (SHANGHAI, SUZHOU, BEIJING)

How did you get to where you are now?

I did one month of classes at Beijing in 2005 and fell in love with it. Then I stayed in China through a VIE ( French contract for young graduates) in a  house of champagne. They offered me a position in France… whereas I wanted to stay in China. This is when Paradox came along. I step by step moved up the rankings until vice-president position. I also introduced the restaurant project because I wasn’t satisfied by the French venues during that time.  

What are your inspirations?

I take a lot of photos, I had some exhibitions in Beijing and Shanghai. The last in order to raise funds for helping an orphanage in QingHai (www.charlescarrard.com and www.picturesofchina.org)

What is your biggest achievement?

I have created and sold an IT company in Beijing. We used to help companies to do SEO, SEM and develop online businesses. It was a great experience to launch this start up and amazing times. But as 3 partners left China, and being approached by few companies interested in acquiring us, we decided to sell it.

How did you get through the difficulties you encountered?

In China, there are no problems, only solutions! Actually I love and hate China every day for the same reasons! It's an amazing place, but you need to understand each difficulty to learn how to overcome it!

JOHN LIU

OWNER & OPERATOR, SCARPETTA, COQUILLE, HGHLINE

CEO & FOUNDER, BAOMI 

How did you get to where you are now?

Insatiable curiosity, to satisfy my own high standards much like both of my parents, self reflection, time spent on work, and a lot of it is what I mentioned before: people.  Succeeding even a little bit is stressful, you need people to support you emotionally and in execution. 

What are your inspirations? 

My parents are without a doubt my strongest inspirations. My father is the hardest working man I have ever met. At 75, he’s still building his software company and solidifying his legacy. He’s unconditionally supportive, an amazing leader, teacher, and great role model. My mother is the most loving and creative person I know. She is most definitely the root of my creativity. 

All of my friends and partners are my inspirations. I have been blessed with having the opportunity to meet so many amazing individuals in my lifetime and make some of them my close friends or partners. Their passion, knowledge, expertise, and experience are a constant fountain of inspiration for me day to day. Finally, the Internet and all the books the world has to offer. I read constantly, always with an insatiable curiosity. 

What is your best achievement? 

It is a tie between 3 things in my life. First and foremost, finding and keeping the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. My fiancée, Sophia, is truly the light of my life. Secondly, I take extraordinary pride in that the two most important businesses in my life are being run with two of my closest friends. Thirdly, it would be learning to cook professionally as a self-taught chef and opening Scarpetta 6 years ago.  In retrospect, it felt great betting on myself, but the amount of courage, diligence, and energy it took was enormous. 

How did you get through the difficulties encountered? 

There’s no secret. It’s everything your parents told you. Hard work, diligence, tenacity, and of course: people. Sometimes it's a conversation that can pull you out of the deepest depths of depression. Sometimes, it's a sacrifice someone else makes to give you hope. Sometimes, it’s a helping hand you didn’t expect. But, it’s always people.

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