Brian Zeng
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For anyone that is interested in opening a restaurant in Chatham-Kent I would strongly recommend that they give their business a personal touch. It helps to be active in your new community and form friendships with the people that walk into your business.
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Before I moved to Canada I was a chef in Thailand. My family owned a restaurant and that is where I received my training. When I moved to Canada, I worked as a chef all over Ontario. I used the skills and knowledge learnt at these other restaurants to improve my own cooking technique. It is through these experiences I learnt how to operate a business in Canada
For two years, I searched for a market and community to open my own restaurant. When I looked at Chatham-Kent, I found that there were no Thai restaurants. I felt Chatham-Kent’s residents would be interested and support my restaurant. I felt that in this community, I could create my dream restaurant that provided great services.
I am very proud of the accomplishments that I have made in Chatham-Kent. I am happy that I have introduced new cultural foods and that it is well received by the community. I am proud that all of my customers come back because I try to not only serve a high quality meal but provide a personal experience. I try to get to know my customers and this has led to a high level of satisfaction among my patrons.
What I like about living in Chatham-Kent is that it is a quiet and polite community. It has the feelings of a small community but has many of the conveniences found in larger cities. I am a part of this community and that makes me happy. I work for the community because I need the people of Chatham-Kent to survive. My business does not work without them.
I contributed back to this community by creating employment. My restaurant has created nine job and this number increases in the peak season. My restaurant has added to the culture of the area by expanding the cultural experiences available in the area. Multiple culinary options are important to the multiculturalism of any community.
The largest obstacle to my success has been that English is not my first language. I feel that the language barrier sometimes made it difficult to do business here in Canada. Luckily, I have had a lot of support from friends whenever I need it. I also received help from the municipality when starting my restaurant. They helped me get business’ licenses and permits. They were very patient and gave me guidance throughout the entire process.
My advice to anyone considering a move to the Chatham-Kent is, do not be afraid to look for support. Many people in this community are very polite and more than willing to help in any way they can.