Christian Bauer is the Executive Chef and Director of Troika Sky Dining and together with Eddie Chew, they run a host of restaurants including Cantaloupe, Strato, Fuego, Coppersmith, Claret, Mr Chew’s Chinos Latino Bar and Brasserie Fritz. When the Movement Control Order (MCO) was announced in March, Bauer’s first thoughts were for the staff and their business commitments and how to weather the pandemic that was Covid-19. Like most Malaysians, the speed of the coronavirus spreading and the lockdown measures taken left him very little time to prepare. Here, he speaks candidly about his plans and the next phase of the F&B industry post-MCO.
Initial reaction to the MCO
I wasn’t worried about sourcing ingredients. That was not my first priority. I was worried how, with the business closed, we would be able to honour our commitments to suppliers and landlords, but first and foremost to our staff. We knew that if the MCO was extended to the end of April, we would need to manage our resources very carefully. We immediately planned with the assumption that the MCO would be extended till the end of May. We talked to the staff and came up with a way in which we could retain everyone, rather than reduce the workforce.
What was your next course of action?
Our next course of action was setting up a food take-away and delivery service. It was never going to give us the same revenue as the restaurants, but in a tough situation, every penny counts. We had the added advantage that we have five brands with different menus from which to curate a varied delivery menu. By rationalising production into one kitchen, we could reduce overheads.
Have we seen the full effects of the MCO on the F&B industry yet?
The F&B industry has seen the impact of the pandemic long before the MCO, with global travel restrictions and the more or less indefinite closing of the China tourist market. Of course, this is a necessary evil and for the greater good, but it will be tough for many people to reboot their businesses. As for who will be hardest hit, it’s not so much whether they are big or small, but how much money they have in the bank and how far they can stretch it. Business will not pick up where it left off after the MCO. We will definitely see a huge change in customer behaviour and expectations.
Is there a lesson here about sudden changes in the industry or world?
The first thing the MCO and the underlying pandemic has shown us is the vulnerability of the human race. All our systems, be they healthcare or industry, sit on a fine edge and any disturbance can tip us all over. For the F&B industry, there were not really a lot of choices; we could close or we could do delivery. That’s about it.
Has the MCO changed the way you will run your business when it is lifted?
It definitely has and yes, we will continue food delivery. I think a lot of people will be wary of going out, even after the MCO has been lifted.
Do you have an easy yet delicious recipe people can whip up in a few minutes in their own homes?
For that, you can check out my blog, where I post all the recipes for the food we are cooking at home.
