Discovering a recipe for success

A buffet in the WH Min Hotel in Shanghai. The five-star and 188-room hotel is a new venture by cuisine company Xiao Nan Guo Group Holdings Ltd. [Photo/China Daily]

Business grows from a small restaurant into huge chain and top-class hotel

Transforming Xiao Nan Guo from a China-based restaurant chain into a global dining, hospitality and entertainment group has been Wang Huimin's dream for two decades.

Her dream finally came true when the five-star and 188-room WH Min Hotel, named after the pinyin abbreviation of Wang's full name, was launched in October 2012 in Shanghai.

"I am keen to create a homegrown luxury hospitality experience to receive our customers," said 56-year-old Wang, chairwoman of Xiao Nan Guo Group Holdings Ltd.

A big selling point of the WH Min experience is the "one night, two meals" deal, which emerged in Asia during the 1990s, and encompasses a delicious dinner, revitalizing sleep and an exceptional breakfast.

"We would like to take advantage of our delicate dishes prepared by professional chefs to enable hotel guests to enjoy their food during their stay here," said Wang, adding that the opening of the hotel was the culmination of the group's ambition to combine dining and leisure activities and offer a more relaxing and personalized service to middle- and upper-class customers.

Wang quit her job at a State-owned enterprise and opened the first Xiao Nan Guo restaurant in 1987, despite strong family opposition. It meant sacrificing a position that offered a stable salary and a guaranteed pension.

Wang's grandparents had been in business so she was not exactly a novice. Furthermore, her family loved cooking, nurturing in her a good sense of tasty and nutritious food.

The then 30-year-old used her saving to open the first Xiao Nan Guo restaurant, with only a few tables. It was located on Changsha Road, a street full of hardware shops in Shanghai's Huangpu district, and provided authentic Shanghai cuisine.

There were few private restaurants in Shanghai in the 1980s. Wang insisted on high quality dishes and warm service. As word spread, her restaurant attracted many emerging wealthy customers from all over Shanghai.

Soon the venue was too small to meet demand so Wang opened a second outlet in 1995 at a cost of 1 million yuan ($160,600).

The second Xiao Nan Guo, with more than 100 sq m, was located in Huanghe Street, a hub of high-end and competitive eateries. Both Wang and Xiao Nan Guo started to grow in terms of business operations and market competition skills.

While others strove to get a bigger share of the market in the street, Wang started to look for new opportunities. She decided to open a chain near Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.