A young entrepreneurial duo has taken the helm at a top Chinese restaurant.<\/p>\n
Best friends Hongchen Wu, 25, and Sen Yang, 26 have taken charge at The Real China at Eagles Meadow shopping centre, in Wrexham.<\/p>\n
The ex-Glyndwr University business management students, who have been best friends for over 10 years, come from the city of Dalian in China’s Liaoning province.<\/p>\n
They both used to work at the restaurant during their studies and believe that Wrexham is the perfect place to start their entrepreneurial journey.<\/p>\n
The buffet-style restaurant offers a mouth-watering selection of Asian delicacies alongside traditional Chinese dishes in a specialist food area.<\/p>\n
Hongchen, who also runs student recruitment company Wyw Education with his business partner,\u00a0believes in gaining experience from the ground up. He said: \u201cI started at The Real China as a kitchen porter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe always wanted to own our own business but we wanted to gain some experience before we started up ourselves. We think getting the practical experience is very important. We want to combine that with the theoretical knowledge we gained at Glyndwr University to help us put the theory into practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are ready for the challenges that lie ahead. I feel really excited about the future, and am enthusiastic and passionate about the business. We are young and we have an intense drive to succeed. Our ambition is to open restaurants all over the UK.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a lot of friends in Wrexham. The people here are very friendly. My friends suggested I try for a job at The Real China after it opened. They said it is really nice.”<\/p>\n
Sen, who started at the Real China as a trainee manager, is no stranger to business. His parents owned a string of factories and stores through clothing company Rong Feng Clothing, in China.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cSome people say you shouldn\u2019t mix business and friendship but I don\u2019t believe that. Hongchen and I have known each other since we were in school. We make a good team because we both have different strengths and we understand each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve learned a lot about the business since I\u2019ve been here and I really appreciate that.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing part of the community is extremely important to me. We are going to focus on making sure we are engaged with it. A big part of my job is to interact with the customers and I really enjoy that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have made a lot of friends since coming here. I actually came to the area because of friends in the first place because they recommended Glyndwr University. The people in Wrexham are very helpful and they are just so nice. That\u2019s part of the reason why Wrexham is the perfect place to start, and the facilities at Eagles Meadow are very good.”<\/p>\n
Waiter Nagy Istva\u2019n, 26 who has worked at The Real China as a waiter since December 2013, added: \u201cEagles Meadow is nice and so is the The Real China. We always work hard to do our best here to cook good food and to give good service. We are always joking with each other so there is a great atmosphere here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sen, added: \u201cWe are like a family at the restaurant, and we have a great team here. They are so much more than just employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are all the very best of friends here and we help each other out to solve problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eagles Meadow manager Kevin Critchley congratulated the entrepreneurs on their business venture.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to see young entrepreneurs making their mark in the business world, and Eagles Meadow is the perfect place for them to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n