Martin Allies is the chief executive officer of Cafe Deco Group, which recently merged with Chevalier Pacific Holdings, the parent of Igor's Group - making it one of Hong Kong's largest food and beverage (F&B) companies, employing about 900 staff in more than 40 outlets. After graduating from the prestigious Heidelberg Hotel School in Germany, Allies worked with the Hyatt Hotel Group and Mandarin Oriental Group as executive chef and F&B director in Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. In 1990, he came to Hong Kong where he made a name for himself managing the then newly-opened Peak Cafe. In 1994, Allies led the Caf? Deco Group's expansion with the launch of its landmark restaurant on the Peak. Now on top of his game, he oversees the group's finances, employees, strategies and ever-expanding operations. He talks to Liana Cafolla
How did you get into the F&B business?
My family had everything from restaurants to butcher shops to cinemas. Because I was exposed to the hospitality industry at a very early age, it came naturally for me to go into this business.
What is your day-to-day work like?
I try to get to the office early so I could get a few things in motion right away. A lot of times, I need to go out and deal with operational matters as well as investor relations, talk to landlords or prospective employees. A business like ours is a serious business, and I need to be on top of not only the operational side of things, but also the financial side.
What's the best part of your job?