Cafe chain founder wants Hong Kong to get into the Italian coffee Habitu

Coming from the family that owns Liu Chong Hing Bank is certainly advantageous for an entrepreneur. But Jennifer Liu Wai-fun, founder and chairwoman of the Caffe Habitu chain, deflects the notion that her wealth and connections carry her business, saying she has to fight for customers like every other entrepreneur.

'Being the sole owner with the ability to raise capital doesn't mean people will actually buy our products. All of us at Habitu work hard every day to prove ourselves to each customer,' she says.

Liu launched the chain in 2003, just as the city was regaining its footing following the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome.

It was a risky time to launch an upmarket coffee chain aimed at replicating Italian coffee and casual dining outlets. But rents were cheap, and there was also less competition then from the behemoths of the sector, Starbucks and Pacific Coffee.

Liu's interest in coffee and the idea for Habitu came when she was studying architecture and design in Italy, where she saw how coffee had a central place in the way of life.

Liu had heard the critics saying her vision would not work in Hong Kong. She was told full-service dining and coffee shops were hard to run, requiring a complete kitchen and trained cooking staff at each location. Consultants pointed out that such international players as Starbucks didn't install kitchens and as such were much easier to build and operate.

Still, Liu was undeterred. She was not willing to compromise her vision of casual, home-style Italian cooking and desserts in stores that suited each particular neighbourhood. Instead of going head to head against the competition, she refined her vision.