About the Entrepreneur
Paul’s Kitchen, a renowned African fusion food restaurant, was founded in 2015 by a passionate husband-and-wife chef duo. Geraldo Paul Kobla Agbenyegah, the co-owner, initially opened the restaurant in Guangzhou to cater to the African community. However, destiny intervened when Paul met Selina Ip King Tze, and together they ventured to Hong Kong, bringing their passion for African cuisines with them.
Named after Paul and Selina, the restaurant showcases the rich flavors of his Ghanaian roots, from ingredients to cooking techniques and sauce combinations. With a carefully curated menu featuring authentic dishes like Grandma’s Chicken Pot and Nutty Lamb Stew, Paul’s Kitchen invites guests to embark on a culinary journey through Africa. The establishment serves as a meeting place for enthusiasts in food and intercultural exchange, fostering meaningful connections and challenging stereotypes.
Driven to succeed, Paul and Selina are expanding their reach through social media, offering group catering, and selling African food items and ingredients. With a commitment to sustainability and growth, Paul’s Kitchen aims to thrive in Hong Kong’s culinary scene.
Challenges Faced by the Entrepreneur
- Frequent Interruptions During Business Hours: The absence of a comprehensive catering menu and an organized inquiry system led to repetitive questions from customers and frequent interruptions during busy hours. The restaurant lacked a dedicated FAQ section on their website or social media pages to address common inquiries efficiently.
- Low Social Media Engagement: Despite positive exposure through media outlets and newspaper features, Paul’s Kitchen faced challenges in consistently engaging with their audience on social media and attracting new customers. They simply don’t have much time and faced difficulties in creating compelling and consistent content that would resonate with their target audience and increase their online visibility.
- Technology Skills Gap: Paul’s Kitchen struggled with a lack of technological expertise, hindering their ability to design engaging social media posts, understand social media analytics, maximize social media features, and create a convenient customer inquiry system through tools like Google Forms.
Direct Business Support Provided by CBI Interns
Through FSI’s Community Business Support Internship Program, Paul’s Kitchen received valuable assistance from FSI interns, specifically Gia Anand, who dedicated a total of 20 hours from September to October 2023. The efforts of the interns successfully addressed some of the challenges faced by the business, with ongoing support. The following objectives were accomplished:
- Linktree Account (URL management): Assisted in setting up a Linktree account for Paul’s Kitchen’s Instagram account. This platform will allow for efficient management, organization, and promotion of multiple URLs, such as website, social media profiles, online menus, and other relevant links. It streamlines the process for customers to access various online resources related to the restaurant.
- Inquiry and Quotation Form: To streamline the inquiry process, we created a Google Form specifically for customers to submit their inquiries and requests for catering and quotations. This form ensures that all necessary information is collected in a structured manner, reducing the need for repetitive questions and providing a more convenient and efficient experience for both the Paul and Selina and potential catering customers.
- Social Media Posts for Catering Service: Designed visually appealing and customizable social media post templates specifically tailored for promoting Paul’s Kitchen’s catering services. These templates provide a consistent and professional look for catering-related posts, and with a QR code for the catering inquiry form, the templates make it easier to showcase the restaurant’s offerings and attract potential catering clients.
From the Entrepreneur
We are incredibly grateful for the support and assistance provided by FSI. Your dedication to helping small businesses like ours is truly appreciated. Your encouragement and support inspire us to never give up and keep fighting for our dreams. Thank you for being there for us! – Selina Ip King Tze
From the Youth
One key takeaway from this experience was that I was able to learn about the difficulties that businesses face regarding their external environment, as many of the owners noted that there were difficulties setting up and running their business in Chungking Mansions due to the negative reputation associated with the place. Nonetheless they credited the Chungking Mansions for acting as a second home to them, which made me realize the necessity of having a growth mindset for successful entrepreneurship. – Gia Anand
Get Involved
Here’s how you can help FSI support more grassroots businesses in mutually beneficial ways:
- Join our Community Business Support Internship to equip yourself or your students with business consultation skills and help under-resourced entrepreneurs;
- Sponsor and/or volunteer for our Community Business Support Internship, Impact Jams, Mentorship Program for Ethnically Diverse Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneur’s Toolkit etc. to channel private-sector resources towards positive social impact;
Check out GuideFong to find more grassroots businesses, try them out, leave reviews, and tell others about Hong Kong’s first online directory for ethnically diverse businesses!
