The Ya Kun philosophy

Be stern but fair to employees,” says Adrin Loi, 62, executive chair of Singapore food group Ya Kun International.

“The hardest part of business is human resources. When some employees come to me complaining about their co-workers or boss, I tell them to settle problems among themselves. We never fire anyone, but some employees who are not suited for a certain position are given a chance for retraining or an opportunity to fill another post. Others who may have more serious issues are asked to resign and often choose to leave on their own, especially if they cannot get along with others.”

Whatever the case, Ya Kun employees, with their extensive training, are actively being pirated by competitors.

Yet even with the increase of outlets, Ya Kun is “mindful of the adverse effects rapid expansion may have on its overall development,” says William Koh in his book The Top Toast.

“A rapid recruitment of service staff to meet demand in the short run could have negative implications on the quality of food and service at Ya Kun, and consequently having adverse impacts upon Ya Kun’s brand reputation.”

Standards

Professionalization is evident in the hierarchical structure of command in the company, from top management in the general headquarters to employees in every outlet, which family businesses that want to expand while maintaining standards need to learn.

Ya Kun’s top people are models of humility and empowerment. Instead of being secluded in an office far from lower-ranked employees, general manager Barnabas Ng chooses instead to work in a glass-walled office where he can minimize his physical and metaphorical distance from other employees.

Staffers can also knock on his door any time, thus streamlining discussion and decision-making.

Once, when a customer’s child threw up, operations manager Jimmy Ng comforted the child and cleaned up the area instead of asking the staff to do so.

The wonder woman

Ya Kun is worth millions, and Loi has won numerous awards.

But a secret to the firm’s success is Loi’s wife Jennifer, who has worked with him since the beginning.

“Jennifer is a thinker, I am a doer. She majored in the arts, she sings, she has a natural gift for writing.

“But Jennifer does not want the limelight, she focuses on me,” Loi’s voice softens.

Jennifer reminds me of Michelle Obama, I say. Michelle, a topnotch lawyer, has supported her husband Barack without much fanfare, and as a result, has earned the esteem and affection of many people.

“Michelle Obama, yes,” Adrin smiles.

This is a man very much in love with his wife. In fact, in 1987, he took a year-long break in the US to support his wife in her music studies.

It was Jennifer who suggested the tagline “Coffeestall since 1944” to emphasize family values. It was also Jennifer who writes the inspiring family stories and poems that grace every branch.

“As they say, behind every successful man is a woman,” Loi says.

Like his mother, son Jesher, who is 31 and married with children, is an artist, musician, and conductor. He is also the company’s director of branding and market development. He joined Ya Kun in 2011, and is being groomed to take the helm in the near future.

Any advice to families in food businesses?

“Business is challenging. Not easy come, easy go. There’s always a risk.

“Choose a good location. Study the market. Try to foresee challenges, prepare for them. But when problems come, do not give up. They make you stronger.”