Hong Kong (CNN) – For Sandeep Arora, home is the ancient city of Jalandhar in the Punjab region of India. His wife, son and parents live there, but he hasn’t seen them since March 2020.
Amy Stott hasn’t seen her parents – or eaten at her favorite fish and chip shop – in Manchester, England since June 2019.
Sabi Gurung, meanwhile, yearns for the breathtaking mountains of Nepal, where her beloved mother, father and dog are all awaiting her first visit in nearly two years.
And while they’re at it, Black Sheep Restaurant will even deliver their meals nightly from one of their 32 restaurants.
The only word of warning? The employee completes a year of service when they return.
‘It feels like the right thing to do’
Arora, Stott and Gurung are among more than 250 employees to benefit from this move, which will allow employees of all levels to be able to go home from Hong Kong to countries as far away as Argentina, Nigeria, France, South Africa and Australia.
The show is made possible by the co-founders of Black Sheep Restaurant, Syed Asim Hussein and Christopher Mark. Hussein was the first to admit that this move — one that would cost them at least $650,000 — was a bit crazy.
“It was a silly idea we had after one too many bottles of wine,” he told CNN. “The next day we talked to our business people – they were completely against it. They were there to help us not make stupid decisions.”
Despite this advice, Hussein and Mark continued.
“Our salespeople are great and help us understand the liability and the risk, but it becomes more difficult to do the right thing,” says Hussein. “This has always been a business where margins are slim, but especially now. I understand it’s a brazen move – but I feel it’s the right thing to do.”
It is clear that employees are set to benefit, as they take advantage and go home from January onwards, could not agree more.
Amy Stott, second from left, is looking forward to flying home to see her family, pictured.
Amt Stott restaurant / polite black sheep
Among these is Stott, who has been in Hong Kong for the past 27 months.
“It’s hard being away from family, especially when we’ve lost loved ones,” she said.
“Simply not being able to hug my mom and be around when they need support has been a huge mental challenge. Since Covid, I’ve had to become more cautious with my spending, because you simply is not knowing what’s around. The price to pay. quarantine plus flights is money that I simply don’t have to spare.”
She is heading to Italy next summer for a friend’s wedding, before flying to Manchester in the northwest of England to see her family and dog – and enjoy some fish and chips proper frying.
“We have a little black terrier named Pippin and he loves to walk in the fields near my parents house,” says Stott. “With nothing but rolling green rolling hills thousands of miles away, I never thought I’d miss the chilly wind chilling your ears. Then the fish and chips! It’s a tradition for dinner! My first meal every time I visit home. Fish, chips, bean paste.”
Her family’s reaction was emotional.
“My family was very disappointed. My father said he already knew I worked with great people, but this was by far the most generous gesture he had ever met. My mother just sobbed. “, she said.
Sandeep Arora has not seen his wife and son since before the pandemic hit.
Sandeep Arora Restaurant / Courteous Black Sheep
“I haven’t been at home since the pandemic started, which has been really difficult for me and my family,” he said. “My son is only eight years old so he’s at an age where they seem to grow up a lot, even for just a month. To return to Hong Kong from India means 21 days in a hotel. If an outbreak happens, I’ll come back every six months.”
As a veteran in the restaurant industry, the first thing he wishes to eat is homemade food.
“I can’t wait to eat my mother’s cooking, especially her Baingan bharta with roti. It was a simple Punjabi eggplant dish, but I missed it so much,” he said. “It’s the first thing she does for me whenever I come back.”
For many, it is also the simple act of traveling somewhere – anywhere – outside of Hong Kong, for the first time in two years.
“The opportunity to go home means a lot,” says Arora. “Besides being with my family, I am really looking forward to traveling again, I want to visit every corner of Punjab, especially the mountains. We will walk along the children’s side. rivers, staying in hill resorts and being in nature.”
There are also elements of working in hospitality that make being away from family more difficult, he said.
“With the festive season coming up there will be a lot of families coming to the restaurant to celebrate. It can be a little tough when we’re away from our loved ones but that’s always the case when you’re working in the field. hotel, even before the pandemic. For these times, we consider our guests our family.”
Sabi Gurung says she can’t wait to return home to Nepal and see her family – and enjoy a few momos while she’s there.
Courteous Restaurants in Sabi Gurung / Black Sheep
Black Sheep restaurant employee of eight years, Gurung, who runs operations at the group’s Parisian-style steakhouse, La Vache, said being away from family during the pandemic has raised concerns real concern.
“I come from Pokhara in Nepal, a 20-minute flight from Kathmandu, a beautiful part of the world,” she said. “That’s where my mom, dad and my dog live.
“Obviously when you have relatives over a certain age who are much more susceptible to this virus, you’re really worried about them. It’s just been a constant worry on your mind. Ever since the shot. room, the situation in my hometown is much better, but it has been quite bad for a while, unlike in Hong Kong. This opportunity to go home means a lot to my parents and myself. I’m really proud.”
Local food – and heart-pounding scenes – are also on her agenda.
“I used to crave momos (Nepalese dumplings) and samosas that we would eat when me and my friends hung out at university. I miss those days! Then I made coffee, sat on the roof and watched to the Himalayas.”
Clearly, as a successful corporation with more than 30 restaurants – as well as ambitious future expansion plans in London, Paris and possibly elsewhere – Black Sheep Restaurants is the size and pockets deep enough to give employees this very special benefit.
Gurung runs the operations at the Hong Kong restaurant La Vache.
Noah Fecks Restaurant / Black Sheep
Given that restaurant groups are often seen as the bad guys, Hussein hopes that the move will be met with a healthy mix of optimism and skepticism.
“Teams are notorious for taking value away from the people who work for them, from the guests, from the suppliers,” he said. “So it’s very important for us to continue to be the type of team that delivers value – or leaves something on the table for other parties.”
For any employee who could try and take advantage of – say – the program’s advantages?
“My directive to our leadership team is not to strictly police this. Let’s get everyone home. It would be bad as far as document checks are concerned. We don’t want to be too harsh in this. implementation, because it loses its weight and value. If someone wants to go to sea, they have to need it!”
Above: Carbone, one of 32 restaurants in Hong Kong of the Black Sheep restaurant group. Credit: Black Sheep Restaurant
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