Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew and Kelly Brisbin.
Andrew and Kelly, please share your story with us.
Owning a restaurant wasn’t in either of our plans, but when family asks (especially in Chinese families); you dive right in. In 2017, Kelly’s dad (Papa Kang) was ready to showcase his culinary skills to the people of DFW. Papa Kang had been cooking Cantonese/Chinese BBQ for the last 25 years in various restaurants here in DFW and in China and received great reviews everywhere he cooked. His time in other restaurants convinced him that he had what it took to run a great kitchen. Papa Kang wanted to start a restaurant where everyone could experience the flavor of his hometown, Kaiping. One big challenge stood in his way, Papa Kang didn’t and still doesn’t speak English.
Not one to give up so easily, Papa Kang asked us (his daughter & son-in-law) to help him create his dream. Both of us have spent years in Corporate America, so learning the mom & pop (literally) Chinese restaurant business was like learning a new language. Many late nights and long days were spent tackling, what seemed to be, the insurmountable task of starting from the ground up on a whole new business. We built menus, designed graphics, researched city/state code, hired staff, remodeled a restaurant, waited tables and delivered food. We went to work at our day jobs from 8 to 5 and then went straight to the restaurant after work.
Each step of the journey taught us something new and today, Little Kaiping continues to provide authentic “home cooked” Cantonese BBQ and cuisine to our customers in the Richardson/Murphy/Garland area.
Has it been a smooth road?
Our business took a lot of knocks in the first few months, our inexperience showed and tackling challenges like staffing, marketing, and operations all reared their ugly head. We originally operated the restaurant under the brand of a restaurant that we had acquired. This turned out to be a very obvious mistake later on, but we had justified it based on an idea from other business owners in the industry. Distinct branding turned out to be our biggest weakness in our market and fixing that issue led to a significantly positive response from our customer base.
Staffing is constantly a struggle in the restaurant business and finding great employees is a universal challenge. We are always on the lookout for competitive talent and continue to recruit on a regular basis. Finding great employees can make or break your business in the service industry and we learned that you can’t compromise quality for cost if you are looking to deliver a good experience for your customers.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Little Kaiping story. Tell us more about the business.
Our restaurant’s name is Little Kaiping and we are a mom & pop Chinese Restaurant specializing in Cantonese Cuisine. Dishes such as Peking Duck, BBQ Ribs (Tsa Siu Ribs), and Salt-Baked Shredded Chicken are some of our most popular dishes among both Chinese and Non-Chinese customers. These Chinese classics are created by the very talented, Papa Kang.
Papa Kang, our chef, started his culinary career by creating dishes at home for Kelly as she grew up. His style has been built upon years of observation and practice, and for us, it reminds us of home. Our hope is that when you dine with us, you will experience authentic home-style cooking. Papa Kang devotes tremendous care and attention to all aspects of his craft and prepares each dish as if he were cooking it for a family.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The restaurant industry is fraught with high turnover. Consumers’ taste palettes are constantly evolving as new restaurants open and old ones close. While Dallas has done a great job of embracing new flavors, we think that there is more to come. New and diverse cuisines are popping up every day as DFW becomes home to people from all over the world.
Every day, consumers are looking for the next best authentic dish, but they want more than just food. They want to embrace new experiences and cultures. Consumers are becoming more educated and are excited about understanding what goes into crafting a high-quality culinary experience.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4011 E Renner Rd. Ste 128, Richardson, TX 75082
- Website: www.littlekaiping.com
- Phone: 972-235-6888
- Instagram: littlekaiping
Image Credit:
PC Thanin Viriyaki
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