Cover Story
6
Sushi Empress, Enjoying The Taste of Success In less than a decade, Empire Sushi Group Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Nicole Lim and her dedicated team have garnered 39 outlets under their belt. How does she do it?
orn in Teluk Intan, Perak, some 30 years ago, Nicole Lim is one of four siblings growing up in a middle income household. Back then, sushi was not as ubiquitous as how it is now. To enjoy some scrumptious sushi, Nicole said the family would have to travel to Ipoh about 95km away. Also, sushi shops were of the conveyor belt or supermarket variety. “Having a sushi meal with our children wasn’t exactly affordable. It was considered a splurge. I always wondered why it can’t be more easily available and affordable. Although I love to eat sushi, most of them are on the traditional side.” This got her thinking. And she saw a market niche – Malaysia needs express sushi with localised flavours and yet remain affordable. It must have been serendipity when she met her future
B
Malaysia Retailer Vol 8 No 1
husband and business partner Jordan Tan, who is a sushi chef. The duo are so invested in their sushi dream that Nicole left her studies at the university in 2011 to focus on starting the sushi business in 2013.
LOCAL APPEAL Instead of reinventing the sushi wheel, Nicole felt that the market needed products are reflect Malaysians and her company’s trendy appeal. “The sushi market is a tough one. Many of them provide a sit-down experience with traditional sushi items. But these days, many Malaysians prefer to just grab and go during lunch time. Not everyone has the chance to have a long lunch. I wanted to cater to the express crowd without sacrificing the quality of my products. “I also wanted to differentiate our
products. So, instead of selling the same kind of traditional sushi, our products have a local flair.” She said among the best sellers are the grilled lobster and abalone, takoyaki sushi, smoked duck, spicy roll, saba teriyaki, unagi and cheese roll. In addition, Empire Sushi has its signature dishes such as the aburi salmon and inari lobster. Another point was her food should also look good, colourful and tasty. With these things in mind, Chief Operations Officer and R&D Head Jordan had his job cut out. Currently, Empire Sushi has about 90 types of sushi. Nicole’s first outlet was at Berjaya Times Square. “I had already envisioned that my food must look gorgeous, hence having a big and bright display is vital. Customers can immediately see what we have to offer.
