A diverse customer base is his new aim

BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: This is the 12th installment in a monthly series speaking with minority business owners and leaders. Each is asked their views on minority-business conditions in the state and for ways to improve those businesses’ chances for success.) YEWCHANANG TAN HAS ADAPTED to many different environments over the last quarter century.

Tan, who emigrated from Malaysia in the mid-1990s, has a deep passion for cooking. He first began studying in his native country to earn a diploma in hotel management and worked at hotels in Singapore. But then he developed an interest in being in the kitchen and then made his way over to the U.S. to study culinary at Johnson & Wales University.

Tan recalled spending long hours in the kitchen perfecting his craft and knowing that the extra work would one day pay off.

“If you want to learn something, you don’t mind staying longer just to learn it,” Tan said. “I think for any career, it all depends on the passion [that you have].”

While attending JWU, Tan would frequently visit his favorite Asian barbecue restaurant on Central Street in Providence, New Wing Kee Barbeque & Poultry, to feast on the establishment’s signature duck offering in between classes. As fate would have it, Tan managed to digest more at New Wing Kee than just its delicacies.

After the national restaurant chain Panda Express sponsored him to get a working visa and he briefly worked as a local restaurant manager for the company, Tan a few years ago began cooking for New Wing Kee and applying his craft in the meals that he regularly enjoyed as a college student. Near the end of 2019, Tan got a deal of a lifetime, he said. The restaurant’s owner retired, and he took over New Wing Kee as its owner.

With a wife and family, Tan was ready to have his new career as a restaurant owner take off. But then, the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020 and left Tan’s future uncertain.

“It was brutal. Sometimes, it was a lot of unknown. You just took it over and don’t have a lot of money. You just try to hang in there. It was just a very worrisome time,” Tan said. “You want to start to have your own business, but this thing happened, and you don’t know how long it’s going to take.”

Business was slow during the pandemic. He recalled some days where he would, at most, sell one duck per day. But Tan said he worked hard to stay open.

He created a Facebook page for the restaurant, informing customers on social media and by word of mouth to advertise that New Wing Kee was still open. Tan said business at New Wing Kee has improved slightly and some customers have returned. Even so, Tan had to dip into some of his savings to keep the restaurant afloat.

Additionally, Good Fortune Supermarket – a market that specializes in Asian foods – opened in Providence in 2018, creating competition for New Wing Kee that had not been there previously, Tan said.

Still, Tan is optimistic about the future. Tan said a growing and diverse customer base is something he hopes can keep New Wing Kee as a neighborhood staple after the pandemic fades.

“The more people get vaccinated, the more people will go out. Also, social media and the website will start to help because we’re starting to have non-Southeast Asian customers,” Tan said. “Caucasian, Hispanic and others. Other people are trying things out. I have very good hope [for the future].”

Yewchanang Tan

New Wing Kee Barbeque & Poultry owner

SIGNATURE OFFERING: Yewchanang Tan, owner of the New Wing Kee Barbeque & Poultry restaurant, located at 39 Central St. in Providence, hangs some of the fully cooked ducks for display.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

1Do you believe racism is keeping minorities from starting businesses in the Ocean State or succeeding when they do? I don’t see it. I think Rhode Island is pretty good compared to other states. I’ve seen Hispanic stores opening. I think the people in Rhode Island are very open. Every once in a while, you have a bad apple, but generally it’s fine.

2How dependent is your business on the support of other minority groups? Is that a sustainable business model? Before COVID-19, we didn’t put on our website and Facebook [about our business], so we relied solely on Southeast Asian customers. Since then, we’ve put our business on a website and Facebook. During COVID-19, all of the Chinese restaurants closed. So, we wanted to let people know that we were opened, so we put the word out on our website and social media.

3What one thing could Rhode Island do to boost the odds for minority-owned business success? I think a little funding will help a bit. We’re trying to hang in there. During this pandemic, a lot of businesses have been suffering. They have to keep on paying bills, like gas and electricity, but the business has been down so much. It’s been piling up. Maybe some advertisements in a magazine [to help promote us]. We cannot afford those big advertisements as a small business.

4Have you had to turn somewhere other than a bank for a loan? Do you believe the state’s lending institutions treat minorities fairly? No, I haven’t. I try to not owe so much [money]. I try to hang in there and do it by myself. You borrow and then you don’t know how this pandemic is going to go with all these new variants. As far as places treating minorities fairly, I think they do.

5If another minority entrepreneur asked you where they could turn for support for their business, where would you direct them? I think with the Rhode Island Small Business Coalition or the Center for Southeast Asians. The center has always been helpful. They helped me with paperwork stuff and computer things. They helped me understand rules and regulations. They have been very helpful with that. n

I try to not owe so much [money]. I try to hang in there and do it by myself.

9 Ways Smart Cities Will Evolve to Shape the Future

The global market for smart cities is expected to attract $2.5 trillion in investments by 2025. Growth is projected to be driven in urban areas that need a better way to manage resources, create environmental sustainability, and create more efficient solutions.

The growth of smart cities is likely to come in three phases, according to analysts at PWC.

• Tier One: Relies on public/private partnerships to build infrastructure and deliver digital services. Examples might include the development of public Wi-Fi to power IoT devices, parking management systems for efficient resource use, and the development of base-level digital infrastructure. • Tier Two: The development of additional services built on top of the digital infrastructure. An example might be a mobile transit payment card system. • Tier Three: The creation of a more robust digital ecosystem around the infrastructures to create new products, services, and revenue opportunities.

Smart cities deploying digital solutions have been shown to improve the quality of life for residents by as much as 30%. A study of three cities deploying smart solutions found some promising results:

•8-10% reduction in fatalities •20-35% faster emergency response times •15-20% reduction in commute times •8-15% improvement in health •10-15% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions

Driving much of the growth is more accessible Wi-Fi and faster internet connections from ISPs (Internet Service Providers).

HOW SMART CITIES WILL EVOLVE IN THE FUTURE

In Peachtree Corners, GA, just northwest of Atlanta, a public/ private partnership is putting smart technology to the test. They’re testing driverless vehicles, drones, and robotics using technology. The area has been evolving since opening in 2019 and has spawned dozens of startups, including GoX, which launched a pilot program using remote-operated scooters. Riders call for the scooter on an app. Teleoperators deliver it to the rider. After the ride is complete, the scooter returns to its home base for sanitation.

In Japan, Toyota’s Woven City project broke ground in February for what the company says will be the prototype for cities of the future. It’s a 175-acre project that will be home to 2,000 residents and feature a fully integrated infrastructure and clean buildings running on AI.

From these tests and other emerging technology, here are nine of the ways cities are becoming smarter.

• Crime Prevention: Communities will benefit from networked surveillance cameras, real-time crime mapping, and predictive policing • Traffic Monitoring: Smart intersection, signal controllers, and intelligent traffic management tools will help improve commutes and accident rates • Smart Transportation: Autonomous vehicles, driverless taxis, and predictive parking can help relieve congestion • Quality of Life: Public Wi-Fi infrastructure and a consolidated digital approach can improve the quality of life in a variety of ways • Sustainability: HVAC, lighting, systems, energy, and building operations can be managed efficiently by Artificial Intelligence (AI) • Green Initiatives: Building design and technology can change impact how occupancy use facilities and consume energy. • Simulation and Modeling: AI and Machine Learning can anticipate events to make buildings and cities smarter. • IoT: The Internet of Things (IoT) will allow for sensors to capture more data than ever before and make real-time adjustments. • Public, Private Partnerships: Public, private, and educational partnerships are paving the way for rapid advances.

SMART CITIES ARE ALREADY EMERGING

Boston and Baltimore have deployed smart trash cans that communicate how full they are and create or modify pick-up routes for sanitation workers. Barcelona, Spain, installed fiber optics to provide free high-speed Wi-Fi to enable IoT devices. The city claims smart water, parking, and lighting resulted in $90-million in savings while creating more than 45,000 new jobs.

These are just a few examples of how cities are deploying smart solutions. Here are some of the other smart city projects that are already emerging.

Public Safety

Imagine a world where predictive policing, using real-time crime mapping, and automated gunshot detection, and smart surveillance, could improve staffing and critical response time. It’s happening now.

Automated gunshot detection in San Diego has been controversial, but the results appear promising. The area being tested averaged four murders a year but has seen none since the system was installed. Over the past few years, 101 activations have been recorded, of which only 28 were reported by community members.

Transportation

Cities in Texas, Arkansas, California, and Colorado are in the process of testing smart intersection solutions using data from sensors and signal controllers to reduce congestion and adjust signal timing. Data collection and automation will allow Austin, TX engineers to retime signal lights 20 times more often, which they project will lead to a 40% reduction in traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4.9 million tons annually.

Moscow implemented a series of intelligent traffic management tools along with public transit and parking investments. In the past decade, an additional million cars have been added to its city, but average travel speeds have improved by 13%. Singapore has launched driverless taxis and plans to launch similar buses by 2022.

Quality of Life

Not many cities have a Chief Innovation Officer but, Carlsbad, California does. They’ve pulled together a coalition to look at a broad range of initiatives to modernize and strengthen the city’s technology infrastructure to provide more efficient services. One of the areas they’re addressing is a consolidated digital approach to managing city services to make life easier for residents. They’ll no longer have to use separate accounts and passwords to pay utility bills, check out library books, submit requests for city services, sign up for recreation programs, or apply for permits. They’re also using data to determine future programs for residents.

Sustainability & Green Initiatives

Advancements in sensors and monitoring are allowing cities to shift energy usage to off-peak hours to save money and conserve resources. New York, for example, uses more than 800,000 sensors to provide real-time monitoring of water usage. By adjusting water pressure based on usage, the city reported a 25% reduction in water main breaks in 2020.

In Charlotte, NC, the Duke Energy Center has a roof garden to reduce stormwater run-off and make up 80% of the 51-story building’s water needs. It also has “daylight harvesting blinds” that move as the angle of the sun changes.

The Bullitt Center in Seattle bills itself as the greenest commercial building in the world with a project lifespan of 250 years. It uses 82% less energy than comparable facilities. The building’s design encourages employees to use staircases rather than elevators to save energy. 80% of the occupants do exactly that.

Smart Buildings

One of the fastest-growing trends is the integration of smart tech-nologies into buildings. Automation systems provide savings and conserve energy for systems such as:

• HVAC: Smart controls limit consumption in unoccupied areas, detect faults and leaks, and reduce levels during peak demand. • Smart Lighting: Buildings are incorporating daylight, dimming, and occupancy sensors to control lighting. At the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, real-time sensors track patrons as they move between exhibits, turning on lights and video players. • System Operation: Some buildings are measuring thousands of data points to adjust operations based on utility rates, occupancy patterns, weather, parking, and traffic patterns • Distributed energy: Energy is being captured, stored, and use independent of the power grid. AI and machine learning mean building get “smarter” over time to optimize operations for even more efficiency.

SMART CITIES SOLVE PROBLEMS

As technology rolls out across the country and cities build robust digital infrastructures, smart building cities will be able to capitalize on the growing body of data and technology. This can be used to solve problems both big and small. Public and private partnerships can create new opportunities for improvements, solutions, and jobs.

From traffic to safety to sustainability, smart cities of the future are poised to create more efficient use of resources and improve the quality of life for residents.

By Lisa Majdi/Executive Director of Marketing at Cox Business This article originally appeared on coxblue.com Contact us for a consultation. smartcomms@cox2m.com

FOCUS | HUMAN RESOURCES

WORKERS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Wendy Kagan, the bank’s executive vice president for employee and community engagement, compared the comeback to what new parents experience after family leave.

“Once you reconnect and get over that hump or adjustment period … you get into a routine again, you’ll see it’s not so bad,” she said.

But in workplaces after the COVID-19 pandemic, flexibility will be key, and many employees want the option for remote working at least some of the time, according to many national surveys. A recent study by Morning Consult found that in addition to the 87% of workers who want some remote work, more than 1 in 4 say they’ll find a new job if their current company doesn’t offer flexibility in remote work.

Wanting to keep employees happy is a major consideration behind employers’ decisions, with many local companies opting for a “soft” return to the office that still incorporates an element of remote working, said Cynthia J. Butler, president of Butler & Associates Human Resources Consulting.

There’s no right answer or one-size-fits-all approach, but feedback from employees, through surveys and more-informal discussions, should be part of the decision, according to Butler.

Indeed, BankNewport surveyed its back-office staff before deciding on its hybrid policy. The results were varied. Some, such as Kagan, were eager to return to a traditional work environment, free from the distraction of a teenager doing distance learning in the next room. Others, especially younger workers, preferred the flexibility of remote work.

At some point, you have to accept that you can’t please everyone. This was the attitude of Andrew Bramson, executive director for The College Crusade of Rhode Island. He announced to the nonprofit’s 50 employees that they would return to their offices on a rotating, hybrid basis at the start of the summer.

“I’m not going to tell you I was greeted with flowers,” Bramson said, noting that many were still unvaccinated when he broke the news in March.

He tried to make the transition as seamless as possible, giving a three-month notice so workers could prepare. But for Bramson, the decision ultimately came down to what was best for the prospective first-generation college students the nonprofit serves.

While College Crusade has applied its policies – remote, then hybrid and potentially, fully in person come fall – to all of its staff, others have taken a different approach.

While back-office staff at BankNewport can continue to work fully remote for now, branch employees returned to their customer-facing jobs

SUMMER SOCIAL: Wendy Kagan, left, executive vice president for employee and community engagement at BankNewport, was eager to return to a traditional work environment once pandemic-related restrictions eased. Employees Lesley Vogt-Behan and Paul Marchetti, right, enjoy pizza and salad during one of the company’s Pizza Wednesdays, which it implemented to entice workers to return to the office.

PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

when banks reopened last summer.

Dominion Diagnostics LLC also required employees who work in its North Kingstown medical laboratories to come in each day, while the administrative staff were sent home and have not yet been told they have to return.

Denise Driscoll, the company’s vice president of human resources, said she had not heard much pushback from lab workers over having to come in when their administrative co-workers did not.

Even hiring for these specialty medical jobs has not proven overly difficult despite workers’ increased interest in remote jobs. Rather, it’s the administrative job openings that are more challenging to find applicants for, she said.

Erin Pavane, a founding partner for Providence recruiting firm The Hire, echoed that sentiment. Where job candidates were once laserfocused on salary in potential postings, now their attention has turned to whether jobs let them work remotely. She named one candidate who is considering taking a $20,000 pay cut to switch from an in-office job to one that offers remote work.

“When people are climbing the corporate ladder, money is usually the No. 1 driver,” she said. “Now, it’s more about work-life balance.”

For some, that balance is best achieved working at home. But others found the opposite to be true, that a home office makes the separation between home life and office life a little too blurry.

Driscoll was also eager to return to the office, though she was already accustomed to remote work before the pandemic. In fact, it was her desire for that in-person work interaction that made her change jobs. Ironically, when she started with Dominion in June 2020, she found herself still working from home due to the pandemic.

More than a year later, Driscoll has yet to meet some of her colleagues face to face, something she was hoping would happen sooner rather than later.

“My preference is really to be in a building, with people,” she said. “There’s a lot of informal information you can learn from employees when you see them.” n

‘My preference is really to be in a building, with people.’

DENISE DRISCOLL, Dominion Diagnostics LLC vice president of human resources