/ Reviews / Interview
Charles Zeng
by Raphael Seghin
on Friday, November 25, 2011 12:00 AM
So tell me a little bit about PiRO. You took it over, you turned it around. Before you came in charge, what was the restaurant like?
They also made American food, but it was really bad. Honestly it was bad food, and service too. The previous management had no idea what they were doing. I mean, I learned a lot myself when I came here. Initially, I wasn’t very good at it. I’m young and I learned quickly. The first 2-3 months I was lost, but after that I got the hang of it, and I realized what needed to improve and how to do it. I decided to make food the focus, but beer as well. I like beer; I’m a big beer drinker, so I currently have over 20 different kinds of bottled beer.
What do you think was the biggest change you made to turn PiRO around and make it successful?
I think food and service. I mean, first off, the food is better. A lot of people like our burgers. I focus on value a lot. In a normal restaurant, the cost is around 35%. For me it’s about 45-50%. My food is not cheap, I know. But I import very good products. For my beef, I get the best I can. 50% from US, because China beef is very lean, and without fat there is no flavor, but the sirloin I get locally, because it’s fresher. I go to a local market to get the beef. They actually kill the cow in front of you. The first few times I wasn’t really used for it. They’ll bring the head out, it’s pretty intense.
Have you been surprised at the progression that your restaurant has taken since you took over?
Yeah, I mean, I’m delighted. I worked very hard for it. I’d say the only place other than my house is Piro. Recently, now that things are more in order, I try to take some time off, but 90% of my waking moment, I’m at Piro. It’s my baby. The only way for me to keep order is for me to be there and stay on top of things. A lot of my customers actually know me, so when they come, they want to talk to me, and eventually, they become my friends. I couldn’t do it without them.
Most of my customers return, at least once a week. Some come back 3-4 times a week, to the point I almost tell them to try other things! I’ll have Americans come visit Shanghai and eat here 4 nights in a row. I’ll be like, come on, you gotta go try some Chinese food!
Are there any plans for you in the future?
Well, I’m actually thinking about opening a new place. Piro is making money now, so I definitely want to. Good location is hard to find though. Within 2-3 months I should have something else. My idea was to open a Shake Shack type joint. Like, fast food, high turn over, and I could serve good burgers. I want good burgers, at a lower price, that more and more people can order.
