Tackling the recession head-on, established businessman, San Wong of the Welcome Group has bravely re-launched the prestigious BT15 Restaurant at his flagship Landsdowne Hotel. The Antrim Road hostelry played host to a group of specially invited guests to give the refit an appropriate launch, with Downtown Radio's Candy Devine and Sunday World's Jim McDowell among the VIPs. San Wong, whose decades in the local hospitality trade began when he arrived in NI with "£5 in his pocket" is no stranger to adverse conditions and built up his small empire of Chinese eateries into a family owned chain of hotels and restaurant - with The Troubles as a constant background for most of his early career in the sector. But being in the catering business for over 30 years means that the restaurant's philosophy has and always will be "Good quality of food, with unparallel service to match", he said. Mr Wong is so proud of his level of service that he is keen to point out the Welcome Group only owns two Chinese takeaways in Northern Ireland, one in Belfast and one in Lisburn: "Other takeaways named the Welcome have no affiliations with the Welcome Group," he insisted, protecting his own high standards. He also developed the business by diversifying into Stranmillis Travel, a travel agent dedicated to the China and Far East travel market from Belfast. "It specializes in arranging flights to the Far East and China as well as multiple destinations around the world," he said. Now, the BT15 Restaurant has 'poached' top NI chef, Dermot Hughes to rewrite the menu - and the style - with Á la Carte and even 'meal deals' proving popular. Majorca's Miguel Navarro Lopez, the Restaurant Manager, latterly of south Belfast's Malone Lodge Hotel was also on hand to treat the special guests with San Wong himself, Brendan McGrath, the Manager and Vincent McCourt the Assistant Manager and Kevin Toner, Duty Manager, all also on hand to keep the vino flowing and the craic mighty. San Wong's staff are now taking bookings for Christmas and are hoping that this brave move in re-launching the Antrim Road restaurant in the face of a deepening recession will prove a festive fillip for the Welcome Group. (BMcC)
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Incoming Incoming….Prepare For Evacuation!
