Ray Hecht
rayhecht@gmail.com
A LONG way from his hometown, Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada, Matt Sigurdson has opened a Western-style vegan restaurant in the Coastal City shopping mall in Nanshan.
He is relatively new to China, having moved to Shenzhen in January 2014. “My brother was living in Shenzhen at the time so I came to see him,” Sigurdson explained.
The 38-year-old has already had years of experience working in restaurants. “After moving to Calgary, I started as a weekend waiter in a family restaurant and quickly grew to love the environment. I was challenged further, and took on the lead waiter role. I spent three years there before I moved on to a newly built high-end concept restaurant, and took on a management position.” Eventually he moved to Shenzhen, and became a bar manager at a restaurant in Sea World in Shekou.
Sigurdson spent a lot of time examining the market in Shenzhen, and found that people were already making healthier choices in their lives. “I noticed an abundance of gyms and fitness centers. There were already a handful of Chinese vegan and vegetarian restaurants so we knew that it wasn’t a completely foreign idea. It would be a risky move, but we could pull it off.”
The restaurant makes all its own sauces and dressings from scratch. Fresh juices and smoothies are squeezed and blended to order. Sigurdson especially appreciates his regular customers. “The positive feedback I’ve received has made it all worth it,” he said.
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