"I Just Want to Focus on Cooking Beef Brisket: But Without Staff, It's All Talk"

2026-06-28

"I Just Want to Focus on Cooking Beef Brisket: But Without Staff, It's All Talk" | Real Case Study

Brother Kwong's Story: How a Hong Kong restaurant legally brought in two Mainland beef brisket chefs to resolve a long-standing staffing crisis

Have you ever experienced business growth, yet hesitated to take on more orders because you couldn't hire anyone? This was exactly the daily dilemma faced by Brother Kwong, the principal of a well-known Hong Kong beef brisket noodles and Omakase restaurant, before he found us.

The Staffing Wall

The Problem: Business Expansion, But Missing Key Kitchen Staff

Brother Kwong's restaurant enjoys a good reputation in the district, with its braised beef brisket craftsmanship being meticulous and ingredients of superior quality, consistently attracting customers. As business continued to grow and plans for new branches were put on the agenda, the problems became increasingly obvious:

- The local market almost has no chefs with braised beef brisket skills - Even if someone is hired, they are hard to retain - High staff turnover makes it difficult to maintain consistent quality - He knows how to train, but simply has no spare staff to "train slowly"

Brother Kwong had tried posting recruitment ads, asking friends for referrals, and supporting the kitchen himself... every method was tried, but with limited results.

"It's not that I don't want to hire locals, it's that I really can't find skilled chefs."

We have heard this sentence from too many Hong Kong restaurant owners.

The Turning Point

The Turning Point: Learning About the "Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme", But Not Knowing Where to Start

Brother Kwong heard that he could legally bring in overseas chefs through the government's Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme, but faced a stack of application forms, requirements from the Labour Department, and local recruitment procedures... He admitted:

"I am a chef by training, not a paperwork person, and I don't know where to begin."

This is also the voice of most restaurant owners. Overseas labour applications are not complicated, but every step is interlinked; one wrong step may lead to rejection or delays of several months.

At this point, he found us – Labour Services.

The Five-Step Solution

How We Helped Brother Kwong Solve the Problem

What we provided for Brother Kwong was a one-stop service from start to finish. He only needed to focus on the kitchen; we handled the rest.

Step 1: Quota Application and Compliance Document Preparation

Organise company business registration, MPF records, and staff structure, clearly explaining the restaurant's staffing situation and needs to the Labour Department. Application forms completed within one to two days, followed up with the Labour Department on his behalf, with approval completed in about one month.

Step 2: Complete Local Recruitment Procedures, Establish Compliance Records

Publish advertisements on recruitment platforms continuously for four weeks as required, organise interview records and "unable to hire" documents. These are key proofs for smooth application approval, and also the reason many employers are rejected due to oversight.

Step 3: Labour Advisory Committee Procedure (Approx. One and a Half Months)

Cooperate with the Labour Advisory Committee review, follow up with the employer at each stage, and ensure the application progresses accurately.

Step 4: Recruit Suitable Chefs from Shenzhen

We have our own training school in Longgang, Shenzhen, combined with years of recruitment systems built on Douyin and Xiaohongshu, targeting candidates with practical braised beef brisket experience, fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin.

Subsequently, arrange video interviews, allowing Brother Kwong and his family to personally assess skills and character. Without intermediaries, everything is ultimately decided by the employer.

Step 5: Contract Signing, Visa, Accommodation, and Landing Support

Contracts, work visas, dormitory arrangements (bed space rental approx. HK$2,600 per month), Hong Kong Identity Card processing, and Labour Department lectures. We follow up on every link to ensure the chefs start work in Hong Kong smoothly.

Result And Fees

Result: Entering the Kitchen to Start Cooking the Next Day in Hong Kong

After the two beef brisket chefs arrived in Hong Kong, the situation surprised Brother Kwong:

✅ Entered the kitchen the day after arrival, starting to braise beef brisket and test soup bases, seamlessly integrating into the team ✅ Skill level and cooperative attitude were highly recognised by Brother Kwong, with front-line operations becoming significantly more stable ✅ Long-term staffing issues were formally resolved, providing technical and staffing foundation for new branch plans

The entire labour service fee was provided by us at approximately RMB 22,000 for an integrated scheme of "half-year application + two-year contract period follow-up". If staff replacement is needed within two years, we assist in re-arranging free of charge.

Brother Kwong's Feelings

"I didn't know about this method before, thinking that hiring overseas labour was complicated and troublesome. After handing it over to you, I only needed to prepare the kitchen to welcome the new chefs. The whole process was much smoother than I imagined."

Is your restaurant, nursing home, or company facing the same dilemma?

If you are considering introducing overseas labour but do not know:

- Whether you qualify for the application? - What documents are required? - How long does the entire process take and what are the costs?

Welcome to contact us directly via WhatsApp for a free preliminary consultation, with general replies within 24 hours.

Our service industries include: 🍜 Catering 🏥 Nursing Homes 🏗️ Construction and Decoration 🧹 Cleaning 📦 Logistics 🏢 Property Management 🐱 Pet Grooming

Labour Services Company Ltd. 📲 WhatsApp Enquiry: [ Click Here to Contact ] 🌐 Learn More About Successful Cases: https://labour.services/blog/

"I Just Want to Focus on Cooking Beef Brisket: But Without Staff, It's All Talk" | Real Case Study