A social enterprise restaurant in Hong Kong has renewed its call for a local partner to continue its mission of supporting people with disabilities, with its founder considering diluting his stake in the Singapore-based business as a last resort to raise funds.
Dignity Kitchen founder Koh Seng Choon, who underwent heart surgery in March and could no longer fly frequently to manage the business, received more than 30 inquiries after he made an open plea on social media in June for a local partner.
Koh asked for a kind-hearted and experienced person who was willing to commit HK$2 million (US$257,264) in the first year to run the hawker-style restaurant in Mong Kok that has provided paid training and placed more than 200 people with disabilities in jobs since 2019.
However, none of the interested parties – NGOs, charities, businesses and consultants – were suited for the role.
He explained that some were more interested in expanding their own catering businesses rather than running a training and placement centre while others, especially non-governmental organisations facing government budget cuts, lacked sufficient funds.
At one point, Koh considered shutting down the restaurant but he changed his mind shortly after he flew to Hong Kong and saw the employees hard at work.
