We talk changing tastes, the challenges of the city’s ever-evolving dining scene, and an eye on expansion abroad with Bart Szyniec, founder of Hong Kong restaurant group Deadly Rabbits.
Deadly Rabbits Concepts has expanded from a hole-in-the-wall concept in Quarry Bay to a group with four brands and successful restaurants across the city, including Wan Chai, Tai Hang, Happy Valley and Soho. Now, founder Bart Szyniec is looking to his native Poland for the next steps in the company’s expansion.
Your F&B journey spans over two decades. What inspired you to enter the restaurant business?
I embarked on my journey driven by necessity. Born in 1980 in communist Poland, life was challenging. Despite my education, finding a job proved to be extremely difficult. After a brief stint in Italy, where I learned the Italian language while taking my first steps in hospitality, I returned to Poland in 1999. My dream was to study law, which I pursued by enrolling at the University of Wrocław. My parents were struggling financially; my father, a small entrepreneur, had just gone bankrupt, and my family was navigating a difficult divorce. From the age of seventeen, I had to support myself, and this time I chose to continue in food and beverage, which seemed a more appealing path than the alternatives.
Thanks to my knowledge of Italian, I joined Palazzo, a well-known Italian restaurant at the time, located in the old town square of Wrocław. The chef was Italian, as were many of the customers, as Poland had opened to foreign business after regaining its freedom in 1989 and Wrocław, situated on the western side of the country between Berlin and Prague, served as a gateway. I immediately fell in love with the food and beverage industry—the lifestyle, the dynamics, and the food. Previously, a rather shy boy, I transformed into an outgoing person. After three years, I realised that this was all I wanted to do, so I dropped out of law college and eventually completed my BA in Hospitality Management at DIT Dublin.
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What were the biggest challenges you faced launching Ask for Alonzo in 2018?
It was undoubtedly a challenging beginning. We must rewind to 2014/2015 when I embarked on my first venture, El Mercado, the first Nikkei restaurant in Hong Kong. At that time, my experience had primarily revolved around Italian and Spanish concepts, but I was persuaded by my investor to pivot towards Peruvian cuisine. As time passed, things took a turn for the worse; however, I emerged with two valuable insights: a deep appreciation for Peruvian and South American food, and a strong conviction to pursue an Italian concept if the opportunity ever arose again.
Fast forward to 2018, when the chance to realise that ambition presented itself. Along with four other founders, I discovered a small space in Quarry Bay (above)—just 14 or 15 seats—but situated next to several large Swire commercial buildings, which raised our expectations and hopes. The rent was exorbitantly high, as is typical in Hong Kong, yet we were determined to make it work. By this point, I had accumulated nearly 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, which instilled confidence and faith in my abilities.
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We launched Ask for Alonzo, a straightforward pasta-driven concept focused on quality ingredients, primarily designed for takeaway during lunch, given our limited seating capacity of 14, which can be expanded to accommodate up to 35 diners at a time. However, things did not go as planned. In the initial months, we operated at a loss, and morale plummeted as we struggled to turn things around, despite our best efforts.
At that time, I was still managing my own company, Pickle Solutions, which provided food and beverage consultancy services to various operators. After some deliberation, I decided to commit fully to Ask for Alonzo and shoulder the responsibility entirely. I contacted my old friend Giuliano Dacasto, an exceptional chef, and invited him to join the project, asking him to leave behind his high-profile restaurants. I offered him a salary of just HK$20,000 per month, equivalent to my own, for a full-time commitment.
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A few weeks later, Giuliano agreed to come on board, relieving me of the stress related to food and product management so that I could concentrate on the financial aspects. We began to see our first profits a couple of months later, and by September 2019 (with Alonzo having opened in November 2018), we decided to launch Ask for Alonzo Tai Hang, which proved to be a significant success. Thus, Deadly Rabbits was born.
Hong Kong is known for its fast-paced and highly competitive dining scene. What do you think sets Deadly Rabbits apart?
Sacrifice, commitment, positive energy, and an unwavering determination to never give up — many individuals and companies make these claims, but we truly embody them. We genuinely strive to deliver the best value for money in the Western dining segment of this city. Additionally, intelligent cost control on the back end is a crucial ingredient in our recipe for success.
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How do you see Hong Kong’s dining preferences evolving?
I believe Hong Kong will continue to be a challenging environment; it always has been. However, the landscape is evolving with lower consumer spending and increased competition. Casual dining will be the prevailing trend. This shift is evident as major players in the city embrace this direction due to lower customer spending and the rising costs of rent and labour. Ultimately, a restaurant is a business, and profitability is essential; without it, survival is difficult.
Asian concepts are expected to continue being influenced by travel patterns from the Greater Bay Area, while Western concepts are anticipated to maintain a relatively stronger position. The current economic cycle in Hong Kong is shaping the F&B industry, as customers seek enjoyable experiences at a lower cost. Consequently, ambience, excellent service, and small plate offerings are expected to dominate the market.
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What key dining trends are you noticing in Hong Kong?
The casual segment is currently what drives Hong Kong. High-quality, high-end products will perform well, as Hong Kong is home to many affluent individuals who can afford them. However, the mainstream market will focus on the lower casual segment, offering great value for money. Operators will find it challenging to identify their margins and profits, given the costs associated with rent, staff, and products, making it challenging to combine these elements successfully. Nevertheless, there is always some exciting opportunity in a challenging market.
Deadly Rabbits is now expanding beyond Hong Kong, with plans for two restaurants in Warsaw. Why is now the right time to enter the Polish market?
Currently, Poland is undoubtedly the best country in Europe to open a business. It has lower corporate tax, high and rising consumption, excellent infrastructure, and safety. An educated and English-speaking workforce, along with a growing business travel and tourism sector, is a significant advantage. Poland has made an extraordinary economic journey over the past 30 years; if I am right, it has another 20 ahead. It is akin to watching Hong Kong when it was becoming what it is today.
What excites you most about Warsaw’s emerging fine dining scene?
Frankly, everything! From old-school milk bars that serve simple post-communist food in a self-service environment to modern Polish restaurants established by chefs returning from around the world, blending their experiences with our pre-communist era cuisine. Much like Hong Kong, Poland has always been a bridge between East and West. It is strongly influenced by Italian and French cooking while also keeping an eye on the East, with a mixed population of Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Belarusians, Georgians, and Uzbeks.
I believe there is something incredibly exciting emerging from this, in terms of modern Polish cuisine, and that is why I decided to open The Slavic Social (above) in Warsaw, which will serve modern Polish cuisine “tapas” style and cocktails. Polish people also love Asian food, and I think that in a few years, with more and more immigrants arriving from there, we will witness an exciting representation of Asian cuisine.
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With Michelin-recognised Polish chefs returning home, do you think Warsaw has the potential to rival other major European dining capitals?
I absolutely believe that. Polish people are very competitive, and they are starting to believe in themselves. Give it a few years of growth, and we will be able to challenge other European capitals.
How will your new concepts in Warsaw differ from what you’ve built in Hong Kong? Will you bring any elements of Deadly Rabbits into your Poland ventures?
I am building Ask for Alonzo in Varso Tower, the tallest building in the EU, and The Slavic Social. I hope that Ask for Alonzo will be based on the same foundations as Hong Kong, but we will adapt and evolve, as Ask for Alonzo in Hong Kong is more casual, whereas in Poland, it will cater more to corporate clientele due to its location. Let’s see which side can be stronger and grow faster; internal competition is always beneficial. From my side, I am bringing Deadly Rabbits’ values: sacrifice, commitment, positive energy, and never giving up.
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What do you look for when developing new restaurant concepts? Do you prioritise a particular cuisine, location, or market demand?
I start with an idea or cuisine and then consider the market demand. The location comes last. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, as sometimes an exciting location can determine the concept based on the market demand around it. This was the case with Que Pasa (below); given its beautiful location, a Spanish concept was a natural choice. However, in general, for Ask for Alonzo now, the location fits naturally. We refer to it as “Alonzo’s location.”
Where do you see Deadly Rabbits Concepts in the next five years?
Yes, certainly. Central Europe is a fascinating region where we can experience substantial growth not only in Poland but also in Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and other countries. In Asia, that would be Jakarta in Indonesia. It is quite difficult to envision where we will be in the next five years, but I hope we will be significantly larger in Hong Kong, which is our headquarters and home, as well as in Central Europe outside Poland and Jakarta. I believe it will be five years well spent.
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If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring restaurant entrepreneurs, what would it be?
Just one? Ha! Ha! I suppose it will be “never ever give up. In every failure, there is a lesson.”
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