Andreas König, Manager – Werner’s Group

Andreas König

In this interview, Andreas König, business development manager for the Werner’s Group, shares some challenges and successes encountered over the pandemic as well as some memorable moments from the past.

What do you do and how did you get into the industry?

I am currently spearheading the Business Development of six concept restaurants under Werner’s Group (Cielo KL, El Cerdo KL, Opium KL, The Steakhouse, The Whisky Bar & Dining in the Dark) and overseeing the launch of our newly added Food Delivery Concept “Werner’s Deli”.
Since my teenage years, I’ve been working part-time jobs in the bar, restaurant and nightlife sector to support my living costs during studies. I started my early career as a project manager in an event company in Germany, organising large scale outdoor music festivals, fashion shows and club parties. Ultimately, I envisioned a career in the field our tourism marketing but it turned out that I have been building a little boutique restaurant group in the heart of Kuala Lumpur with my boss and mentor Werner Kuhn. Life is what happens while you have other plans.

Share with us an interesting story from behind the scenes.

COVID-19 is pressure testing company culture. It has been a turbulent last six months, from managing rental re-negotiations, salary reductions to vendor relations. We are strategizing the way forward on a daily basis.

It has been amazing to see the unwavering support provided by our team members who committed themselves to navigate through these uncertain times with a sense of creativity and commitment to ensure continuous, pleasant guest experiences.

A big part of this process was establishing our Delivery Business Unit, enabling us to bring our restaurant experience to customer’s homes. We strive to establish our delivery selection in the ever-growing and evolving food delivery market, bridging the gap between DIY Fine Dining Meal Kits & the vast selection of everyday quick-bite offerings.

Ultimately the situation allowed us to reflect on our core values as restaurant operators and it is amazing to see our senior team confidently adapting and re-defining the “new normal”.

What’s a food memory from your childhood or travels that stands out?

A school excursion travelling to Southern France when I was 14, eating classic, steamed French mussels in a little village bistro in Mandelieu. This experience highlighted the importance of fresh ingredients and that simplicity and technique matter when it comes to creating a tasty dish.

My first visit to Malaysia (first trip to Asia) in 1999, exploring the culinary plethora of flavours under the guidance of a local friend. It was a key experience that contributed to my ambition to return one day to this part of the world (which I did in 2005).

What’s the best/ worst part of your job?

Best Part:

Pro-actively creating customer experience journeys and putting them into culinary context for our six concept restaurants.

Worst Part:

I believe with experience comes the ability to deal better with challenging circumstances, whether that be an employee issue, or an unforeseen emergency situation, e.g. electricity cut during operation or a water shortage. There is not really a worst part to the job, just the challenge of resolving an issue with the best possible outcome. No day is the same and once you develop the necessary trusting relationships with your team, no challenge becomes unsurmountable.

What’s your favourite food and beverage pairing?

Oysters and Champagne – nothing gets you closer to an imaginative escape to the seaside.

Chocolate and whisky – Prior to the opening of the Whisky Bar I was pretty much a white spirit and cocktail consumer. Whisky tasting provides an amazing exploration into different flavour profiles that evoke reflections on flavours that you know, be that tropical fruit characteristics, Christmas spices, or even savoury chargrill notes. There’s always a chocolate that can match or enhance the flavour profile of a whisky.

What’s one of the craziest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?

There are many, yet one of the craziest experiences so far was a complete electricity fallout in one of our restaurants. No light, no kitchen exhaust, no aircon. Full house with 100 people seated.

As calmly as possible we took control of the situation by putting candle lights around the place, the kitchen crew got cooking with wet towels wrapped around their faces, and we distributed standing fans around the whole premise. Customers were appreciative of the efforts and we still managed a successful evening service.

Another vivid memory is of a regular ex-pat guest who frequented our restaurant at least twice a week. He would commence lunch or dinner with a plate of Iberico de Bellota ham and a bottle of Château d’Yquem, then proceed to mains with a selection of the finest French wines from our cellar. I was in the lucky position to be his server at the time and always got invited to sit on the table and share a glass. That was part of my fast track “basic wine knowledge” journey and the flavours still linger in the back of my head until today.

The perfect day off for Andreas König would be…

An early morning motorbike ride into the countryside, making stops along the way exploring local cuisines, be that roadside stalls or small family-run eateries.

What do you do for fun?

A healthy mind can only reside in a healthy body. Hence, I do private gym trainer sessions three times a week. It does work wonders for your spiritual and physical well-being. Running a restaurant is more of a lifestyle choice than a job. It can get very hectic so it is important to find something that provides a balance. Besides, I love the occasional motorbike escape and taking the time to explore new food and beverage experiences around town.

What’s something you’d like guests to know about Werner’s Group?

Werner’s Group grew out of a small 40-seater restaurant 15 years ago. Looking at luck being defined as “preparation meeting opportunity,” we managed to grow six concepts over the last 15 years, out of the success the first restaurant achieved.
Our mission is to maintain a consistently high standard in food, wine, service and atmosphere, embodying amiable and informed hospitality. It is a daily challenge and we are lucky to say that our overall customer feedback reassures us that we are still on track 15 years later.

What’s your view on the food scene in KL?

The development of the food and beverage scene in KL has been put on the fast track for the past few years. It is amazing to see people from all walks of life venturing into the field of restaurant and bar management/ownership with a sincere passion for the trade. Malaysia offers a kaleidoscope of world flavours and the execution of the job at hand became very professional. I feel that the F&B scene of Kuala Lumpur is steadily moving forward and provides people with a vast variety of different flavour experiences. I hope it stays that way.

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?

As of now we are primarily concerned with full crisis recovery and adapting to new behaviours and guest preferences to serve our clientele in the most efficient and enjoyable way. Beyond that we envision to finally branch out of the city centre, establishing a brand presence in the neighbouring Petaling Jaya area. If things go well, we might target expansion in the third or fourth quarter of 2021.

Find more interviews similar to this one with Andreas König here. And, stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here.