Brick-Mortar-Cloud Podcast
Season 2 Episode 1:
From Losing It All at 23 to Leading 30+ Restaurants
Behind every iconic Singapore nightlife spot such as Zouk, St James Power Station, Lo & Behold—stands someone who’s turned failures into legends. Andrew Ing isn’t your average hospitality leader; he built these powerhouse brands from the ground up, often from experiences many would have walked away from. At 23, Andrew’s dream nightclub in Hong Kong failed spectacularly, lasting just six weeks. But instead of breaking him, that loss shaped a legacy. Now, as COO of OUE Restaurants, he oversees 30 outlets and over 500 employees, bringing decades of insights to life.
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🎙️ Brick Mortar Club Podcast – Episode: Andrew Ing (COO, OUE Restaurants)
00:00 – Intro Welcome to the Brick Mortar Club podcast, where we go behind the scenes with the minds shaping Southeast Asia’s food and beverage scene. I’m Janson, co-founder of StaffAny. Today, we’re honored to have a hospitality legend with us, Andrew Ing, Chief Operating Officer at OUE Restaurants.
00:30 – From Nightlife Flop to F&B Icon Andrew kicks things off with his origin story: growing up in Sydney, dabbling in nightlife events, and eventually opening a club in Hong Kong, that shut down just six weeks after launch. “Biggest disaster in Hong Kong nightlife history,” he laughs. But that failure caught the attention of Lincoln Cheng, the founder of Zouk.
02:00 – Joining Zouk in Singapore. In 1993, Andrew moved to Singapore and became Zouk’s marketing manager. He spent eight years building its brand, co-launching ZoukOut, and shaping Singapore’s nightlife culture.
03:00 – Saint James Power Station Era After a stint running his own agency, Andrew joined Dennis Foo to transform Saint James Power Station into a 70,000 sq ft nightlife complex with nine concepts under one roof. From jazz and karaoke to EDM and hip-hop, it became a nightlife landmark.
04:30 – The Lo & Behold Years. He later joined The Lo & Behold Group as CEO for nine years, overseeing beloved brands and building standout experiences in F&B.
05:00 – Leading OUE Restaurants Now at OUE, Andrew oversees an incredibly diverse portfolio: from Delifrance baguettes to Chatterbox’s iconic chicken rice, to $500 omakase meals and rooftop bars like HeLa.
06:00 – Managing True Diversity OUE’s workforce ranges from 18-year-olds to part-time crew aged 83. Andrew talks about the real meaning of diversity, beyond nonsense, and the challenge of uniting people across generations, cultures, and roles.
08:00 – Leadership Is Empathy. What’s the secret to managing such a broad team? Empathy. “Gen Z wants purpose; older team members want to care for their families. As a leader, your job is to find what connects everyone.”
09:30 – Operating at Scale OUE runs 30+ outlets, supported by 400–500 full-time employees. With concepts ranging from fast casual to fine dining, Andrew’s brain is constantly switching gears. “One moment I’m thinking QSR, next moment it’s heritage cuisine, and then a nightlife concept.”
11:00 – Organizational Structure. Each brand has its own GM. Shared services (HR, marketing, finance, IT) support all units. Independence is encouraged, but collaboration is key.
14:00 – What Makes a Great Ops Leader? Andrew outlines the career path: from restaurant manager to area manager to ops director. But the real leap isn’t about seniority, it’s about leadership. “It’s not about knowing everything; it’s about teaching, coaching, and letting go.”
18:00 – KPIs & Basic Math Forget calculus. Andrew says if you can add, subtract, multiply, divide, and write clearly, you’ll do well. “Know your numbers. Contribution margin matters more than percentages.”
24:00 – Menu Engineering Insight He shares a story of a concept where tweaking portion sizes and bundling led to a major profitability boost without price hikes. “Star dishes with high margins are what you want to push.”
26:00 – Fish vs. Steak Story: His favorite example? Selling a $10 fish with 30% cost nets less profit than a $20 steak with 50% cost. “It’s not about food cost% %, it’s the dollar value margin that matters.”
28:00 – Labor Strategy: Fewer, Better People Andrew advocates hiring fewer staff at higher pay to attract top talent. “Six great people can outperform ten mediocre ones. But they have to be worth it.”
30:00 – Choosing the Right Location When expanding, the rent-to-footfall ratio matters more than a mall’s reputation. “Wrong corner, wrong floor, wrong neighbors, even a good mall won’t save you.”
33:00 – Tech & Innovation OUE uses CRM systems, table management, QR ordering, guest feedback tools, and more. But Andrew doesn’t enforce top-down tools. “Front-end tech must serve the brand and guest. Let the GMs decide.”
36:00 – The Role of AI & Automation AI and robotics are emerging, but Andrew believes humans must own hospitality. “Let the machines do repetitive tasks. Leave empathy and problem-solving to people.”
38:00 – Quickfire Round
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Inspiration: Michael Chow, founder of Mr. Chow restaurants
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Advice to younger self: Learn to switch off
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Dream meal: Lobster laksa box + glass of Sauvignon Blanc
41:00 – Final Words To survive in this industry, you’ve got to love the chaos: long hours, unpredictable customers, constant pressure. But the joy? It’s seeing people happy in your restaurants.
“Hospitality is a selfish pleasure. It feels great to make others feel good.”
– Will Guidara
That’s what keeps Andrew going.
Thanks for tuning in.
Produced by StaffAny
Follow Andrew Ing on LinkedIn for more insights.
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Food has always been central to community and culture in Singapore. Since serving their first meal in 1971, OUE Restaurants focused on one goal: giving guests a reason to return. Over the years, they’ve grown their offerings to meet everyday moments, coffee runs, quick takeaways, team catch-ups, nourishing lunches, and special celebrations.
They believe thriving communities start with good food and good people. Whether through education, giving back, or simply being a thoughtful neighbour, they’re committed to making a positive impact, both inside their venues and beyond.
