By Xie YuXin 1002580790, Wang YanWen 1002580819, Zhang Jinze 1002579066, Zhou Hongrui 1002579430, Zou JiaCheng 1002580848

Every morning at 10 a.m., Yi Rou begins another busy day at Jintai Chaoshan Beef Hotpot in Kuala Lumpur. While many young graduates are just starting their careers, she is already leading a restaurant team and making sure every customer receives quality service. Her journey from a waiter to a store manager shows that success comes through patience, responsibility, and continuous learning.

Jintai Chaoshan Beef Hotpot in Kuala Lumpur, where Yi Rou manages the restaurant every day.

Yi Rou is from Guangdong, China. After graduating, she joined her family’s restaurant business in Malaysia. Instead of becoming a manager immediately, she started as a waiter and learned every part of the restaurant step by step.

“I started as a waiter. Later, I learned management and finally became the store manager.”

Yi Rou shares her journey from waiter to store manager during the interview.

Although she has been a store manager for about a year, her responsibilities are much greater than serving customers. She manages takeaway orders, trains new employees, communicates with suppliers, and ensures that daily operations run smoothly. Her working day usually starts at 10 a.m. and ends around 10 p.m.

Fresh beef is prepared daily to maintain the restaurant’s quality standards.

For Yi Rou, the biggest challenge is not preparing food but managing people.

“Every employee has a different personality. The hardest part is bringing everyone together as one team.”

She believes that a good manager should understand employees’ personal situations and support them whenever possible. This helps build trust and teamwork in the workplace.

Customers enjoy authentic Chaoshan beef hotpot during a busy dining period.

One of the most rewarding parts of her job is building relationships with customers. Some regular customers remember her after only a few visits and even bring small gifts when they return.

“They greet us like old friends. Those moments make all the hard work worthwhile.”

Working in the restaurant has also taught her patience.

“Some customers seem difficult, but sometimes they simply cannot express what they really need. We need to understand them and help them.”

Authentic Chaoshan beef hotpot prepared for customers in Kuala Lumpur.

As a proud Chaoshan native, Yi Rou is happy to introduce authentic Chaoshan beef hotpot to Malaysian customers. Looking back, she has no regrets about choosing this career.

Before ending the interview, she shared one piece of advice with university students:

“Don’t be afraid to start small. Success comes one step at a time. With hard work and experience, you can become a manager in the future.”

—Yi Rou

Fresh ingredients and careful preparation are part of the restaurant’s daily operations.