Setting the table for the next generation
Today, the man behind more than 16 brands and over 300 stores nationwide speaks with the calm confidence of someone who has weathered decades in a notoriously difficult business. Because behind the scale of Rikki Dee’s FooDee Group—from Mesa and Llaollao to Tim Ho Wan, Hawker Chan, and Mo-Mo Paradise—is a story built not just on ambition but also on instinct, discipline, sacrifice, and family.
When asked what first drew him into the restaurant business, his answer was simple. “I grew up in a family that loved to eat,” he shares.
Opening the door to opportunities
That love for food eventually led him to open his first restaurant, Chin Chin—a small operation with just one cook and one door to open. Looking back now, he laughs when asked what the hardest lesson was in those early years. “Opening the first door,” he says.
Decades later, he remembers the uncertainty of those beginnings. And perhaps that is why, despite the size of his empire today, he still speaks about the business with humility.
Rikki is also the first to admit that the restaurant business is not for everyone. “If given a choice,” he says candidly, “I probably wouldn’t do this again. It’s too tedious. It’s 24/7.”
And yet, despite the sleepless nights and constant pressure of staying relevant, he stayed. Why? Because beyond the business itself was always a larger vision: legacy.
His children now actively help run different parts of the business.
But what struck me most was how intentional he was as a father.
The restaurant business, after all, is a business that robs one of weekends, holidays, and family time. So instead of resisting it, he brought his children into it.
And then, every year, no matter how busy things became, the family traveled together.
Travel, for him, was never indulgence. It was education. Inspiration. Fuel.
Perhaps that is also why his brands continue to evolve. He understands that staying relevant means continuing to move, continuing to learn, and continuing to create.
Still, for all the growth and success, he remains grounded in old-school values: prudence, hard work, respect for elders, and earning one’s place. “I never spoiled my children,” he says. “You have to work for your money.”
What was especially moving was hearing him speak not about expansion, but about family.
To him, success is no longer measured by material things.
“When I was younger, I was hungry,” he says. “I wanted a car. A house. But today, success is legacy. It’s making sure the next generation becomes better than me.”
Read the full story on lifestyle.inquirer.net
