He opened a restaurant with a university friend; It has extended to a global scale

For some, clarity comes from moments of immobility. For Malcolm Wood, it is generally the opposite.

“A relaxed morning for me would include a climb at 1,000 meters in the mountains, a return speed on the field in front of my house and a telephone call before 9 am,” said Wood Insider.

Wood is best known for his work with Mott 32, a gastronomic Chinese brand recognized for its striking design and modern rotation on traditional dishes. The first location opened its doors in Hong Kong in 2014 and has since extended to cities like Las Vegas, Singapore and Vancouver – winning world buzz for food and decor.

These days, the British-Chinese entrepreneur shares his time between Hong Kong, where he co-founded maximum concepts, the restaurant group behind Mott 32, and France, where he benefits from extreme sports near his home in the French Alps.

Wood, 43, says that the adventure and extreme sports have taught him risk management.

“They demand an intense level of concentration, almost as entering into a state of flow, where distractions disappear, and precision takes over,” he said. In some respects, it is an active form of meditation. “I constantly push the limits while remaining fully present.”

East, west, east

Born in Taipei to a Taiwanese mother and an English father, Wood spent the early 80s in Hong Kong. Because his stepfather was in the air transport industry, the family has often moved to new countries. As he started university, he had lived in eight countries.

At 18, as a student in art history at the University of Bristol in England, Wood met Matt Reid. During their first year of school, the two launched Liquid Promotions, an event company.

Wood said he organized celebrations for a maximum of 5,000 people when they were at university. “The money was very good for a student and helped shape the way I addressed entrepreneurship,” he said.

They have been business partners since.

Reid compared Wood’s business sense to his passion for extreme sports. “You draw your plan, your teammates, your resources, your skills, then run this plan,” said Reid to BI.

The great extension

After obtaining a master’s degree in finance at the University of London, Wood moved to Hong Kong, where he and Reid began maximum concepts. After some unsuccessful attempts, the reception group opened the first Mott 32.

Now maximum concepts has a team of around 700 people.

Hong Kong’s culinary writer, Gloria Chung, told Bi that the restaurant has distinguished itself from the start, adding that a decade ago, there was nothing like it: “Mott 32 was one of the first modern Chinese restaurants that kissed a more westernized setting, offering a refreshing vision of cantonian cuisine.”

From the start, Mott 32 stood out to fill the gap between luxurious gastronomy, often associated with Western kitchens, and Dim Sum salons without frills that dominated the streets of Hong Kong.

Over the past 10 years, the Cantonese restaurant has extended nine locations and nine others should open its doors in the coming years, especially in London, Melbourne and Los Angeles.

These days, Mott 32 has become synonymous with high -end Chinese catering – an essential place where managers take customers to impress. The Fleury of Hong Kong is nestled in the basement of a historic banking building.

The restaurant has a spectacular interior – soft leather, bad mood lighting and a shanghai -industrial flair. Popular dishes include the roasted pek-wooden duck in apple wood and pork and black truffle dumplings, as well as bling-out cocktails.

In 2018, the first American restaurant opened in Las Vegas.

The prices of the Vegas room now vary from $ 13 for spring rolls to around $ 15 for four DIM SUM pieces. They can also go up to $ 268 for A5 Japanese Wagyu Miyazaki with black bean paste and $ 598 for a braised dried elm.

The maximum concepts have also opened the Aubrey – an izakaya with an oriental mandarin, Hong Kong. It was ranked 10th on the list of the 50 best bars in Asia 2024.

Last year, Sunset Hospitality Group, a lifestyle hotel company based in Dubai, acquired majority participation in Maximum Concepts.

Wood says it will help speed up business growth and infrastructure. “The idea is that we join the IPO of Sunset in a few years when we have a significant contribution to the offer.”

Antonio Gonzalez, CEO and president of the Sunset Hospitality Group group told Bi that the approach to the hospitality of maximum concepts corresponds well to the values ​​and the growth objectives of SHG. “This investment provides us with an additional operational and creative firepower,” he said in a statement.

Asian origins

Regarding high -end Asian global restoration empires, Mott 32 is in competitive business among people like Hakkasan, Zuma and Nobu.

But while Hakkasan and Zuma opened in London and Nobu started in New York, Wood is proud of the Asian origins of Mott 32.

“Mott 32 is one of the rare luxury Asian brands to come from Asia,” he said. “We are really proud that it comes from Hong Kong.”

The restaurant has helped give a different perspective on Chinese cuisine, said Chung, the food writer: “Many people often think that Chinese food does not deserve to be assessed at a high price, but Mott 32 played a central role in the change of this perception.”

Wood has chosen to base its F&B activities in Hong Kong largely due to opportunities. “It’s really an entrepreneurial city with influences from around the world,” he said. “The city works just – super efficient, based on British law, and some of the world’s best world taxes for companies.”

Its roots also play an important role. “My mother still lives there, so it has always been at home,” he said.

Challenges along the way

After 25 years of activity, Wood says he has no regrets. “When you are younger, you trust everyone until they burn you. Then you start to learn,” he said.

During COVID-19 and Hong Kong demonstrations, he had to close and sell several sites. “I would not be the business person I am today without these lessons.”

His advice to his young me?

“Have a thick skin. Do not worry about what others think. The right partnership adds value; the bad leads to you – choose judiciously.”

The power to plan in advance

Balance several companies while prioritizing the family – he and his wife, Sandra, have three children, now 21, 10 and 5 years old – has taught Wood the power to plan in advance.

“I say to my managers: spend 20% of your week to organize the rest. Otherwise, that 80% turn into 200%.”

Wood does not stick to working hours but plans its week every Sunday at 5 am “If you want to take time for your family, you can. It is about optimizing your schedule,” he said.

Each year, he is about to learn something, to obtain the certification of his mastery of yacht in the Mediterranean to win a private pilot license in Spain and France.

This year, he focuses on learning French. He also plans to undergo specialized training so that he is qualified to win an airplane in the Alps.

“If you let life escape and keep a list of tasks for retirement, this is the bad approach entirely,” he said. “Your life should allow you to do the things you love.”