Same Direction, Different Vehicle

The recent acquisition of the wok people by an international conglomerate puts it firmly on track for sustained growth and further expansion into new markets

- Marc Almargo

Mr. Alfred Chua showed up at Bodacious, a bar and bistro that he launched with a childhood friend, at half-past two in the afternoon. The lunch crowd had thinned by then and the staff were clearing tables and putting the house in order. My team, meanwhile, had sequestered a corner inside the establishment, and had begun setting up the photo equipment and hanging out the apparel they had assembled for the pictorial. I had not until then met Mr. Chua, 44, managing director of The Wok People Pte Ltd, a business that he founded with and runs with his sister Ms. June Chua, who is the CEO. He thrust his hand out as he strode in our direction, smiling broadly as if he had spotted a bunch of people that he knew but hadn’t seen in a while.

He is tall and has an easy-going air about him, the type of a man that is often described as “a people person” — warm, open, forthright. He was ready to take instructions, he told us casually, after asking if we had had anything to eat or drink.

Bodacious is a standalone branded establishment in Biopolis, a wooded precinct in the western part of Singapore where international biomedical organizations are massed. Although not a part of The Wok People portfolio, Bodacious is an interesting clue to Mr. Chua’s personality. It is cheery and convivial, flexible in its offerings of bistro food and bar concoctions, and appropriately designed. “We built this as a place for entertaining friends,” he said. It comprises outdoor and indoor dining areas, a well-stocked bar, and even an entertainment section where bands can play. This is not the first of this type of establishment that Mr. Chua has set up. He has run one in a shophouse in the West Coast but chose to lease it out after a few years’ run.