Savoring Success
(Resource: The Ledger, Aug 1st, 2004)

Walk through any mall's food court and you'll no doubt be offered bourbon chicken, bourbon chicken and more bourbon chicken.
Apron-clad workers hold their trays dotted with colorful toothpicks, eager to pass out the chunks of flavored meat. And shoppers love it.
That's why Robert Lee, a man who once headed up a food court empire in Lakeland Square, is launching his own line of bourbon chicken sauce.

Though the sauce -- a family recipe that consists of soy sauce, water and a special blend of spices -- won't be available in local grocery and specialty stores until the fall, Lee's excitement builds by the day.
 
THE MAN BEHIND THE SAUCE

When Shianshyan Lee was growing up in Taiwan, he never imagined that one day he'd own restaurants in the central region of a place called Florida. And he certainly couldn't have guessed that one day people would call him Robert. Lee, 41, served in Taiwan's army and as a secretary to the commander in chief before setting his sights west, where he knew his two daughters would have a good life. He came to Lakeland in 1992 and, liking the name Robert, chose that American-sounding moniker. Adjusting to American life after living in Taiwan wasn't easy. He struggled every day with the English language.

"I barely knew any English," Lee said, naming the language barrier as his biggest challenge in business. "I learned it myself day by day."

LEE'S FOOD EMPIRE

Lee began his culinary career by working in his parents' restaurant -- a Chinese Combo King franchise in Lakeland Square's food court. His parents had come to the United States in the 1980s after Lee's brother and sister enrolled in American schools. He managed Combo King from 1996 to 1998 before deciding to open a China Max franchise. Combo King closed in the process.

China Max has been successful for Lee and it still occupies one of the 11 spots in the mall's food court. Over the years his business interests have been as varied as world cuisine. He opened Twin Cactus Mexican restaurant in Lakeland Square but closed it in 2000 only to open Little Tokyo -- a Japanese eatery -- in its place, which he owned until selling in 2001. He also owned Buddy's Buns in the mall until it closed last year. The variety Lee brought to the food court hasn't gone unnoticed by mall officials.

"Lakeland Square benefits from having a variety of successful tenants and China Max is certainly a valued part of the food court mix," said April Thomas, senior marketing manager for Lakeland Square.

Lee also is behind 10 Chinese Cuisine locations at Publix stores across Florida and Tennessee, including one at Lakeland's Lake Miriam Publix, where customers can buy egg rolls, vegetable lo mein or spicy chicken, among other things.

Lee's latest venture -- the bottled bourbon chicken sauce, which he's developing along with partner Alan Hsiung -- is just the beginning of a future Lee said will be as diverse as the spices used in the concoction. Part of Lee's reasons for branching out and trying new things, he said, is that when you're selling food, you're heavily dependent on your employees -employees who sometimes call in sick, quit after high school graduation or come in late. His payroll consists of eight employees at China Max and about eight employees at each of his 10 Publix operations.

When he first started in American business, his employees, who'd grown up speaking English and knew the intricacies of American life and American preferences, were a great help. But time changes everything and now Lee craves more independence.

FLOWERS AND JUICE

Another venture for Lee is the marketing of exotic flowers. He's teamed up with Kerry Richards, company director at Kissimmee-based A World of Orchids. Lee markets orchids and anthurium plants, known for their broad leaves and colors that range from light pink to dark red. Anthuriums are particularly popular during the holiday season. Indoors, they thrive throughout the year.
The plants are grown in a greenhouse that covers several acres outside Polk City.
A World of Orchids grows and ships the plants but Lee receives a portion of the profits, Richards said.

"He has a tremendous amount of energy and optimism," Richards said.

Just when it seems like Lee's got way too much to do, he mentions that one day he might like to distribute a line of fruit juice. That's way in the future, Lee cautions, because his first priority right now is the sauce.

"I've got to focus," Lee said.

POUNDS OF CHICKEN

Customers at China Max and the Chinese Kitchen in Publix spend $4 to $5 for a plate of bourbon chicken. In a week's time, he goes through 300 to 400 pounds of meat.

"It's my No. 1 seller," Lee said. "We have customers all the time coming to China Max and asking for the recipe. All the time, customers want the recipe and want to make it themselves."

All the details are still being ironed out, but Lee said anyone who loves bourbon chicken will be able to buy a 16-ounce bottle of his sauce for between $2 and $3.

There are two versions. One is a marinade. Chicken should sit in the marinade sauce for at least 30 minutes -- though the longer, the better. The other is a sauce for grilling and dipping. The mixtures, Lee said, are totally different from one another.

Lee is careful not to disclose any financial information about his latest project. He does say it will be manufactured at a facility in New York, and he is working out the details to make the sauce available in Polk County at local stores. And, he said, it's an operation that he'll handle with very little help. He'll manage the marketing and distribution. The customers, he's confident, will be excited about the product and will load their carts with the bottles and the profits will roll in.

"This is a new business opportunity and nobody's doing anything like it," Lee said. "It's a new venture and I'm ready to leap into the market."