COVID-19 Huffed and Puffed, but Couldn't Blow 3 Little Pigs Down

There's no doubt that COVID-19 wrought particular havoc on Beijing's F&B scene, but given the resiliency of our fair city's restaurateurs, many were able to weather that storm. For some, it meant innovating operations and turning to delivery, while for others it was a simple case of having enough cash on hand to go dark for a few months. And yet, for 3 Little Pigs' owner Andy Horowitz it was a combination of both, with a loyal and reliable staff to boot.

To complicate things, however, Horowitz has been stuck in Malaysia since early February, but that hasn't stopped him and his team from doing what they do best: providing Beijingers with top-notch American grub. We spoke with Horowitz about operating the business from overseas, silver linings gleaned from COVID-19, and of course, what makes for the perfect burger.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and 3 Little Pigs?
I have been in the food business in Beijing for almost ten years. I started the sausage business as a hobby/fundraiser. My friends call it "a rent party gone wrong." It actually went along in a slow, steady progression over the years. Starting with a few flavors of sausages that I delivered by bicycle, then the short-lived Hambulance, and finally the Hamborghini.  

I opened a 2sqm window for breakfast sandwiches in the former digs of Tavalin Bagels, across from the now-defunct Yashow Market. That got bricked up. We also shared space with XL Bar for a while. I was working out of a fifth-floor walkup in Sanlitun for more than a year before I got a dedicated central kitchen established. Result: bigger belly, smaller calf muscles.

How do you balance 3 Little Pigs and Andy’s Sausages?
Over the past two years, 3 Little Pigs has outshined Andy’s Craft Sausages in a lot of ways. The restaurant took a lot more of my attention than I expected and took a back seat in some ways. The relationship between the concepts is very symbiotic. The events became a good way to promote the restaurant, the production from that kitchen is the proverbial crankshaft of the engine of my businesses. I wish I could say Andy’s Craft Sausages sounds like a place I want to go have dinner and a few drinks, it needed its own identity. 3 Little Pigs got its footing over the last year and was having "the best month ever" six consecutive months before ”the plane crashed into the mountain.”

What are the essentials for a perfect burger?
We start with steak-quality Black Angus beef from the US. So we get a head start with that!

Next, and just as important, is respecting the animal it came from by doing everything we can to make it delicious. Careful storage, thoughtful grinding, precise cooking, and simple seasoning. It comes back to the beef every time for me. This has always been our philosophy for the sausages, bacon, and corned beef. It makes a difference and our customers regularly remind us about it.

How has your business been affected by the current situation?
We had to close for ten weeks, then do quite a few inspections and office visits to get permission to restart. The neighborhood was off-limits to visitors until three weeks ago. Staff were also having trouble returning for quite some time as well. Business is back up to about 30 percent of the December sales the past week, which is better than the five percent we did the first week we reopened.  

Fewer groups can sit down, so that is limiting. However, as it always seemed to be with 3LP, things grow slow and steady. 

Do you believe the current situation will permanently change the face of business in Beijing?
There are definitely going to be some changes, at least in the next year or so in terms of how you access risk. I can’t speak to how many vendors didn’t get paid by restaurants, I can imagine access to credit terms could be affected until the world shakes off the concern that things could suddenly close up again. Thankfully, we largely operated cash on demand because after spending much of my adult life just north of broke-as-hell, I became allergic to having too much debt. From the sausage side, we still haven’t been paid for wholesale deliveries made in December. Insult, meet injury… injury, this is insult.

I am endlessly optimistic about the future and we are trying to adapt to the situation. We will adapt to what reality requires of us.  We need to rely more on the frozen sausage and bacon sales and began offering our corned beef, pulled pork, pickles, and sauerkraut for home delivery now as well. 

When did you leave Beijing? How have you coped with the situation?
I left Beijing on Feb 5, thinking staff would be returning to Beijing within days. I saw a chance to have a little long-awaited holiday thinking staff were going to be back, the year would start off slowly, and I would barely be missed. I was on a flight to Bali by way of Kuala Lumpur, on the day Indonesia started to restrict the entry of people who had been in China. I got left in Kuala Lumpur and my return flight was ultimately canceled as were several others I bought.

How do you run the restaurant remotely from Malaysia?
I have a very good team in Beijing. They know what to do. Some things are obviously different. I get a lot of home delivery orders directly to my WeChat. We are working on a platform so people can order and pay directly. I still deal with meat purchasing and other particular things. We have been pretty successful and getting the job done. 

Have there been any unexpected “upsides” to this whole situation?
People had to step up and handle more on the Beijing side. I had to learn to communicate more effectively. 

I took the chance to improve my diet and exercise.

What's one thing that you've done that has saved you a lot of hassle/time/insanity?
Learning to type orders in Chinese characters so I didn't have to follow every message to the central kitchen with a confusing phone call. I had been lazy about learning to type the menu in Chinese characters, so that’s been a good benefit.  

What advice would you give to other business owners in Beijing at this time?
We are smaller and our issues are different. Not less, just different. Being optimistic and making sure your team feels the confidence makes a difference. Remember what your key people contributed to your business during the good times, when you think about how to compensate them when things are lean (assuming there is sufficient funds). I know how this business can be, and I just hope other small business owners keep a positive outlook. 

Get creative and try to get the engine at least idling, and thank your customers for being there.

I lost more than I had saved in any single year before this happened. I don’t know what we would have done if we had not been able to open again after those ten weeks. In short, “chin up!”   

What is the first thing you’d like to do after you’re back in Beijing?
Have a drink with my team at 3 Little Pigs! I could definitely use a visit to Bistrot B for L'apéro. 

READ: Breathing Life Back Into Beijing’s Restaurant Industry

Images courtesy of 3 Little Pigs