Terry Ho's 9 Restaurants & Counting
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
As the owner of nine area restaurants including House of China Restaurant II in Albany, Terry Ho is carrying on a family tradition. His grandfather, once a chef for Chiang Kai-shek, a military and political leader of 20th century China, had a large, thriving restaurant business in Shanghai, China.
“When communists took over China in the 1940s, my grandfather fled to Taiwan and created another restaurant empire there,” Ho said. “Then in the 1960s with the end of the Vietnam War, my family moved to the United States.”
According to Ho, every one of his family members is in the restaurant business, some in southern California, and others in Houston. Ho’s family set up his business in southwestern Georgia 37 years ago. They own nine restaurants in Albany, Columbus, Valdosta, Leesburg and Tallahassee, Fla. House of China Restaurant II in Albany is the oldest. It has been owned and operated by Ho’s family for all 37 years.
Fine-tuning the business
This year, business has been tough for Ho’s fine-dining restaurants as people try to cut back spending in the economic downturn. As a result, Ho has taken steps to fine-tune that business, adding a “create your own stir-fry” option to the menu that costs 50 percent less than other entrees.
“This has generated about 25 percent more traffic than we had previously and we’ve seen about a 10 to 12 percent increase in revenues,” Ho explained.
Ho’s other restaurants, which offer fast and casual dining, have performed well in the recession. Ho believes that people are looking for value, which is what these restaurants provide.
A downturn that may last for a while
The restaurant business is a pretty good business during an economic downturn, according to Ho, especially compared to some others like construction. While trying to stay positive, Ho believes the slow economy may last for some time.
“I see about 80 percent of the people I know in the construction business out of work and it’s really not of their doing,” Ho said. “It’s due to irresponsibility on Wall Street and I think the effects will last for a while.”
In the past year, Ho has seen fees and taxes increase for his business as local and state governments try to raise revenues. He would like to see government at all levels loosen up regulations to help small businesses.
“We need common sense government not more regulation,” Ho continued.
Aiming high
Ho has big ambitions for his restaurant business and he doesn’t have far to look for a role model. When his grandfather left Taiwan for America forty or so years ago, many of the staff in his restaurant business came with him. One of them opened a Chinese restaurant in southern California called Panda Inn. Eventually that restaurant grew into a much larger business known now as Panda Express.
“I want to duplicate that success one day,” Ho explained.
Terry Ho’s restaurants include:
House of China Restaurant II, 2526 Dawson Rd., Albany, GA (229) 883-7156;
China Café, 2601 Dawson Rd., Albany, GA (229) 888-8258;
Sunset Grill, 2601 Dawson Rd. D-1, Albany, GA (229) 878-6738;
Mongo, 7830 E. Veterans Pkwy, Columbus, GA (706) 221-1288;
Hibachi Express, 6160 Bradley Park Dr., Columbus, GA (706) 571-8887;
Hibachi Express, 1701 N. Ashley St., Valdosta, GA (229) 244-8880;
Mongo, 2905 N. Ashley St., Valdosta, GA (229) 242-4848;
Hibachi Express, 1588 U.S. Hwy. 19 South, Leesburg, GA (229) 434-1001;
Samurai Express, 3111 Mahan Dr., Tallahassee, FL (850) 877-2904
