Sunlong Fresh Foods boss Mark Sun has ‘big dreams’ of building Hello Spice empire with ‘loose change meals’

Those who know Sunlong Fresh Foods director and chairman Sun Weimin say you’re just as likely to find the Shanghai-born multi-millionaire, better known as Mark Sun, driving a forklift at his Canning Vale warehouse as behind the wheel of his Rolls-Royce or Bentley. Since coming to WA to study at Curtin with “nothing” in 1989, the 68-year-old wholesaler and catering company owner has built an empire delivering pre-prepared meals to WA hospitals and mining camps. In fact, during his student days, Mr Sun was so broke he mistakenly bought two kilos of meat offcuts earmarked for dogs for a dollar at a local butcher. He later got his start in the hospitality business preparing fresh ingredients for the Windsor Hotel in South Perth — a home business that grew and grew into Sunlong. Mr Sun plans to bring bargain Asian cuisine to Perth diners via Hello Spice, fast “delicious loose-change meals” using quality ingredients. The greengrocer on steroids — who is also director of Sunlong Constructions and owns Han Palace in East Perth and Red Chilli Sichuan Restaurant in Northbridge — opened the first Hello Spice outlet at his Market City in Canning Vale in early May. For less than $10, customers can get steamed chicken and rice with dumplings or a big bowl of noodles with braised pork and vegetables. A small lunchtime bowl of spicy Sichuan noodles is under $6. Mr Sun keeps prices low with a combination of technology — a machine makes fresh noodles, which a Chinese-built boiler then cooks and serves — and the buying power and supply chains of Sunlong. He said a bowl of plain noodles costs about 40 cents to make. Hello Spice is not about making a profit but focused on providing cheap, good-quality meals to Perth customers during the cost-of-living crisis, Mr Sun said. “I want to give back and support Australians,” he said, adding that his adopted home is the “No.1 country in the world”. Mr Sun also envisages the Canning Vale diner, which cost a relatively modest $200,000 to set up, as the first of a chain of takeaway outlets. “I have big dreams,” he revealed. “In every suburb, I want there to be a McDonald’s, a KFC and a Hello Spice.” The smaller Hello Spice franchises would cost about $100,000 each to build and use automation to keep staffing low while speeding up cooking times. He also has plans to roll out vending machines selling fresh bowls of noodles to feed hungry people in mining camps, hospitals and universities around the clock. The first Hello Spice is already covering costs, according to consulting chef Vincent Lim, who said the outlet recently sold 700kg of pork-and-chive dumplings in a week. The former executive chef at Burswood Casino, Hyatt Regency Perth and Royal Perth Yacht Club added that Sunlong buys everything “by the palette”. Mr Lim developed dishes at a commercial test kitchen at Sunlong’s Canning Vale state-of-the-art warehouse. Professional chefs with experience at Crown Perth and Qantas also work on the recipes for Hello Spice. Mr Sun insists on using top-quality ingredients, relying on economies of scale to make the meals affordable, according to Mr Lim. He added that Hello Spice would also challenge perceptions that Chinese kitchens cut corners or use inferior ingredients. The West Australian test-drove a few dishes at the Canning Vale store and can attest that they are excellent value — and very tasty. The Shanghai chicken rice has succulent chook with moreish rice and delicious, if small, dumplings, while the pork noodles were a substantial feed for $9.98. And it’s no surprise that the pork and chive dumplings are so popular, costing less than $10 for a tasty dozen.