Shawn Xiong and Danielle Liu grew up in Hunan, China. Both went to college there, where Shawn received his education in English and Danielle received her degree in physical education. Shawn then came to the United States in 1986 to get his PhD in linguistics at the University of Delaware. After the two got married in 1991, Shawn brought Danielle back to the U.S., where she started working at a restaurant in Wilmington as he worked toward his doctorate. The owners of the restaurant were looking for investors, and Shawn and Danielle became partners, and they operated the restaurant for 10 years until they sold it and moved to Rehoboth Beach in 2004.
As Shawn said, “We naively thought we would have an easier life in southern Delaware in the restaurant business.” While both believed they would have to work hard, which has always been their work ethic, they didn’t understand how challenging it would be to operate a business in a seasonal community. But they were willing to take the risk, and more than 20 years later, Confucius has become a fixture in the Rehoboth Beach restaurant community.
If you are not a Chinese food aficionado, Hunan is the region in China where spicy food is most popular, and it is very much an influence on the menu at Confucius. However, Shawn and Danielle recognize that not everyone likes spicy food, and they are happy to dial down or take away all the heat at a customer’s request. As someone once told them, you only have one opportunity to get a satisfied customer on their first visit, and that is the goal the two of them have always focused on.
As with many businesses, COVID had a significant and long-lasting impact on their business. People began to order takeout to continue to get their Chinese food fix during COVID, and that trend has only increased over time. In fact, there is now more takeout business each day than in-house customers. When combined with the in-house orders, the workload on a very small kitchen with only two woks is challenging. However, Shawn and Danielle always figure out a way to make it work.
“We care about every customer who chooses to eat our food. If I make a mistake in an order, I feel bad about that for several days,” said Shawn. While he knows it’s not possible to be perfect, he aims for that every day. “People give you their money and trust that you are going to be meet their needs, so I want to do the very best job for each of our customers.” Danielle added, “We make friends in our restaurant one table at a time.”
In a competitive and challenging restaurant community, Shawn believes their focus on quality has made a big difference for him and Danielle on their journey as the owners of Confucius. They refuse to cut corners on the food they buy and always maintain the highest quality. Adhering to that standard often means driving to Philadelphia and Wilmington on Shawn’s days off to buy the best products. While that leaves him with little free time, he doesn’t look at the extra hours as a chore; he believes that is what it takes to operate a great restaurant. Both Shawn and Danielle know that not everyone thinks of eating Chinese food, but they want every diner to have a memorable experience so they will want to come back.
Another key to their success, said Danielle, is their employees. There is very little turnover among the staff who work there. Staying open year-round offers stability to their crew, although many of their servers also work other jobs during the day to be able to keep up with the cost of living in this area. Shawn also works his magic in the kitchen for each of his employees and cooks meals for them at no charge. He said, “We operate like a family business, because our employees are like family to us,”
Asked what he would say if he could go back in time and share with his 18-year-old self the lessons he has learned in the restaurant business, Shawn was quick to answer. “Don’t go into the restaurant business,” he said with a laugh. Because the reality is, if you operate a restaurant like Sean and Danielle do, there is not much free time for yourselves and your family. After a particularly challenging day, Sean remembers sharing his frustrations with another restaurateur in the area. Rather than sympathize with him, the fellow owner reminded him, “That’s why we are called the service industry.” And at the end of the day, focusing on service is what Sean believes has helped Confucius weather the many challenges he and Danielle have faced. Just ask their satisfied customers.
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This column provides an opportunity for readers to connect with the personal side of business leaders in area communities. Many of our local business owners and CEOs are thought leaders in their community, and they can provide valuable insights and ideas on issues of common interest to all of us. Successful businesses are essential for a healthy and growing society, especially as people continue to move to this area looking for employment opportunities. This column will highlight leaders who are not only successful, but also making a difference in our communities.
Jeffrey Fried was an executive in the healthcare industry for over 40 years, including serving as the president/CEO of Beebe Healthcare for 24 years. After leaving Beebe Healthcare, Jeff started his own consulting and executive coaching business and has coached other executive in a wide variety of industries. In addition, Jeff has partnered with a company called Vistage, the oldest executive development and coaching company in the country. He serves as a Vistage chair on the Delmarva Peninsula, where he supports a local group of business owners and CEOs. Jeff and his wife Sherry reside outside Lewes and have three children, six grandchildren and two rescue dogs.
