Diamond award winner - Gingko House
Gingko House is a restaurant established in 2003 with a corporate mission to "Support senior employment. Enjoy life enrichment". It hires a number of elders to manage the restaurant. The restaurant is located in a two-storey building in Central with a seating capacity of 44. The following highlights its commitment to corporate responsibility.
Commitment to Environmental Protection
Beside typical waste reduction practices such as recycling of cardboard boxes and using double-sided printing, Gingko House uses natural cleansing detergents to reduce chemical wastewater, returns packing materials to its suppliers and encourages them to use recyclable containers. It also uses organic ingredients to promote green living and environmental protection for customers.
Excellence in Employee Management
Gingko House puts strong emphasis on occupational health and safety (OHS). Sufficient OHS equipment, including anti-skid shoes and a blood pressure measuring machine, are provided. It also appoints a member of staff to be an OHS Ambassador to promote OHS knowledge amongst colleagues. Shorter working hours or shifts are arranged to cater for employees' special needs. "Considering the physical limits of senior employees, we hire younger staff to take care of food transfer between floors," Joyce Mak added.
Achievements in Community Development
Through partnering with various non-governmental organisations, Gingko House is actively involved in various community services such as offering free meals and table-manner training courses to low-income children and elders. “Through these voluntary services, the disadvantaged groups can experience and learn about the culture of western food,” Mak added. The company also provides working opportunities for previously mentally ill people.
Overall Management Quality and Effectiveness
To strive for continuous improvement in the quality of its food and service, Gingko House uses questionnaires to collect customers' feedback to identify areas for improvement. It invites counterparts, schools and voluntary groups to visit the restaurant as a way to share their experience in business operations and increase transparency. "We are planning to publish a financial, environmental and social report in the fourth quarter of 2007 to communicate our performance in these areas to stakeholders." Mak said.
Benefits from These Initiatives
"Being able to fulfil our corporate responsibility has brought Gingko House a good reputation. Every staff member works hard towards a common goal. This does not only enhance our business; at the same time it allows us to give back to the community," said Joyce Mak, Chief Execuitve of Gingko House.