The Secret to Longevity in the food service industry with Stone Yu
Stone Yu is the CEO of Lucullus Bakery, a family-owned business currently operating 3 locations in the Greater Toronto Area. At 25 years old, he represents an exciting new generation of leadership in the food service industry.
The young entrepreneur has dedicated much of his life to the Lucullus brand. A child of Chinese immigrant parents, Stone grew up in Richmond Hill and spent most of his after-school hours studying the ins and out of the family bakery. He learned budgeting and inventory management from his parents, and recipe development and baking methods from the amazingly talented Hong Kong chefs his family employed. In 2016 at just 21 years old, Stone entered into Food Network Canada’s Doughnut challenge and won, proving his years of experience in the kitchen were paying off. At 22 he enrolled in a culinary program at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute where he spent 6 months honing his craft before returning to work for Lucullus.
Stone’s vision, creative spirit, and tenacious pursuit of excellence in all areas of the business have propelled the brand forward in a big way. Lucullus opened its first location in 1990, closely followed by the 2rd location in 1991 in Richmond Hill. Lucullus has recently been expanding, opening its 3rd location in downtown Markham in 2017 and has plans for two locations in 2021. The idea of franchising the business has always been on the table (not far from the pineapple buns). After years of planning, in October of 2020 the company bought 2.3 acres in Scarborough to build its head office and production facility. Lucullus will now offer franchise opportunities.
Stone attributes the bakery’s 30-year success to its high standards for quality ingredients, artistic detail, and traditional baking techniques. Lucullus offers simple, classic Asian food and drink items that feel nostalgic and gourmet at the same time, appealing to both older and younger generations in the communities they serve. The bakery team takes pride in every product they offer and are always looking for ways to improve their menu selection. New recipes are regularly rotated into the mix alongside classic favourites.
Stone is enthusiastic about the growth of the business but is keen to keep the quality of the product and essence of the brand intact. His goal in the next 5 years is to open 30 new locations, with each individual franchisee running their store like their own family business.
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