Tin Ly, Co-founder and Head of Product, Rolld
On creativity, focus, and moving forward.
QSR Media: What makes you excited about your position?
Tin Ly: Being in a food retail business, it is important that we are continuously looking at ways to be innovative with our menu offering. With the current food trend in Australia very much focussed on health and nutrition, it is very exciting that our brand has an opportunity to have a major presence in this space. Being in a role where I am able to experiment with new recipes and trial various pieces of commercial cooking equipment, makes the role extremely fun. The most satisfying part by far would be seeing an idea turn into a product that our customers love and in that, helps in generating sales growth for our store managers and franchisees.
QSR Media: What are your key business philosophies?
Tin Ly: I believe that you can’t make excuses for why you can’t succeed. There will no doubt always be external road blocks that limit your ability to do things the way that you’d like, but what I learnt from a young age is that in these situations you can either complain that things aren’t the way you need them to be, or adapt to the way things are, and move forward. I believe that the energy we use blaming external factors, usually of which are out of our control, can be better put to use being creative, innovative or focussed on things that we can control.
QSR Media: What three goals are you focused on?
Tin Ly:
- Adding variety to our menu to cater for a broader client base. More and more people have specific dietary requirements in today’s society and we endeavour to evolve with the demands.
- To continue streamlining our food processes so that our customers can enjoy more consistent food experiences from store to store, and for our franchisees, more consistency in their operations.
- To assist in developing the young and upcoming leaders of our front line operations. As we expand, it is essential that we have the experience and leadership required in our support team to ensure all our new stores open successfully.
QSR Media: What long-term changes are you planning on?
Tin Ly: We are working towards building stronger partnerships in our supply chain. As a startup three years ago, we used quite a lot of generic products and brands in our business however, as we grow, we are continuously looking to make new connections that will help us develop products, whether food or equipment, that are tailored specific to Rolld’s requirements.
QSR Media: What previous positions have prepared you for this one and how?
Tin Ly: My parents owned and operated their own small food business for around ten years, which helped me to understand what was required to be successful in food business. Growing up in this environment, I developed a love for the industry and found myself leaving university to pursue a career in hospitality. Working in many different businesses, with roles varying from barista, to restaurant manager, to chef, to maitre d, I learnt from many different managers and mentors about the successes and failures of each business, which I have taken with me into Rolld. I also spent a short period in a corporate sales role which has helped me with the documenting and project management aspect of my role.
