In 1994, Montana native Bob Boyce arrived in Beijing to study
Chinese. He knew China would hold great opportunities but he
occasionally craved a good salad, a great burger and a proper drink.
In 1999, after several years of studying Chinese and working, Bob set out to fill the western food void by offering classic western foods at reasonable prices. His secret ingredient was training staff to provide superb service - a rare experience in China at the time.
That first blue frog bar & grill — one of the early
establishments to open on what would become the legendary Maoming Road
bar street — is still thriving in its original location. Today, there
are seven blue frogs in Shanghai, and two in Beijing.
Bob was also a pioneer in the innovative Xintiandi complex, which is
now a permanent fixture in Shanghai’s cosmopolitan entertainment scene.
His creation, KABB BISTRO BAR, one of the first establishments to open
in Xintiandi in 2001, soon became a landmark for lovers of sophisticated
comfort foods and a wide range of cocktails and other drinks.
Bob is one of a handful of Western business pioneers in China. Bloomberg News described him as “an old hand in the new China”. He has experienced first-hand the dynamic change that has taken place over the last decade. Bob is an active member of the China community and is on the executive committee of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and the former president of the Young Entrepreneurs Organization in Shanghai. Boyce is a firm believer in a “family style” approach to management and is committed to the growth and development of the people in his business.
After studying in Beijing in the early 1990’s, Coralie joined PriceWaterhouseCoopers as a management consultant in the Beijing office. During her tenure in China, Coralie worked on a wide-range of management consulting engagements for both fortune 500 companies and Chinese state owned enterprises. This experience gave her unique insights into the local market and the operational challenges faced by new entrants.
Following this, Coralie transferred to PwC's New York office where she worked on strategic projects with large multinational companies in the United States, Europe and South America. This then led her to a job on Wall Street where she spent six years with Goldman Sachs working in Securities Division and Internal Compliance groups.
However, Coralie never lost her interest in and connection to China. She retuned briefly in 2004 to be the second foreign student to attend the renowned Sichuan Culinary Institute in Chengdu. And this year, she retuned to Shanghai to take up the COO position at blue horizon hospitality group. She brings to blue horizon over 15 years of in-depth operational, management and leadership experience.
As one of a handful of pioneers who started out with CEO Bob Boyce,
native Shanghainese Chef Ling is as adept behind the stove as he is at
the strategy and management needed to keep multiple businesses consistently
delivering fresh, high-quality, Western food.
A lifelong passion for food led Chef Ling to his first professional
kitchen position with the Shangri-La Hotel Group and later with the
Jinjiang Group, where he became one of the youngest chefs to be
appointed executive chef. It was at the Jinjiang that he first began
training chefs in Western cooking.
Chef Ling has perfected the grill, bistro, and classic Western fare
featured in blue frog and KABB and is known for his gracious and
lighthearted manner when orchestrating the production of the company's
diverse and extensive menus. He is also known for his commitment to
employees, their development, and his constant endeavor to expand the
capabilities of the blue horizon hospitality group and its reputation
as a great place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Under Chef Ling’s direction, blue frog has won numerous food & drink awards, notably in the burger, comfort food, and Western food categories. Most recently, blue frog won the “Outstanding Burger” award at the Beijinger Food & Drink Awards.