Talking To: NAPA Wine Bar & Kitchen’s Philippe Huser

“Growing up, I thought that everyone in the world had a vineyard. Except us - I felt like I was missing out and I repeatedly asked my parents where our vineyard was, I couldn’t understand why we didn’t have one,” says Philippe Huser, the owner of NAPA Wine Bar & Kitchen.  Born on the French side of Switzerland, wine has been a big part of Huser’s life from an early age.

However, when it came time to choose a career, Huser was sure that design was his calling. He crossed the Atlantic, looking for opportunities in the United States, only to discover that the design industry wasn’t for him – a youthful fancy that didn’t turn out, but the decision didn’t leave Huser disappointed. He knew there were more opportunities to be tried, so he returned to Switzerland and enrolled in a hospitality management university not far from his hometown.

“I thought the life of working in a hotel was glamorous and comfortable,” he says. “I went in thinking it would be easy, but in reality it is quite hard work.”

Talking with Huser in his rustic and cosy NAPA Wine Bar & Kitchen, there is an air of relaxation. It is clear that the hospitality industry is well-suited to his personality. He talks with a cool confidence and humility, talking up his global experiences and then attributing his success to luck.

“After I finished school, I got an internship in Hawaii. And funny enough, this is the reason I fell in love with Asia,” he says. “In Hawaii I saw many Japanese tourists come and visit. Coming from Switzerland, I loved the beach, but seeing so many people running and hiding from the sun made me very curious.”

After that, he couldn’t shake his curiosity of what lay on the other side of the Pacific. When his internship ended he hopped on the first flight to Thailand and hasn’t left Asia since.

“Asia is a continent full of cultures that are all unique in many ways. Of course there is no place like home but Asia has become my second home,” Huser says. “I have been given so many opportunities that I would not have in Switzerland, and for that I am grateful.”

When Huser moved to Shanghai in 2004, he came with Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Responsible for opening eight coffee shops around town, he took care of the operations. With two years of China experience under his belt, Huser decided it was the right time to launch NAPA.

“To be successful in Shanghai you have to have common sense. People will see right through you if you don’t know what you are marketing. You have to have the passion for what you are selling – for me that was wine,” he says. “I see so many wine bars popping up now, and it is hard to take many of them seriously because they don’t have the passion for what they are doing and it feels that over time they lose direction and interest.”

While Huser’s passion is an important part of NAPA’s success, the restaurant’s location doesn’t hurt either. Located in the shadow of the JW Marriott, the villa housing NAPA was built in 1906 by a German merchant and has seen many owners over the years.

“It’s amazing when I have customers come in and say, ‘Oh I used to sleep over there’ or ‘I remember when it was this way’. That is how I learned that at one point it was a kindergarten and a small clinic,” he says. Before NAPA became the wine bar and restaurant it is today, the residence was bought by an artist couple that restored it to its original decoration from the century before.  “There are few houses or places left like this in Shanghai. Obviously it is a beautiful location but what sold me was the wine cellar,” Huser says.

Celebrating NAPA’s success, last year Huser opened his second restaurant, the Swiss-style fondue restaurant Chalet Suisse. Hoping to capitalise on this success, Huser will continue his F&B dreams with the chain restaurant Crepes & Co, which is slated to open next year in the Shanghai Center. “It will be casual prices with a very Asian friendly menu. There will be a mix of Mediterranean food as well as Moroccan,” he says. “It’s going to be great. I think Shanghai will really take to it.”

When asked about what advice he would give to Shanghai’s next generation of entrepreneurs, he said “besides being savvy and knowing your market, you should have luck on your side – and a bit of feng shui.”

Chalet Suisse. 1582 Kangding Lu, near Wanhangdu Lu. Tel: 3353 3887. Web: www.chaletsuisse-shanghai.com

NAPA Wine Bar & Kitchen. 57 Jiangyin Lu, near Huangpi Bei Lu. Tel: 6318 0057. Web: www.napawinebarandkitchen.com