This post was updated with additional information on September 30, 2016.
The Shanghai F&B world was rocked last week after an abrupt management change and Hamlet-esque accusations of familial betrayal plagued popular Montreal-style deli Tock's.
News of the internal turmoil first leaked when Brian Tock posted a message to his WeChat Moments last Monday announcing his and partner Mira's immediate departure from the business. At around the same time, the official Tock's Instagram account was updated to include their crossed-out logo and a bio declaring "Uncle Richard Tock betrayed and ousted his own nephew... in hopes of taking over the business."
The announcement of the departures was made in a post to the account on Monday, September 20.
The recently updated Tock's Instagram account has a new bio and profile picture. The latest post announced the departure.
Full text below:
"After 3+ years of love & everyday commitment to details, our operating partners Brian & Mira have faced irreparable concerns regarding shareholder/partner [Uncle] Richard Tock, and his intentions to take over the business. Currently, Tock's is open but with no operating team to oversee hygiene, food quality, service, staff... Brian & Mira were suddenly banned from the premises, staff were blackmailed and paid off with 'lucky money', and locks were changed... THANK YOU to everyone who has supported us. Stay tuned for upcoming F&B projects by duo Brian & Mira!"
The official Tock's website is down, though its WeChat account still appears to be in operation. Meanwhile, a war seems to be breaking out on the restaurant's official Facebook page, where the cover photo was updated on Saturday, September 24 to include the following quote: "The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies."
An update from that same day also alleges a "hostile takeover" of the shop:
"Richard Tock... in collaboration with other family partners, staged a ridiculously unnecessary 'hostile takeover' of the shop. When these wise old businessmen thought Brian & Mira were out of town, they decided to send in a Taiwanese crony (also a minor shareholder) to change the locks, threaten and pay off the staff with bribes and effectively 'terminate' the existing operating partnership via email."
Tock's Facebook page updated after departure of operating partner.
We reached out to Brian for further comment after the initial announcement was made on Instagram. He had this to say:
"Frankly speaking at this point we're not interested in a big soap opera or a he-said she-said type of thing, we care mostly about our customers and our staff who've become our friends over the years. And so for us it's just really important that everybody knows that we've left, that we are no longer going to be working with or involved in Tock's in any capacity.
Moving forward we have a few projects that we're working on, nothing is finite or concrete. I think a good break for both myself and Mira is in order. And we do promise to everyone we've spoken to in the media who have been super kind is that we will let some people know once we have some finalized thoughts and plans on how we're moving forward.
And finally just to point out the most important thing is just to confirm to everybody that the food, the service, the overall quality, the love and care and attention that Mira and I have put into the place, the food [and] the staff for the last three and a half years is no longer gonna be the same. So that is what we wanted to tell everybody—spread the message and also speak the truth and let everybody know that moving forward they can choose on their own whether or not to support Tock's without us being there."
Tock's debuted in Shanghai in early 2013 and was "overflowing with homesick North Americans" as we noted in our review of the Henan Zhong Lu location shortly after it opened. The deli quickly earned praise and fanfare for its real Montreal smoked meat, monster sandwiches and poutine. It was named Best New Restaurant at That's Shanghai's Food & Drink awards in 2013.
Though the restaurant's expansion into a second branch at Shanghai Centre was unsuccessful, the Henan Lu location continued to be popular among foodies. So popular, in fact, that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stopped by during his visit to China just four weeks ago.
Justin Trudeau visits Tock's
We also spoke with Richard Tock's people, and they have a rather different version of events:
"Tock’s was Richard’s brainchild going back 30 years, and he is a major shareholder. Richard doesn’t need to take over the business – he already owns it!
"Brian was an employee of the organization (not the owner) and he resigned on September 8. He ousted himself - and then proved unwilling to help with the transition. Because this unwillingness to help with the transition was proving harmful to the future of the company, he was terminated by 95% of the shareholders a couple of weeks before his resignation took effect."
As for Brian Tock's claim that "Tock's is open but with no operating team to oversee hygiene, food quality, service, staff.” Richard Tock assures us that a "team of experienced F&B professionals who launched Tock’s has returned to oversee hygiene, food quality, service and staff."
A 2014 profile in the Montreal Gazette described Richard Tock as the "emperor of smoked meat in China" and identified him as proprietor of the delicatessen. According to that interview, Richard hired a family friend to train his nephew in perfecting smoked meat recipes before bringing them to Shanghai.
He also passed along an official press release addressing the management transition that was issued on Wednesday, September 22:
"Tock’s Montreal Deli would like to announce the departure of Brian Tock from the company.
Earlier this month, Tock’s partners accepted Brian’s resignation. During the transition process, however, it became apparent that it was in the best interests of the company to terminate our professional relationship early. This was done on September 18, 2016.
Brian was instrumental in building Tock’s into an award-winning restaurant and a much-loved Shanghai eatery. His personality, dedication, and passion for the restaurant made all the difference in getting us noticed in this competitive restaurant city.
Tock’s strong, well-trained kitchen and staff will continue to produce the delicious, high-quality deli meals that drew praise from Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau when he visited the restaurant this month. In addition to our excellent staff, our team includes experienced F&B professionals who have been with us since the start of our journey, and together, we will ensure a flawless transition.
We’re grateful for your support since the day we opened our doors, and are looking forward to bringing you many more years of Tock’s great Montreal Deli eats!"
The abrupt departure has made waves in the city's F&B community, with some loyal customers taking to social media to say that they'd be boycotting the restaurant.
The three most recent reviews on the restaurant's BonApp page address the management change.
More updates on this story as we receive them.
[Images via @tocksdeli]
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