Although there is no statutory retirement age in Macau, many companies look to staff to retire between the ages of 60 and 65. When people reach their 60s, some will choose to retreat from frontline work, but others want to continue to contribute to society. The “Delightful Kitchen” established by Caritas Macau provides re-employment opportunities for those over 60 years old.
In December 2021, Caritas Macau established Delightful Kitchen as a social enterprise business model. The restaurant has 11 employees, 10 of whom are over 60 years old. These staff are directly involved in the preparation of ingredients, cooking and serving.
The Delightful Kitchen restaurant manager said the restaurant took more than six months to renovate and open. “Currently, half the restaurant’s employees are working full-time and half part-time. Only the head chef at the restaurant is younger than 60 years old, with the oldest employee above 70 years old.
“The vitality of the those over 60 is not lower than that of young people. They may not react as fast as younger people, and some things they may take a little longer to digest, but their work ability is not inferior to young people.”
One of the senior citizens who works at Delightful Kitchen said, “I have been working in the catering industry in resorts for the past few decades, but I had to leave my original job during the pandemic, and then I saw Delightful Kitchen was recruiting and I submitted an application.
“The employees working here are all elderly. Everyone lives in a similar environment, and it is easier to share life experiences with each other, which gives me sustenance for life.”
Caritas Development Officer Esther Lee, who is in charge of the Delightful Kitchen project pointed out, “The restaurant’s business philosophy is not only to provide delicious food to the public, but also to help the elderly continue their working lives and give them financial support.”