Sands China Invites 5 Rua das Estalagens Shops for Team Member Food Fest
Offering promotional platform for local SMEs to reach team members
Initiative of company’s Entrepreneurship Recruitment Programme for Rua das Estalagens
(Macao, Apr 2, 2025) – Launched in April last year, Sands China’s Community Revitalisation Series – Entrepreneurship Recruitment Programme for Rua das Estalagens was a resounding success, receiving more than 120 applications. Seven distinctive businesses were selected during a results announcement ceremony held in July, and six of them have since started their operations on Rua das Estalagens.
With Sands China providing substantial assistance to entrepreneurs, the innovative initiative aimed to encourage small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Macao to establish themselves on Rua das Estalagens, thereby reviving the neighbourhood’s economy and assisting in revitalising the historic street and unleashing its past vibrancy.
Sands China exemplifies the company's business philosophy of growing with SMEs by hosting a food fest for its team members in March at The Venetian® Macao, featuring signature foods and products from five restaurants, cafes and bakeries from the entrepreneurship programme. By offering a promotional platform for local SMEs, the event aimed to encourage team members to take their families to Rua das Estalagens and show their support to the street’s businesses. Nearly 7,000 Sands China team members visited the food fest’s five culinary roadshows, supporting local businesses while experiencing the vibrant flavours of the region.
Held on various days between March 18 and March 28, it gave team members a chance to taste each shop’s unique cuisine at the back-of-house dining room of The Venetian Macao. Underscoring Sands China’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and the growth of local SMEs in the community, the food fest provided a platform for these local entrepreneurs to showcase their products and attract a wider scope of customers, while also deepening team members’ understanding of the revitalisation of Rua das Estalagens.
Since November 2024, SMEs from the Entrepreneurship Recruitment Programme have been gradually establishing their businesses on Rua das Estalagens with Sands China’s assistance.
During the event, a diverse range of treats were served to team members by the owners and employees of the shops themselves. Cafe Fantart showed off two delicate and flaky egg tart flavours: original and curry beef. Olálá served one of its creative Macao-Portuguese snacks, the Olálá Signature Package of bacalhau balls and spicy fish patty. Catfee brought its fragrant Ethiopia natural ice drip coffee, while bakery Panpan delivered its mini pain au chocolat, made with a fusion of Japanese and French baking styles. Finally, Voyage Thai Kitchen served flavourful bottled Thai milk tea and sweet Mango sticky rice.
Dr. Wilfred Wong, executive vice chairman of Sands China Ltd., said: “With the Entrepreneurship Recruitment Programme for Rua das Estalagens, we offered substantial assistance to these local entrepreneurs to help get their businesses started smoothly, while fostering sustainable economic development by integrating various business elements into the district. With initiatives such as the entrepreneurship programme and the team member food fest, we are pleased to embrace the Macao SAR government’s policy to support SMEs, empowering them to succeed in the early stages of their businesses; promotional platforms such as these help them pursue their dreams while reviving the economy in the neighbourhood. Meanwhile, we are dedicated to promoting their products through various channels, including the Sands China Macao International 10K held in March. By distributing coupons to all runners, we hope to help their brands gain exposure on different occasions. We look forward to continue bolstering local SMEs, thereby optimising the business conditions for entrepreneurs and maximising their impact on our community.”
In addition to the entrepreneurship programme, Sands China joined hands with the Macau Artist Society and a dedicated team of local professionals to present the stories, people, and historical fragments from the street’s past via the publication, “In Search of Its Roots – An Illustrated History of Rua das Estalagens.” Using narratives, images, and illustrations, the book has documented the invaluable deeds of the people of the historic street – to allow residents and tourists to rediscover the past and present Rua das Estalagens and to provide practical materials for schools and the wider community to highlight the mutual bonds between people in Macao, thereby promoting the value of the spirit of humanity.
The Entrepreneurship Recruitment Programme for Rua das Estalagens is an extension of two successful Sands China programmes: the F.I.T. programme and the Sands Resorts Incubation Centre. Sands China introduced the pioneering F.I.T. programme in 2017, offering Financial Support, Invitational Matching, and Training and Development to local SME suppliers, targeted at three types of local businesses: local small, medium and micro suppliers; “Made in Macao” companies; and Macao young entrepreneurs. In 2023, Sands China established the Sands Resorts Incubation Centre under the umbrella of the F.I.T. programme, dedicated to discovering and supporting local innovative enterprises with development potential. All of these programmes are initiatives of Sands China’s Local Supplier Support Programme, which was established in 2015 in collaboration with the Macao Chamber of Commerce.
Sands China regularly invites Macao enterprises to hold a wide range of roadshows to promote their products and services to team members, such as with the March food fest. These roadshows benefit SMEs by giving them access to direct business opportunities with customers, while giving Sands China’s team members a chance to enjoy discounted offers and discover new shops and brands. For more details about Sands China’s revitalisation efforts, please visit https://www.sandschina.com/the-company/scl-community-revitalization-programme.html
Photo caption: Sands China hosted a food fest for its team members on various days between March 18 and March 28 at the back-of-house dining room of The Venetian Macao, featuring signature foods and products from five restaurants, cafes and bakeries from the Entrepreneurship Recruitment Programme for Rua das Estalagens, one of the company’s community revitalisation initiatives. Nearly 7,000 Sands China team members visited the food fest’s five culinary roadshows, supporting local businesses while experiencing the vibrant flavours of the region.
Photo caption: Sands China hosted a food fest for its team members on various days between March 18 and March 28 at the back-of-house dining room of The Venetian Macao. A diverse range of treats were served to team members by the owners and employees of the shops themselves, including delicate and flaky egg tarts in original and curry beef flavours from Cafe Fantart; creative Macao-Portuguese snacks featuring bacalhau balls and spicy fish patty from Olálá; fragrant Ethiopia natural ice drip coffee from Catfee; mini pain au chocolat, a fusion of Japanese and French baking styles from Panpan; and flavourful bottled Thai milk tea and sweet Mango sticky rice from Voyage Thai Kitchen.