Bailey Wang's journey: building a hospitality legacy at Ed.Square Eat Street

Bailey Wang is not one to sit still. Even when he tells himself “it’s time to take a break”.

Kitchai, the halal-certified Thai restaurant showcasing authentic flavours on Ed.Square’s Eat Street, has been a fixture since the Ed.Square Town Centre opened. After years of leading backend operations for multiple start-ups—including finance, legal, marketing and growth strategy—Bailey finally took the leap to create something of his own.

It would not be his only hospitality business for long.

“Hospitality is a space I moved into as an off-shoot of some of the other roles I’d been working in, from events and weddings to interior design and business consultancy. Before hospitality, I built and later exited a wedding styling business and worked as a wedding photographer. This background taught me how to design immersive, memorable experiences—skills I now bring into every venue I open,” Bailey says.

“I had worked with other people on developing and executing hospitality concepts, and I really enjoy the process. I decided to apply this passion to my own project and living in the local area at the time, the new Ed.Square development seemed like the right fit. It was clear it would become a beacon for the wider region and part of this would be the focus on an elevated dining scene.

“Plus, Frasers Property had been clear that it was looking for local concepts and was willing to give start-ups a chance. It was a steep learning curve, but I thrive in that space—building the plane while flying it.

“The centre management team were a strong support throughout. There were lockdowns, trading restrictions and health protocols to manage, but the collaborative spirit was always there and The Retailer Academy was an important resource,” he says.

A new venture

With Kitchai, Bailey’s purpose was simple: to bring people together through an amazing dining experience. This aligns with the purpose of Eat Street at Ed.Square, an alignment which would shape his next venture.

BOM KBBQ and Soju Bar opened in 2022. It, too, was an intense process.

“BOM was a bold leap—a larger-format dining space and cocktail bar born from scratch. I led the project from concept to construction, transforming a cold shell into one of western Sydney’s most dynamic Korean barbecue and soju bar experiences,” Bailey says.

“Thankfully, Kitchai was in a strong position to survive. There was a great management team in place. I had developed an internal team to work across the businesses, covering HR, marketing and other important functions. It took time but I was confident BOM would be a success, because Ed.Square itself was growing fast.

“But once I had built BOM to a point where it was firmly established, I thought ‘it’s time to take a break’.”

Opportunity knocks

Any break would be short-lived. Through his strong relationship with the Frasers Property centre management team, Bailey became aware of another new opportunity.

“I love the process of developing concepts and building hospitality businesses, so when another opportunity arose with Frasers Property, I once again found myself interested,” Bailey says.

That opportunity would become Auntie Tang, Bailey’s malatang concept offering soup broth, South East Asian favourites, mocktails and bubble tea. It opened at the end of 2023.

“Auntie Tang is Australia’s first halal malatang—a brand born in western Sydney, designed for western Sydney. It reflects the diversity of the community we’re proud to serve. As with each restaurant, it’s really important to fully understand who your customers are, and to make sure your offer fits the community.

“Today, the team I work with are generally delineated between the businesses but they have the skills to be flexible, and they are also well-connected across offerings, as well as in the community.”

A “black and white experience”

In his former role as a consultant, in which he worked with start-ups to develop, launch and execute their concepts, Bailey gained first-hand exposure to the way various shopping centre owners and landlords operate.

It’s telling that for his own businesses, he’s chosen Ed.Square and Frasers Property.

“I have legal experience which has helped me navigate some of the challenges my clients have faced in the past. Some shopping centres offer gimmicks and make certain representations which are often not in a start-up’s best interests. They know some start-ups can be distracted by the wrong things.

“With Frasers Property, the commercial terms are very transparent. It’s a black and white experience, which is vital for businesses to know where they stand.

“Running a small business is hard enough. The last thing you need is your landlord working against you. The environment Frasers Property has created at Ed.Square is genuinely supportive. Whenever I’ve hit a stumbling block, the centre management team has stepped in to help.

“It’s a refreshing approach and one I appreciate, because it’s not the case with other landlords.

“The collaboration is especially impactful when we strategically align our restaurant marketing with the Town Centre’s campaigns. The Christmas and Easter campaigns are always strong, and we’ve had some great results with our Halloween campaigns in recent years,” he says.

What’s next?

As of 2025, Bailey is bedding down operations of the three busy restaurants. But that doesn’t mean he’s sitting still.

“I’m always interested in evaluating new opportunities and developing new concepts,” he says.

“Auntie Tang is a business I’ve designed to be franchised, and I’m also looking at other potential sites for BOM KBBQ and Soju Bar. I’m also interested in the new Frasers Property community at Midtown MacPark, working through some potential concepts that would work in that market to contrast with what’s already in the vicinity.

“I run multiple projects and teams in parallel—something I honed during my time in tech and consulting—and I treat every venue not just as a restaurant, but as a brand ecosystem with room to scale.

“But I’m also focused on training within my team at Ed.Square. A lot of people left hospitality during COVID and since that time, the labour force has shifted to be predominantly casual staff.

“I want people to recognise that hospitality can be a career. Some of the management staff I’ve worked with since I first opened the doors at Kitchai remain part of the team today.

“The Retailer Academy has played a big part in this continuity. I make sure every time there’s a new event or initiative that the team participates. It has been important to give everyone a better understanding of the different elements which go into a successful business.

“For instance, my operations people have the opportunity to learn about branding and marketing and this means whenever we launch a new campaign, they have a better understanding as to why we’re doing it.

“When one part of the business can appreciate what the other parts do, it removes friction and breaks down barriers to new ideas being implemented.

“The support Ed.Square retailers receive allows us to concentrate our energy on what we love to do, and to continue to innovate. It enables me to create really engaging places for people to dine, socialise, relax and then return, just as the other restaurants at Ed do, and the more we support each other, the more we all benefit.

“For me, hospitality is a creative canvas, not just a service. Each new concept is a story we tell—through flavour, space and experience.”