A Few Words With: Klara Dlouha, Co-Owner and Co-Founder of Miss Muesli

This year our 2015 Reader Restaurant Awards have four personality-based categories: Best Chef, Best Manager, Restaurant Personality of the Year, and Food Entrepreneur of the Year. During the voting period that runs through March 8, we’re profiling a few of this year’s crop of nominees.

This time around we present Klara Dlouha (above, left), co-owner and co-founder of Miss Muesli, who along with her partner Anita Zhang has been nominated for Food Entrepreneur of the Year.

TBJ: Give us a snapshot of what you do.
My partner and I opened our business around four months ago. We make healthy breakfasts with homemade muesli, which patrons can customize. I think it’s a fairly new concept in Beijing and in China.

TBJ: How big is your operation?
It’s just the two of us so far. We have a little store that we also call a mixing studio, in Xiguan Hutong, near Beixinqiao subway station. People can come buy or order online and we can deliver.

TBJ: What was the inspiration behind this idea?
I’ve had the idea for a long time. I’ve lived in Beijing for five years, and I’ve been missing muesli the whole time. It was something that was very normal for me to eat back home but here I struggled to find good muesli, or any that I could afford. It was easy to find muesli and granola at a market, but if it was good it was usually imported from Australia and too pricey. So I ended up not having muesli in the morning and even went without breakfast. After a while, I realized that wasn't okay. One day I was complaining about it to Anita and we started joking about making our own business, and eventually we decided to give it a try.

TBJ: How is your business contributing to the food scene in Beijing?
It helps people get a healthier breakfast. There are lots of great restaurants and cafés in Beijing that are specializing in healthy food, and I think the scene is becoming bigger and bigger. Many places offer great brunches and dinners and lunches. But a place specializing in a great, simple breakfast was missing, especially when it comes to muesli. From our experience, a lot of foreigners have the same need as I had for a long time – they just wanted a simple, healthy breakfast.   

TBJ: Tell us about one of your favorite places to eat in Beijing, aside from your own.
I usually stay in Dongcheng district. I like to discover little places hidden in the hutongs. My favorite is our neighbor, Cuju – their food is amazing!

Click here to read previous editions of A Few Words With wherein we profile some of the top players in Beijing's food scene during the voting period for the 2015 Reader Restaurant Awards, which runs through March 8.

Photo courtesy of Miss Muesli