In the past 30 years, Mana! founder Bobsy Gaia has reinvented himself
multiple times, spreading awareness about the environment each step
of the way. Beirut-born Bobsy moved to Bangkok in 1989 to pursue
fashion design at a time when world events, such as the collapse of
the Berlin Wall, were sparking his spiritual awakening. “I was feeling
this tremendous wave of positivity and awareness of the world and
environment,” recalls Bobsy, who around that time launched an eco-
friendly fashion line that used organic fibres.
Bobsy moved to Hong Kong in 1992, where he has launched various
sustainability initiatives, including Able Charity, which has planted more
than 30,000 trees on Lamma Island over two decades to help rejuvenate
its forest cover. Along the way, he shifted his focus from fashion to food,
opening a series of green restaurants. In 1998, he co-founded Bookworm
Cafe on Lamma, one of Hong Kong’s first vegetarian cafes. Six years
later he co-founded Life Cafe, a vegan restaurant in Soho. “There’s
nothing like changing people through their stomachs,” Bobsy says. The
green-thinking entrepreneur launched eco-friendly Wellington Street
eatery Mana! in 2012 with the motto “Diet change, not climate change.”
It uses biodegradable packaging and features plant-based dishes like
falafel flats, portobello burgers and acai bowls. “[People] are shifting
bias towards plant-based diets, and that has a tremendous impact on our
natural resources,” he says. “The amount of water we can save is massive,
and there are so many things we can do individually... without waiting for
the law [to change].”
Building on Mana!’s success, Bobsy opened a larger location on
Star Street in July. He’s taking advantage of the space by hosting
sustainability-focused lectures and meetups there. “Raising awareness has
been the best thing I’ve given to Hong Kong,” Bobsy says. “Awareness
is the most sustainable resource. Once you’re aware, that’s it; your mind
can’t shrink back.”BOBSY GAIA
FOUNDER, MANA!