Rob Duce – Sushi San

Some entrepreneurs want to build empires; some are in business to indulge a lifelong passion. Rob Duce always had an exit in mind. There was never any chance of him working like stink for any longer than he needed to, and since he sold his business in June 2007, he has been delighting in family life, watching telly with his young daughter Sophie, relaxing over Sunday lunch and, he says ruefully, ‘getting fit again’.
It’s a radical departure for Duce, who still speaks at machine gun speeds despite the new laid-back lifestyle. Since setting up his first business in the late 1990s, he has worked about 100 hours a week at breakneck pace, so it will take some time until he gets bored of normal life. His relentless energy comes, he says, from his mother. ‘She’s 66 now and 4’ 11” of pep. She’ll tuck her skirt into her knickers and show us her latest yoga position before you can blink.’
So how come her 42 year old son is ready to retire? ‘When I was 19, my dad died. He was 44. My grandfather died at 45, my great-grandfather at 46. So you can see why carpe diem is my motto. I didn’t want to work till I died.’
Duce’s wife Claire was doing the books for Sushi San at weekends and some evenings, while making steady progress up the PwC career ladder – she is one of a handful of female directors in the UK. ‘Having a hand in the business hasn’t hurt a bit – the experience of life at the sharp end gives her an advantage over professionals who have no experience of the small business environment,’ says Duce. When she quit PwC for maternity leave, she was using the time at Sushi San. ‘Sophie was ten days old when she attended her first board meeting. It must have been pretty dull, because she slept through the whole thing, with my finger in her mouth, snuggled in a vegetable box,’ says a doting Duce.
‘I want to see Sushi San thrive and become a major brand, so Sophie can say “My dad founded that.” Preferably while I’m still alive..............