The Negotiation

In this episode of The Negotiation podcast, we are joined by  Jerome Spitzer, co-founder of French Creations, a prominent F&B group headquartered in Hong Kong. Jerome has now established a new venture named Boheme Restaurant Group (BRG), which focuses on the restaurant industry. 

In our discussion with Jerome, we learn about his experiences in the restaurant industry in Asia and Europe. We also talk about the challenges of customer acquisition and his growth strategies in Hong Kong's competitive market, as well as the importance of adapting to different types of clientele.

 Jerome also shares his experiences designing and operating restaurants in Hong Kong and France, as well as  the impact of COVID-19 on the industry.  Enjoy!

Topics Discussed and Key Points:
  • The origin of the name “Boheme”
  • The difference between expatriate and local clientele in China
  • How Jerome met Olivier and opened their first restaurant
  • The reason for the success of Pastis restaurant 
  • Customer acquisition 
  • Adapting to changing customer expectations
  • Jerome’s growth strategy for his company
  • The importance of speed of business in Asia and how it differs from the standard approach in North America and Europe
  • How Jerome and his partner managed to open 18 restaurants in 15 years 
  • Challenges of opening a restaurant in France compared to Hong Kong
  • Business operational efficiencies 
  • The efficiency and pragmatism of government officials and laws in Hong Kong, including the process of obtaining licenses.
  • Future expansion plans for BRG

What is The Negotiation?

Despite being the world’s most potent economic area, Asia can be one of the most challenging regions to navigate and manage well for foreign brands. However, plenty of positive stories exist and more are emerging every day as brands start to see success in engaging and deploying appropriate market growth strategies – with the help of specialists.

The Negotiation is an interview show that showcases those hard-to-find success stories and chats with the incredible leaders behind them, teasing out the nuances and digging into the details that can make market growth in APAC a winning proposition.