Adrian’s Insights

Time to buy property in Hong Kong for F&B… or Not? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law I consistently hear that it’s impossible to buy commercial property in Hong Kong on the part of retailers or food and beverage operators; so they are stuck as renters for ever. They claim prices are too high and […]

One area to change about your food & beverage business that may boost profits By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law The iconic STAUNTON”S in Hong Kong (One of the earliest open fronted premises) Operators frequently forget that any restaurant, bar or club in Hong Kong that sells liquor can always apply to change any “conditions”

Upstairs F&B – It can work in Hong Kong By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law For many people operating food and beverage premises upstairs in Hong Kong has been a no-go; and the focus has always been modern buildings if that was going to happen. However, with prices having fallen dramatically for all upstairs premises

Is “Light Refreshment” now a viable low cost food business to build in Hong Kong? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law New approaches mean a wider range of foods can now be offered in Hong Kong to unlock revenue Quietly the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong streamlined the scope of what activities

Fed up with landlords? Renting like Pure Fitness, does it make sense to rent anymore? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Just a few days ago, news emerged that a shop in Yau Ma Tei was sold, with the buyer possibly being the end user. Even if not confirmed it raises an important question: In

Hong Kong is back! By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law When it comes to boosting of Hong Kong this seems all too rare these days in the media, and it should not that way, issue number 2, 2024 of MONOCLE certainly will help re-set things. It was great to see an internationally distributed magazine showcase

Improving Restaurant Licensing : A Call for Collaborative Solutions not penalties. By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Having played a pivotal role in creating the Provisional Restaurant Licensing system in Hong Kong, we aimed at streamlining the lengthy process of obtaining food (and beverage) licenses; I’d have hoped decades later it would be smooth sailing

Is Commercial Real Estate in Hong Kong Truly Unaffordable? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law People in Hong Kong consistently claim you can’t buy a decent business premises so they are held hostage by greedy landlords; yet perhaps they are slightly out of touch. Monitoring the market and understanding trends can be tough, especially for

Retail turnover rent in Hong Kong for stability and mutual benefit By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Faced with an on-going bumpy COVID recovery for the F&B industry and on-going retail uncertainly in Hong Kong “turnover rent” with minimal base rent is the ideal way to create a win-win for landlords and business operators alike

If you have knowledge to sell yet buyers are scarce what do you do with it? This was the case for many during Covid as businesses suffered, budgets crumbled, bank accounts drained and specialist advisors to what were now failing or closed businesses found themselves out of work. In some countries there was financial support

Is your wearable a lie detector or something that might just save your life? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law The metrics measured by traditional lie detector machines are respiration, perspiration, heart rate and blood pressure. Traditionally at least, these metrics are based on the idea that if somebody is not behaving in accordance with

Is the Hong Kong Government changing tack on Industrial Accidents? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Recent Hong Kong government moves in relation to a tragic workplace accident at a Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) property have seen a swift, yet seemingly unusual Police response to what at first glance looks like an industrial accident.

Lets go to Osaka for dinner next week ! By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Should we try Japan next week for dinner and is it cheaper than staying in Hong Kong for a couple of Omakase nights out? Some in the Japanese dining trade in Hong Kong are complaining that it is now “worse

Do Hong Kong Food Safety laws have a bean curd loophole or is the Liu Ma Kee case a compliance issue? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Recently a local seller (Liu Ma Kee : established over a century ago and apparently now suddenly shut) was in the news for importing fermented bean curd. This

Hong Kong is exporting social media content via heritage images : is street art next and will it help food & beverage business? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Tai Kwun Jockey Club renovation heritage “selfie Central” Hong Kong With serious heritage having been preserved at the Tai Kwun complex in central Hong Kong, and

Can Coffee and Cake save the Hong Kong F&B Industry ? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Good Day Coffee Co – G/F #23A Shing Mun New Village Kam Tin is making more than coffee Every day the new coffee shop springs up, but as soon as that has happened, another one closes down. The

Is the chance to acquire the iconic property used by Insomnia in the heart of Hong Kong a hidden gem or a poisoned chalice? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law This question takes me back to a deal I was involved in. The buyer was told by a middleman that the vendor’s asking price was