Adrian’s Insights

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 […]

Hong Kong may soon lift import duties on spirits! By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Recent reports suggest Hong Kong may soon lift import duties on spirits, just as it did for wine in 2008, a small shot in the arm for struggling F&B and retail hopefully. In the UK “drink up fast and go

Is the Hong Kong Jockey Club Reinventing the Ultimate Sports Bar Experience and what’s next? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Walking down Stanley Street in Central recently, I noticed a remarkable transformation: a Jockey Club off-course betting outlet now resembling a sports bar or local restaurant chain more than a traditional gambling venue. The revitalisation, complete with

Isn’t it time we got Hong Kong moving again with a modern ride-hailing solution, like Uber, if our taxi industry is stuck in the past? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law From haggling with drivers and being ignored to enduring old vehicles, feeling unsafe and getting out mid-trip, the daily woes of Hong Kong taxis

Hong Kong is protecting “phone-watching zombies” with a modern safety initiative. By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law We’ve all seen it: people walking around glued to their phones, heads down, oblivious to anyone and anything around them. It’s basically walking down the street staring at your feet. Even I’m guilty of it sometimes. To protect

Hong Kong’s Blueprint for Arts & Culture: Will It Finally Deliver? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Is the new plan for arts, culture, and the creative industries too narrow—or could it spark real growth in culture and tourism? With Rosanna Law stepping in to lead this crucial government department, there’s a glimmer of hope

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

Pandemic over yet sales are worse for some Hong Kong Food & Beverage outlets than they were during it : why ? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Some Hong Kong operators are seeing sales below those during the Covid period; when Hong Kong was almost totally isolated from the world. Despite this reopening of

Why Some Companies Are Bound to Fail : A Case in Point from Hong Kong Real Estate By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Walking past a real estate agent’s window in Hong Kong’s cosmopolitan Mid-Levels, I was struck by something baffling. Every listing in the display was written exclusively in Chinese characters. In one of

Set lunch is saving “posh” F&B in London and way beyond … can it save Hong Kong? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law The first thing to be cut in the food business is often lunch trade. Many restaurants in Hong Kong still struggling with staffing, high fuel costs and low volumes, fall to the temptation

Is Isowork and AI Going to Trigger a Mental Health Crisis? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Okay, let’s start with this: most of you probably don’t know what “isowork” is. That’s fair because I just made it up. There’s no dictionary definition yet. Essentially, it’s the new remote working paradigm where people are working

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

Is Trump moving to Hong Kong for our countryside? New visa rules make it easier! By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Hold on—let’s avoid confusing Trumps. It’s been reported in the SCMP – 28th Dec 2024, that Judd Trump, the world’s #1 snooker player, might be taking up residency in Hong Kong. This aligns with a growing wave

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

Tsui Wah is Back in Lan Kwai Fong – Will the Historic Magic return? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law After a five-year gap Tsui Wah in Lan Kwai Fong has reopened. Once the ultimate go-to place for post-drinks, post-clubbing, post-anything respite; Tsui Wah embodied the essence of Hong Kong’s vibrant, 24/7 food and nightlife culture. But

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”

Transforming Hong Kong’s Food & Beverage Industry with an easy access Outdoor Seating system. By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Imagine a bustling city where it’s easy to operate outdoor seating to breathe new life into the food and beverage industry, providing a much-needed boost to businesses. Hong Kong’s outdoor seating accommodation (OSA) provisions saw

Shenzhen’s Transformation—A Glimpse Across and Along the disappearing Border! By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Just spent the past few days viewing Shenzhen from both sides, and the changes are remarkable. During a visit organized by the Australian Chamber of Commerce, I was amazed by the innovative leaps on display. From Tencent to Mindray, the

If Media Whispers are True, Insomnia Lan Kwai Fong, an Iconic HK Venue is Closing Forever By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law For over twenty years Insomnia Lan Kwai Fong has been more than just a venue; it’s been a symbol of the vibrant, sleepless energy that defines Hong Kong; the heartbeat of Lan Kwai Fong.

The Future of Delivery Is Here – And It’s Transforming Hong Kong – street by street! By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law “Think local, act local” is causing sweeping changes across Hong Kong’s delivery landscape. I have noticed the surge of CaiNiao delivery hubs popping up in small holes-in-the-wall and ground-floor shops all around the city? This

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

Worker Safety in Hong Kong: Are We Missing Part of the Equation? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law In Hong Kong, worker safety demands a multi-directional approach and nothing has brought this home more than recent accidents. We are all aware that companies may be held responsible for accidents and that systems or processes have

It’s time to think about the future of these Hong Kong streets creatively By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Hong Kong’s heritage has been fading and one of the clearest signs is the disappearance of iconic small street stalls. Once bustling hubs of entrepreneurial energy, many of these micro-stalls are now shuttered, sitting in limbo,

Reimagining Hong Kong’s Streets By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Let’s have more fixed-pitch and itinerant hawker licenses — surely, we can do better moving forward. What if we embraced a bold, dynamic policy to revive our streets, making them more textured, lively and more entrepreneurial : like they used to be? Hong Kong has

My first collection of 3D Hong Kong anaglyphs (stereo photos) from the 80s! By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law I’m truly excited to share my first collection of 3D Hong Kong anaglyphs (stereo photos) from the 80s! 📷 After more than a year of reimagining and digitally crafting this fine art window into my Hong

Full steam ahead for Hong Kong’s music and entertainment scene with Clockenflap and much more! By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Despite the loss of the HITEC venue, the city is set to thrive. Clockenflap this weekend is expected to welcome 30,000 people to enjoy amazing performances, and Coldplay sold out all nights : so

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

Is it worth moving to live near to a members club in Hong Kong to enjoy community and amenities without the hefty management fees of a luxury residential block? By HK Lawyer AJ Halkes Barrister-at-Law Reading a piece in the FT Weekend got me thinking about this idea. Many years ago, while living on Shu