China Paradigms

Matthieu David-Experton interviews Benjamin Patin, co-founder of Wheat Co. and Sailang. In this interview we learn about both his businesses, one doing China imports and one is a healthy restaurant in Shanghai. Diving deep into the business model of his restaurant, as it includes many interesting elements like meal planning and nutrition advising, we learn every step of starting a restaurant including initial investment, leases, employee management and expansion. Highlights of this episode include: 8:15 The value of an intermediary in trade, and how he decides pricing 14:30 How people switch from import to export business successfully 18:10 How Benjamin transitioned from Sailang to Wheat Co. two companies in very different industries 20:30 Are health restaurants mainstream in China? And misconceptions of what is healthy among Chinese consumers 22:40 How to lease a restaurant space in China 25:45 Cost and management of staff in China 30:00 How much investment is needed for renovation? 33:00 Opening a second