Join EHL and the co-founders of Hope & Sesame for a deep-dive into the world of speakeasy bars! Entering the scene just a few years ago in 2016, Hope & Sesame has already been named the best bar in China and leapfrogged right into the ranks of Asia's top 50 bars - Hear straight from Andrew and Bastien their story, and also some tips on how they continue to innovate amidst this challenging season.

Hope & Sesame, opened in March 2016, is the first “speakeasy” bar in Guangzhou. Tucked away behind a traditional Cantonese cafe in the quaint neighborhood of DongshanKou, the bar is a joint venture between seasoned hoteliers – Bastien Ciocca & Andrew Ho, delivering hospitable service accompanied with delicious cocktails & nightly live jazz music.

As the crowned China Bar of the Year & Best Cocktail Program (DMBA 2018), Best Bar Team, Service Award and Sustainability Award (DMBA 2019) and Asia 50 Best Bars 2019 #35, Hope & Sesame is a unique testing ground for beverage innovation.

Join us as we discuss these questions and more with Andrew Ho and Bastien Ciocca, co-founders of Hope & Sesame.

Andrew Ho | Co-founder of Hope & Sesame | EHL Class of 2010

Andrew, a Hong Kong native graduated from Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne. Andrew’s career commenced with trainee positions at Amber – Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong. After joining the Hyatt group upon university graduation, Andrew has progressed from a management trainee position to the Assistant Director of Food & Beverage at the prestigious Grand Hyatt Hong Kong in the span of 3 years. Upon leaving his position at Grand Hyatt, Andrew has successfully opened a modern Vietnamese restaurant and the first “speakeasy” cocktail bar in Guangzhou – Hope & Sesame. Over the span of 3 years, consulting projects, guest bartending shifts and brand events have taken Andrew to over 40 cities across the globe, visiting hundreds of bars.

Bastien Ciocca | Co-founder of Hope & Sesame | EHL Class of 2011

Bastien, born in Switzerland to a family of restauranteurs and spirit makers, is a graduate of Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne. As a former vice president of the Swiss barkeeper association and F&B manager at the Shangri-la Hotels, his experience expands over 3 continents, thus giving Bastien a worldly perspective of the F&B industry. Upon leaving his position at Shangri-la, He opened the first “speakeasy” cocktail bar in Guangzhou – Hope & Sesame. Within the last 3 years, he worked with his team on multiple consulting projects across China with groups such as Four Seasons (Guangzhou) and Mandarin Oriental (Beijing). He also hosted bartending shifts & brand events to over 40 cities across the globe, visiting hundreds of bars.

This webinar, we have invited the co-founders of Hope & Sesame, Bastien Ciocca & Andrew Ho, to share their entrepreneur story and dive into the world of speakeasy bars! What exciting projects are they doing? How are they responding to the COVID-19 situation? Let’s hear some tips on how they continue to innovate amidst this challenging period!

*This session will be in English.