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Trouble at Kro’s Nest
Over the weekend Beijing Boyce posted about troubles at one of Beijing’s most well-known pizza joints, The Kro’s Nest.
Kro’s has long been a favorite of Beijing’s pizza lovers, especially those who like the US-flavored “big is better” approach to their pizzas. The restaurant won an “Outstanding Award” in the 2010 Beijinger Annual Reader Restaurant Awards back in March, though we have heard whispers about declining standards in recent times. Now, according to Boyce, Kro claims he is “being pushed out of the business.”
The post is light on details, but an update adds that “the police have apparently taken Kro away.”
Sounds nasty. More information as it comes to hand.
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Kro has been one of the most kind and caring people I have met in Beijing. I was looking to start a business here and I randomly approached him one day as he was working. He had never met me before. We sat down and talked, he picked me up a few days later, drove me around town and introduced me to some helpful people.
Please support him in any way possible.
very succinct legal opinion here:
http://www.chinalawblog.com/2010/05/steal_a_little_and_they.html
What happened here was a bunch of oral agreements by two people who never got around to legally formalizing their relationship. And then things changed (as they always do) and the partner with greater power took the business from the "partner" with less power. In this case, the Chinese national is ending up with the business because the business is on his "turf."Again, this sort of thing happens ALL THE TIME ALL OVER THE WORLD. Ask any lawyer who does business law about this sort of thing and then watch them roll their eyes. If they have been practicing a few years, they will almost certainly have their own emotional story to tell. If they have been practicing longer, they will probably just walk away. Too many stories to tell, none all that different. None all that surprising. And too commonplace even to get all emotional about.
Beijing Boyce has more here:
http://www.beijingboyce.com/2010/05/08/as-the-kro-flies-partner-troubles-at-kros-nest-pizza/
In a nutshell, Kro's definitely been kicked out and now is on the rampage to see if he can regain some control of the business from his long-time Chinese business partner.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/www/english/metro-beijing/update/top-news/2010-05/530235.html
Police have detained the Chinese partner of the popular Kro's Nest chain of pizzerias for fighting, after staff were told that his American partner Olaf Kristoffer "The Kro" Bauer no longer worked for the company.
Sanlitun police told the Global Times that Yuan Jie, the Chinese partner, had been detained for fighting at the north Worker's Stadium area, but gave no further information.
Bauer told the Global Times that Yuan brought several police officers to the flagship Worker's Stadium branch of the chain, insisting that Bauer was only a cook and should be removed.
Bauer said Yuan "lost his cool" and threw a roll of packing tape at him, then shoved him hard three times, pushing him up against the oven, then the ice machine, then against the bar. Police say they have laid no charges against Bauer. Bauer told the Global Times, "The hardest thing I ever did was not lose my temper. It was Gandhi-esqe."
Bauer said he spent the night in the hospital under observation on an intravenous drip, and suffered minor internal injuries. He also said he spent much of Sunday talking to police, who urged him and Yuan to reach a quick resolution. Bauer later added he would let his lawyer deal with the negotiations, saying he considered this to be the "first of a seven part series."
A Kro's Nest manager said staff were told Bauer is no longer part of the company, and that the police were called because he was collecting money from customers....
