Welcome back to another episode of the Wellness in China podcast. Today on the show we are joined by Rich Rothman, who among many other things, is one of the owners behind Pure and Whole, the popular brand of vegetarian restaurants here in Shanghai. Rich now splits his time between Shanghai and the US, but has many years of experience working and living in China prior to that. In our discussion, Rich shared with me the fascinating and fortuitous circumstances under which he joined Pure and Whole, and oversaw its transformation into one of the leading brands in the healthy F and B category in Shanghai today. Of particular interest, I got Rich’s first hand insight on the rapidly changing attitudes of Chinese consumers towards eating a plant-based diet, and how Pure and Whole is attempting to accommodate the preferences of these new consumers. As the idea of a plant-based diet is fairly new in China, I discussed with Rich the different ways Pure and Whole is attempting to engage and educate local consumers, to build a loyal following and a lasting brand. Of course, with so much experience, Rich also had some great advice to would-be entrepreneurs AND brands, looking at entering the health and wellness market in China. So without further ado, please enjoy my chat with partner of Pure and Whole restaurants, Mr. Rich Rothman.

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www.pureandwhole.com