Episode #9: From Banking to 650 Employees. The Christophe Diederich Story

Who Is Christophe Diederich? The Man Behind Luxembourg’s Largest Hospitality Group

Quick answer: Christophe Diederich is the co-founder and managing director of Concept+Partners. It is one of Luxembourg’s largest hospitality groups. He was born in Luxembourg. He studied economics in Trier, Germany. He started his career at the Spuerkeess. In 2011, he co-founded Concept+Partners with Jérôme Bigard. Today, the group employs over 650 people across 15 venues. That includes the Hitch, the TASTE Food Hall at GRIDX, and the Rockhal Café in Belval.

🎙️ How does a bored banker become one of Luxembourg’s most influential restaurateurs?

In this episode, we sit down with Christophe Diederich at the Rockhal Café. It is the newest venue of Concept+Partners. It sits right next to Luxembourg’s iconic concert hall in Belval.

He tells us how he bought his first bar in Eich with friends from football. While still working at the bank. How a “hobby” became a business. How he convinced the Giorgetti group with a single sheet of paper. And why, after 14 years, he still refuses to take anything for granted.

He also shares his views on recruitment. Why he gave equity to his first chef on day one. And his vision of building a company where people can grow throughout their entire career.

This is a raw and honest conversation. No filter. No PowerPoint.

💡 What we cover in this episode

From a CDI at the bank to buying a bar with friends. Why the “hobby” became more exciting than the job. The Fabrique in Mersch: building a restaurant from scratch with instant success. How he structured Concept+Partners with Jérôme Bigard. The decision to give equity to the first chef on day one. Working with the Giorgetti group and arriving with “just one sheet of paper.” The TASTE Food Hall at GRIDX: 15 corners, 110 people, one massive bet. The Rockhal Café: Asian fusion next to a 6,500-seat concert hall. Interior design by EL’LE Architects (Élodie Lenoir & Arnaud Decolle). Why quality alone is no longer enough after Covid. Margins in hospitality: tighter than ever. His “company for life” vision. Recruitment philosophy: motivation over CV, always.

📌 Chapters

0:00 Introduction
0:58 Who is Christophe Diederich?
1:23 From economics studies to banking
3:27 Why he got bored at the bank
4:25 Buying a bar in Eich with friends
5:22 Banker by day, barman by night
7:31 No business plan, just “don’t lose money”
8:23 The switch: La Fabrique in Mersch
9:51 Building from scratch. Success from day one
12:06 Finding the first chef and giving him equity
13:49 How he financed the first venues
15:20 From bricoleur to real business
16:10 Recruiting and retaining 650 people
17:44 The one quality he values above all: motivation
18:30 The three values of Concept+Partners
19:03 Growing people internally. The Diogo story
20:20 Building a company that runs without you
21:18 The secret sauce of Concept+Partners
24:33 The role of interior design and decoration
25:01 Why quality alone is no longer enough
26:17 The global experience: playlists, scent, dress code
26:37 Margins in hospitality: the harsh reality
29:06 The GRIDX project and the TASTE Food Hall
33:19 The Rockhal Café: Asian fusion next to a concert hall
36:12 Contract catering: the company for life vision
39:18 Working with the Giorgetti group
41:10 Convincing investors with a single sheet of paper
44:15 The hospitality ambitions of the Giorgetti group
45:07 What is next for Concept+Partners
47:37 His one wish: looking back in 20 years and being proud

🎬 Watch this if you want to know

✅ How a banker with no restaurant experience built a 650-person hospitality group

✅ Why giving equity to your first key hire is the smartest move you can make

✅ What changed in hospitality after Covid. And why quality alone is dead

✅ How Concept+Partners convinced the Giorgetti group with zero strategy deck

✅ What “stay hungry” really means when you manage 15 venues

✅ Why the best talent comes from inside your own company

Who Is Christophe Diederich? The Story in Key Dates

Christophe Diederich is the co-founder of Concept+Partners. He is one of Luxembourg’s most prominent hospitality entrepreneurs. He studied economics in Trier. He started his career in banking. He pivoted into hospitality at age 27.

2008. He buys a bar in Eich (Hollerich) with friends from football. The Choco. He is still working at the Caisse d’Épargne. It is a side project. Beers, peanuts, football on screen.

2011. He co-founds Concept+Partners with Jérôme Bigard. They open La Fabrique in Mersch. Their first real restaurant. Built from scratch. Instant success from day one.

2013. Concept+Partners is officially registered. The group grows with multiple venues across Luxembourg.

2015. The Hitch opens at Glacis in Luxembourg City. A concept born in partnership with the Giorgetti group. Convivial dining, sharing tables, DJ sets. It becomes a reference in the Luxembourg restaurant scene.

2018 to 2023. Expansion continues. Bistro Quai, Brauhaus, Koeppchen, Naga, and more. The group diversifies into contract catering with äResto.

2025. Concept+Partners operates the TASTE Food Hall at GRIDX in Wickrange. 2,000 m², 15 corners, 110 employees. The Rockhal Café reopens in Belval with Asian fusion cuisine. Interior design by EL’LE Architects (Élodie Lenoir and Arnaud Decolle).

2026. The group employs over 650 people. It continues to professionalize its processes, digitalize backoffice operations, and explore international opportunities.

What Makes Christophe Diederich Different?

Three things stand out.

He started with zero experience. And that was his advantage.

Christophe had no restaurant background. No culinary training. No hospitality MBA. When the Giorgetti group had already met Michelin-starred chefs and seasoned businessmen, Christophe showed up with one sheet of paper. His naivety brought a fresh perspective. The polished experts could not offer that.

He builds systems, not just restaurants.

Most restaurateurs are operators. Christophe thinks like a builder. He gives equity to key people. He promotes internally before hiring externally. He designs his group so it can run without him. His ambition is not to open the next trendy spot. It is to create a structure that lasts.

He treats hospitality as a lifetime career path.

His vision of the “company for life” is rare in an industry known for burnout and turnover. At Concept+Partners, a young bartender can become a restaurant manager. He can switch to contract catering for stable hours when starting a family. And come back to the restaurant floor later. Every business line serves a purpose in the employee journey.

The Rockhal Café: Where Music Meets Asian Fusion

The Rockhal Café is located at 5, Avenue du Rock’n’Roll in Belval. Right next to the Rockhal concert hall. Capacity: 6,500. It reopened in late 2025 after being closed for nearly three years.

The interior design was created by EL’LE Architects. Their brief was simple: keep the energy of the Rockhal, but create a space where people want to stay.

The menu breaks with expectations. No burgers and fries. The Rockhal Café serves Asian-inspired fusion cuisine. Fragrant curries. Tandoori skewers. Thai salads. Sharing plates. The challenge: being both a neighborhood restaurant for lunch and an event venue on concert nights.

FAQ: Christophe Diederich, Concept+Partners and Hospitality in Luxembourg

What is Concept+Partners?

Concept+Partners is one of Luxembourg’s largest hospitality groups. It was founded in 2013 by Christophe Diederich and Jérôme Bigard. The group operates over 15 venues across Luxembourg. From brasseries to fine dining, food halls, and contract catering.

What venues does Concept+Partners operate?

The group operates the Hitch (Luxembourg City), the TASTE Food Hall and Jane restaurant at GRIDX (Wickrange), the Rockhal Café (Belval), Naga, Koeppchen (Wormeldange), Brauhaus, Bistro Lënster (Junglinster), and several other venues. They also operate äResto, their contract catering division.

What is GRIDX?

GRIDX is Luxembourg’s first retailtainment destination. It was developed by the Félix Giorgetti group in Wickrange. It combines retail, entertainment, a hotel, a digital art museum, and a 2,000 m² food hall (TASTE) operated by Concept+Partners with 15 food corners.

Who designed the Rockhal Café interior?

The interior was designed by EL’LE Architects. The firm was founded by Élodie Lenoir and Arnaud Decolle. It is based in Luxembourg and Paris. The team has 10 professionals.

How many people work at Concept+Partners?

As of 2026, the group employs over 650 people. About 30 work in the head office (HR, finance, marketing, operations). The rest work across the venues.

Is Giorgetti an investor in Concept+Partners?

Yes. The Félix Giorgetti group is an investor and partner in Concept+Partners. The partnership started through the Hitch project. It has since expanded to include GRIDX and other ventures.

What is Christophe Diederich’s management philosophy?

He values motivation over CVs. He promotes internally first. He envisions Concept+Partners as a “company for life.” Employees can evolve through different roles and work formats throughout their career.

His Core Belief

There is one line that sums it all up.

“If you take something for granted, you are dead tomorrow.”

Christophe Diederich did not build Concept+Partners with a master plan. He built it with curiosity, hard work, and the refusal to settle.

From a bar in Eich with beers and peanuts to 650 employees and 15 venues. The path was never linear. But the mindset never changed: stay hungry.

👉 See Also

Episode #8: No Shortcuts in Architecture. The Türkan Dagli Story

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City: Luxembourg, Belval | Date: April 2026 | #SSY!