The Journey

Three Decades in Hospitality

From Istanbul and London to Paris, Toulouse and Bordeaux, Charles Özgeç’s career spans more than three decades of hospitality across the UK and France. From hands-on operations and multi-site leadership to openings, concept development, consulting and entrepreneurship, his experience has been shaped by businesses, cities and people at every level of the industry. Along the way, he has worked alongside internationally recognised names and some of hospitality’s most accomplished professionals, experiences that helped shape the operator and entrepreneur he is today.

Foundations

From Istanbul to London

Born in Turkey, Charles was drawn to people, business and new opportunities from an early age. Alongside his studies at Istanbul University, he gained his first commercial experience across several businesses and pursued his passion for football, including a brief period with Bakırköyspor. Those early years shaped a character that would follow him throughout his career: sociable, competitive, entrepreneurial and never particularly interested in standing still.

His journey continued in London, where he moved to study at Burlington School and later pursued further business studies. Determined to build his own path, Charles sometimes worked as many as three jobs alongside his studies, gaining experience, independence and an early understanding of the value of hard work.

Football remained an important part of his life too, and he continued playing in Hendon after arriving in London. Living with a traditional English family in Clapham South further immersed him in British life and culture. London would ultimately become much more than a place to study, it was where his professional life began and where his journey into hospitality truly took shape.

Hands-on Experience

Learning Hospitality from the Inside

Learning from the Best

As his career developed, Charles also had the opportunity to work alongside and learn from internationally recognised chefs, restaurateurs and senior hospitality professionals. Exposure to some of the industry’s leading names and businesses broadened his experience beyond day-to-day operations, providing different perspectives on food, service, leadership, brand development and commercial performance.

Those years also gave Charles the opportunity to work alongside and learn from some of the industry’s most accomplished operators, chefs and hospitality professionals, including leading figures and teams connected with names such as Karen Jones, Mike Johnson, Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White. Exposure to different approaches to food, service, operations and leadership broadened his understanding of hospitality far beyond the businesses he directly managed and helped shape his own approach to restaurant development and performance.

Charles honed his craft with the Pelican Group and Café Rouge, progressing rapidly from restaurant operations into increasingly senior responsibilities. Strong commercial results and the relationships he built with the group’s leadership saw him take on wider roles across the business, including Opening Manager, Training Manager, Marketing Director and Regional Manager.

He played an instrumental role in 21 new restaurant openings, coordinating people, systems and operations across multiple locations while helping establish Café Rouge as one of the UK’s leading restaurant brands.

European Expansion

Toulouse & Bordeaux

Frogpubs

Multisite Leadership

In France, Charles took the helm of Frogpubs in Toulouse and Bordeaux, leading multi-site operations through a period of significant growth. Under his leadership, Frog & Rosbif Toulouse became one of the city’s go-to destinations, building a strong reputation, a loyal following and years of commercial success.

Beyond performance, Charles placed particular emphasis on people. He recruited, trained and developed a new generation of hospitality talent, many of whom went on to become managers themselves. His work combined team development, operational systems, customer experience and commercial growth, turning strong venues into stronger businesses and developing the people capable of leading them.

Operational Excellence

Commercial Growth

His tenure saw significant improvements in efficiency and profitability, establishing a robust framework for sustained success across multiple venues in the region. This remarkable advancement not only optimized operational processes but also fostered a culture of innovation and teamwork. As a result, various stakeholders experienced enhanced engagement and satisfaction, ultimately leading to a more vibrant and competitive landscape in the market.

Innovation

London, Toulouse & New Concepts

Charles’s career increasingly evolved beyond day-to-day operations into entrepreneurship, consulting and business development. Through ventures including Syn Bar & Cabaret, Babylon and Wheat & Water Limited, he worked across concept development, recruitment and hospitality consultancy, while also supporting established operators and organisations.

His experience extended to projects with Webb Enterprises, Carvery Pubs including Ten Tors Inn, catering businesses and organisations connected to Airbus, alongside the creation, development or operational support of independent concepts such as New Delhi Palace, Seven Sisters and Ghymnos.

This period marked a natural transition from operating successful venues himself to helping create, structure, develop and improve hospitality businesses for others.