How did you get into hospitality?
As a little boy. My mum worked as a venue manager, so even as a child I could see how a kitchen and bar operated and learn how it all worked. Naturally, I began taking part-time jobs while at secondary school. After graduation, a friend and I decided to open something of our own in Nitra. Since we love people and coffee, a café perfectly matched our vision.
Was it the right decision?
Definitely. But our ambitions did not stop there, and after two years we wanted to take our business to the next level. So we began looking for premises in Bratislava. Coffee was again the priority, but in the afternoons and evenings, quality wine and cocktails would be what drew people in. That is why we approached a bartender from Fou Zoo, who helped us create our first cocktail menu. We started experimenting with it, developing our own recipes and twists, and became convinced that we were on the right path.
You are very young, and people must have different reactions when they hear you are already successfully running your second
venue…
Yes, many people are surprised by my age, but the experience usually ends positively once they realise I already have some experience behind me. More often, I meet people who like seeing young people take things into their own hands and stand out from the crowd in their own way.
It cannot be easy to be 23, run a business and hold your own in the market. What advice would you give young people
considering that path?
I am a bit of a rebel. I really enjoy doing things that other people do not approve of. If I had lived my life according to what others told me, I would still be sitting at a school desk, only dreaming of my own venue. You should not be unnecessarily afraid: follow your own path. From the outside, it looks very demanding, and I am not saying it is not. But when you believe that what you are doing is right, obstacles and complications become much easier to handle.
Zdenko Kysučan’s Sour recipe
5 cl Monkey 47
2 cl lemon juice
1 cl simple syrup (1:1)
The white of one egg