Café Très – Go for the ambience, stay for the one-of-a-kind HIM service

Balancing his degree with the full time responsibilities of running a restaurant, we paid a visit to Café Très to meet with the Ukrainian entrepreneur himself and learn more about the journey that brought him here.

What was it about hospitality that excited you about the industry?
I chose this path because with a degree in hospitality you can explore so many different industries! It was a good friend of mine that originally recommended Hotel Institute Montreux to me. He told me that by choosing hospitality, you could easily work in different fields. Turns out he was right – as he is working in the pharmaceutical industry now!

How did you start out in the hospitality industry?
I started at a young age working in the kitchen of a restaurant. It was definitely hard work and challenging but I know that this experience made me stronger. Starting to work at a young age helps you learn and opens your eyes to the different opportunities for your future.

What pushed you to open your own business?
I am a firm believer that the best way to learn is to do something yourself. Experience is important but working for a large company can have its limitations as you cannot readily express your opinions and it can be difficult to have your ideas heard. The ultimate push for me however was the financial situation in Ukraine. The crisis led investors to seek opportunities outside of the country which allowed me to get backing to open a restaurant in Switzerland – one of the safest countries in the world for an investment.

How did the Café Très concept arise?
The idea was to create something different and new. “Très” is a positive word and is used and understood everywhere. My idea and hope is that the “Très” concept can be used in the future for other affiliated businesses. We wanted a name that would be easily remembered when our clients joined us at our restaurant. Since the opening, I think I have explained the concept to roughly 200 people!

What were the two biggest challenges you faced in opening your own business?
The first biggest challenge was definitely the motivation to take that initial leap and believing in yourself to make it happen. I have failed twice before Café Très, putting in long hours on projects only to have them refused by investors.

The second challenge which is ongoing is the responsibility towards your employees, the finances and everything in between that holds the business together.