Coming Back to The Roots
After finishing the Sociology & Psychology university in 2008 in Timișoara, I decided to start a master’s in creative psychology in the capital, Bucharest.
6 months into my master’s studies, I realized that these were treated more or less like a joke by my professors. Seeing this, Romania looked like it was not enough, or it isn’t offering me what I am looking for, so in 2010 I took the leap and moved to London, U.K. where I lived, learned, and breathed hospitality at its best, for the past 11 years.
Entering the year 2022, I’ve decided to move back to Romania, in the city of Timișoara, and start something new with the knowledge that I’ve built over the years in the U.K. It might sound easy but it ain’t all rosy.
What can I say, being part of an Eastern European country, especially one that was always on the conquered side of the business in its previous history, the mentality is not to embrace “the new” or to be part of the change, but more likely to stick to what people usually know and disregard and sometimes even block any other interference. Frustrating as it sounds, the sense of community in Romanian Hospitality is lacking, but I’ve decided to disregard the semi-toxic views and change all that.
It all started with an idea: What if?
That is how out of the box was born. A platform for hospitality professionals at all levels and taking part and exchange ideas will not only improve knowledge in approaching the hospitality business but also give new tools for improving personal well-being and therefore have a better work-life balance, which we all aim for.
This is an Open-Dialogue with specialists from U.K., Italy, Greece, and Romania, discussing subjects that matter such as:
Mental Health – Where are we at, where are we going, and how to improve our well-being while at or outside the work environment
Creativity And The Bar – The usage of different techniques and inspiration in the bar business from other traits like design, music, art, or architecture
Tea & Carbonation – Using tea in different ways and the importance of CO2 in carbonated beverages
Employee To Owner – What are the steps we need to do to move forward and what difficulties we can encounter along the way
Workshop: The Importance of Fermentation – From learning how to make your own vinegar, ginger beer, and kombucha to using lactic fermentation in fruits and vegetables
Understanding Numbers – a session built for owners and managers to explain the self-accountancy of their business
Ergonomics Within a Venue – why ergonomics and design are important not only to the look of the space but also to its functionality
Amaro – More Than Just Bitter – The usage and importance of bitter throughout history and how to build your own from scratch
Life After Hospitality – When passion turns into something new and changes completely your lifestyle
Workshop: Using Local Produce – Live cooking using produce found in Timis and the importance of sourcing locally
On top of all these sessions and workshops, we’ll host Guest Bartender Shifts in several bars around the city of Timisoara.
So what do you say? How does all this sound?
