Step into the kitchen
Are you cut out to be a restaurateur? Will your concept hold up? Is your project financially viable? We’ll help you answer these questions and support you in making your restaurant project a reality. Kokotte is a restaurant with 30 covers, boasting a professional kitchen where you can test your mettle behind the stove and front of house for five months. 20 entrepreneurs have already tested Kokotte ‒ and given it their seal of approval. Why not join them?
Our incubator is perfect for you if:
- You’ve got an idea for a restaurant and have a business plan
- You want assurance that your idea will work and that your project is profitable
- You want to test your concept without investing too much and/or without committing to a commercial lease for several years
- You can cook yourself or are already partnered with a chef
- You want advice and support before starting your HoReCa adventure
- You want to open an establishment in Brussels
Tailored coaching from experts
In addition to a turnkey restaurant, you’ll benefit from 60 hours of free individual coaching before, during and after your time at Kokotte. The number of hours of coaching will be fixed according to your needs.
Retail design
Max. 10 hours
Support on the restaurant floor to guide you in how to lay out your dining area to ensure it aligns as well as possible with your concept and with the world you want to transport your customers to.
Marketing & communication
Max. 10 hours
Support in establishing a consistent identity across your various communication channels (online and offline) and taking concrete action to get the word out about your project to your target customers.
Follow-up and analysis of a financial plan
Max. 10 hours
The aim of this coaching is to show you how important it is to monitor your business finances on a regular basis. You’ll learn how to proactively implement a strategy and action plan to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Kitchen and restaurant management
Max. 10 hours
The aim of this coaching program is to help you develop solid, immediately applicable skills, both in the kitchen and in the dining room, to ensure efficient service and an optimal customer experience.
Hygiene and food safety
Max. 10 hours
The aim of this coaching is to offer you concrete solutions (layout of premises, equipment, cleaning, waste, pests) to meet legal hygiene requirements at acceptable costs. You will also experience a simulation of an AFSCA inspection.
Good Food Strategy
Max. 10 hours
The aim of this coaching is to assess the state of your management, your recipes, and your products and suppliers in relation to Good Food criteria: short supply chains, seasonal products, organic certification, food waste, etc. The Good Food strategy works to ensure all Brussels residents have access to food that’s tailored to their needs, and that respects a fair price for producers.
Discover our restaurants
Kokotte Centre :
- a 60 m² space that can cater to approximately 30 covers
- Rue des Bouchers 30 – 1000 Brussels, just a stone’s throw from the Grand-Place
- moderate rent of €1,000/month
Kokotte Jette :
- a 60 m² space that can cater to approximately 30 covers
- Avenue de Jette 288 – 1090 Jette, in the residential and commercial Miroir district
- moderate rent of €1,000/month
Trusted by
Lac
Founder of Bánh OriginalKokotte is all about discovery. Discovering yourself, the job, and the whole world of hospitality. Having the chance to test out your concept with logistical, financial and mental support is a rare opportunity. The experience is worth the effort. Not always easy... but highly recommended!
Marie-Christine
Founder of UndaThanks to Kokotte, I could bring to life a project that I really cherished. It's as simple as that: it turns dreams into reality. Kokotte propels you right to the heart of the matter, putting things into practice. A giant mock-up of the concept we've created, with all the intensity and emotions that entails.
Nassim & Ghalib
Founder of Kawa GostoThe human experience was unique, whether within the team, with Kokotte or with the surrounding businesses. We realised just how challenging this business is, and how much work goes into it.
FAQ
Anyone (chef or partner of a chef – professional or otherwise) who wants to open a restaurant in Brussels and has already worked out their business plan and financial plan.
No, you do not need management access to apply to Kokotte.
However, to open a restaurant as a self-employed entrepreneur in Brussels (and therefore to be able to open at Kokotte), you must register with the Banque-Carrefour des Entreprises (BCE) and obtain a company number. To do so, you will be asked to prove your professional skills as a restaurateur (diploma, professional experience or central jury examination). More information on the conditions, exceptions and accepted evidence can be found on the Bruxelles Économie et Emploi website.
Our Kokottes welcome restaurant concepts offering at least 3 starters, 3 main courses and 3 desserts, with on-site dining, the aim being to give you experience in professional kitchen and front-of-house management. The key is to offer a distinctive menu that respects a fair pricing policy, in line with the Good Food strategy (sustainable, local, fresh and seasonal, preferably organic, with vegetarian options and solutions to combat food waste).
The incubation period at Kokotte lasts five months. You will begin coaching one month before joining Kokotte, depending on your availability and the training plan established with your coaches.
- A HoReCa space equipped to test your project in real conditions.
- Up to 60 hours of personalised coaching with industry experts.
- Direct feedback from real customers to validate and refine your concept.
- An accelerated immersion in the restaurant business, from idea to reality in just a few months.
The rent is €1,000 per month. Utilities, training, support and coaching are covered by hub.brussels.
Incubatees must:
- manage the space (kitchen and dining room) on a daily basis in a professional and responsible manner and strictly comply with hygiene standards;
- ensure opening hours (at least 5 days a week);
- collaborate with their coaches, follow their advice and respond to their requests within a reasonable time frame;
- demonstrate curiosity, welcome change and accept constructive feedback aimed at continuously improving their concept;
- be fully committed to getting the most out of this experience.
Would you like to continue the adventure and open your own restaurant? We can continue to support you! https://hub.brussels/en/services/personalised-coaching-to-boost-your-retail-business/
Complete the online form available on our website before the deadline indicated.
After the call for applications closes, you will be invited to present your project to a panel (5 minutes for the presentation and 10 minutes for questions and answers). Projects are assessed on their originality, potential for development, economic viability and suitability for Kokotte’s DNA, among other criteria.
You will then undergo a cooking test at our partner Horeca Forma Be Pro in order to assess your skills and compare them to the current requirements of the HoReCa sector. You will be evaluated on your work (work plan management, cooking techniques, etc.) and on how you manage the 3 hours allotted to you. The cooking test is mandatory and may be an eliminatory stage. A training plan will be drawn up by Horeca Forma Be Pro based on the results of this test. Following this training plan is mandatory (in addition to the coaching sessions initially planned as part of the incubation programme).
Contact us by email (kokotte@hub.brussels) or attend an online information session.
Thanks to Kokotte’s sponsors & partners:
