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 four months. Seventeen entrepreneurs have already tested Kokotte ‒ and given it their seal of approval. Why not join them?
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.
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. Layout, table dressings, menu, window display, etc.
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: graphic identity, comms strategy, KPIs, marketing, etc.
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.
Max. 10 hours
Study the social and environmental impact of your business and identify possible measures to put in place. We’ll introduce you to the regional tools available for this purpose, as well as the additional benefits you can enjoy based on your business’s exemplary social and environmental performance.
Max. 10 hours
The aim of this coaching is to offer you practical solutions to meet the legal hygiene requirements at a reasonable cost: layout of premises, equipment, cleaning, waste, pests. During your full-scale test at Kokotte, you’ll experience a simulation of an FASFC inspection.
Max. 10 hours
This coaching aims to analyse the state of play of your recipes and products in relation to the Good Food criteria: a short supply chain, 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.
Contact us by email: kokotte@hub.brussels
Or join one of our online information sessions on Tuesday 25/03/25 or Thursday 03/04/25 at 12.30pm.
Kokotte 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!
Thanks 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.
The 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.
Kokotte is a hub.brussels incubator that enables individuals wishing to open a restaurant in Brussels to test their project for four months, with lower risk, lower cost, and under real conditions. This concept ‒ the only one of its kind in Europe ‒ meets the needs of aspiring restaurateurs, enabling them to face the reality of the market before a permanent opening.
Fill in the online application form by 12pm on Monday 14/04 at the latest. Once we’ve received and assessed your application, we’ll inform you if your project is eligible. If it is eligible, it will be forwarded to the jury for review. We will then let you know what time your appointment with the jury is; this will be held on Wednesday 23/04 in the hub.brussels offices (Chaussée de Charleroi 110, 1060 Brussels)
We provide support before, during and after your incubation. Our incubator serves as a genuine launching pad, allowing aspiring restaurateurs to confirm the viability of their project and their attraction to the hospitality sector. We provide them with all the keys to confidently open their permanent establishment in Brussels and maximise their chances of success. These four months of incubation are also an opportunity to quantify their project and gain confidence and credibility before meeting partners who will be essential to the long-term success of their project (banks, property owners, etc.).
The rent is €1,000/month. Group training sessions, support, and coaching are provided free of charge by hub.brussels.
Absolutely not! Our team provides you with continuous coaching tailored to your needs, at every stage of your incubation at Kokotte. It’s a true community of supportive experts and entrepreneurs who share their experiences and support each other.
Are you entitled to access the profession and/or management? Do you have (or are just about to obtain) a company number and an establishment unit? Are you sufficiently fluent in French and/or Dutch to run a restaurant? Do you offer products and a menu that adhere to fair pricing policies, i.e. suitable prices in terms of both production and sales? Do you use food products that are aligned with the Good Food strategy (sustainable, local, fresh and seasonal, preferably organic, with a vegetarian range and solutions to reduce food waste)? Are you planning to open a long-lasting restaurant in the Brussels-Capital Region? Can you cook yourself or are already partnered with a chef? If you answered “yes” to all these questions, then Kokotte is the perfect solution for testing and launching your project!
