Success stories

For Gynejt Bajra, restaurants were never just places to eat and drink. For him, restaurants are places where people can come together, meet, experience something and create memories and moments. That's why he always dreamed of opening a bistro bar in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, that would offer all this in one place. "The idea is to make customers feel that the bistro bar is a culinary and social experience, not just a place where they can eat and drink something," Gynejt explains. He realised his dream after completing his exchange programme in Cagliari, Italy, at University Man's Bar/Restaurant.

Gynejt was one of many young entrepreneurs from Kosovo that benefited from the Erasmus New Entrepreneur Exchange Program and was supported by the Innovation Center of Kosovo. Now he is opening his own bistro with a very special taste. "Our location, our offers, service, architecture, and design will stimulate just about all of the senses of our customers and assure their well-being and a wish to return,” he says. What makes his bistro unique, however, is the combination of Kosovar and Italian cuisine, a combination that unites the two countries in one place and is the direct result of his experience in Cagliari, where his host Manuel Marras shared tips and ideas with him and also benefited directly from the exchange. Among other things, Manuel also learned that Kosovars and Italians have a lot in common. "It was very interesting to discover and experience the historical and cultural similarities.

"Thanks to this exchange we have already been able to increase our online sales in Cagliari", Manuel tells. At the same time, Gynejt appreciates everything he has learned from him. "From my experience so far I’ve grown to learn that knowledge transfer, sharing ideas, and receiving feedback are among the main pillars for success. This exchange program has given me the opportunity to receive suggestions and feedback from people that are already running a business in my field of interest, which has helped me develop my business idea further and given me the necessary skills to achieve sustainable results,” Gynejt states. The experience he had abroad has helped him to improve his ability to understand the needs of clients with different backgrounds and preferences, which is a factor that he now considers to be very important in attracting new clients and expanding his business.