Nenad Urosevic, 32, relocated to Georgia, last year; bringing over 15 years of global experience in hospitality, and a suitcase filled with ambition.
He wasted no time in opening Patio Café, together with his partner Manoochehr, with whom he shares the same passion for good food and company. Patio Café is located inside of Lokal – the popular city-centre co-living and co-working space.
Nenad, tell us about yourself?
“I love what I do. I’m passionate about quality ingredients and excellent service. I have a weird sense of humour and love to look at things on the bright side. I believe knowledge is the key – with constant self-improvement we always end up somewhere better.
“My background in the food and beverage industry began in Serbia where I helped out in a bar. From there, I went on to work in the USA, Spain, Qatar and Dubai. By the time I left Dubai, I’d worked my way up to General Manager before landing in Georgia; setting my sights on specialty coffee, and opening a café.
Tell us about Patio Café and its menu?
“Patio Café is offering an urban escape in the centre of Tbilisi. A dog-friendly, green environment that opens every day from 10am-11pm, with designated spaces for smokers and non-smokers.
“Our menu offers eggs benedict for breakfast, a Serbian-style homemade burger, fresh bagels, and craft beer – together with snacks, juices and specialty coffee.”
Tell us about the entertainment…
“We’re famous for it! You can play darts, or pass the time with something from our vast collection of card games and board games: Monopoly, Pandemic, Chess, Uno, Dos, Splendor, Dominoes, and more.
“We host BBQs and craft beer festivals in addition to our Thursday movie night, and Wednesday games night. We publish all of the latest information about our events on our Facebook and Instagram pages.”
How are you dealing with COVID-19 regulations?
“Lokal’s owner, Candy, is a former nurse from America. She developed some rules for taking extra precautions in order to keep the area safe for our customers and staff. Common areas, including tables, are sanitised with bleach every 2 hours, and we use dishwasher settings that ensure everything is sterilised. Of course, we wear masks, and take temperatures by the entrance, too.”
Why did you decide to open a new café during a pandemic, when many places are closing?
“Honestly, because everybody else is afraid. I think the sooner people take action the sooner everything will go back to normal. I think we should encourage people to take some bold steps; it’s easy to be scared, it’s easy to hide but people should never be afraid to work. If Patio Cafe becomes successful, in the middle of the pandemic, we will encourage others to take some bold steps, too. It’s about having passion, for what you do, and going for it.”