Marian Porumb, Managing Partner, Dot: Each product was unique, our signature. The pandemia deleted the initial success with the sponge, but we quickly adapted to stay on the market.
♦ Marian Porumb bet on DOT, a breakfast and brunch restaurant, which became one of the most «instagmable» places in Cluj. Marian Porumb works in Horeca since high school, and after in 2011 he became the best bartender in Romania, five years later he won the world title. He continued as an employee until he became tiring to work in the evening, so in 2019 he opened his own business – DOT (District of Toast), a breakfast and brunch restaurant, with special attention for the local products – from Ţuică Up to various specific cheeses, modern reinterpretations of traditional Romanian preparations. «I think the best promotion comes from our customers. When someone leaves delighted and recommends us, it is the most valuable advertisement. In addition, we put a great emphasis on Instagram, followed by Facebook and Tiktok. We work with a small, but very skilled team, which deals with the content, and the results are seen, «says Marian, who came in DOT including the extensive experience accumulated in hospitality, while his partner Claudiu is the financial manager. . At first Dot (District of Toast) had in the menu preparations like Clujentine eggs, the peasant pie of Dot, the omelette with a nasty house with plum and pumice or toast with vegan eggs from Amaranth. But about a year after the opening the pandemia took it by surprise, so they had to adapt quickly. Thus, they invested in their own platform, dotdelivery.ro, where they offer various dishes and spreads in the jar, but also some traditional Romanian drinks, prepared by them. The products delivered in Cluj-Napoca include for example Pulled Beef in the jar, eggs of quail, parmesan cream with walnut, cashew cheese, chemichurri (steak sauce, n.-red omelets), but also pesto from local greens. «We focused on simple dishes, but which require a lot of time to be cooked at home, and we were successful,» Marian says. He mentions that at national level DOT also delivers traditional drinks, but also their famous cocktail, a drink with Zetea, spices, shock and ginger beer. «Each product was unique, our signature. The pandemic has wiped the initial success with sponge, but we quickly adapted to stay on the market, ”says the entrepreneur, who adds that even 2024 was not without challenges. DOT customers are, says Marian, are brunch lovers and all-day breakfast, young people from Millennials and Gen Z, who are looking for «instagmable» places, but also passionate about gastronomy and traditional products reinterpreted. Further, the two young people want to launch a new product: lemon for lemonade, intended exclusively for Horeca customers, at a competitive price, but also explore partnerships with marketplace for their traditional liqueurs and collaborations with other complementary businesses. . «One of my personal goals is to open a dot in Bucharest or Budapest. I think we still have to learn and improve our working style, but I think in three years we will be prepared to take this step, «said Marian Porumb.
For other news, analyzes, articles and information from real -time business follows the financial newspaper on WhatsApp Channels