Entrepreneurs: they had an idea and made it a reality in Monaco

We bring you three success stories that were written in the Principality.

Different characters, but with the same desire to succeed in Monaco. Starting out with a dream, these men have done everything in their power to make theirs come true in the Principality, through determination and hard work. Here we chart their career paths, look back at their achievements and touch on their future projects.

Advertising

Léo de Bruyn: EatIn, the delivery platform made in Monaco

*Léo de Bruyn launched his business at the age of 23 – All rights reserved*

While the food home delivery giants Uber Eats and Deliveroo do not operate in the Principality, Léo de Bruyn, a Monegasque resident with Belgian nationality, came up with the good idea of developing a similar application for Monaco. He was just 23 years old and had no qualifications, not even a baccalauréat, when the “EatIn” adventure began in 2020, during the COVID crisis. It was an immediate success, so much so that the company was awarded the Princely Government Prize in the business start-up competition organised by the Jeune Chambre Economique de Monaco (JCEM – Young Economic Chamber of Monaco).

The company was soon working with restaurants, but also with other businesses such as supermarkets, pharmacies and florists, with an environmentally responsible approach. As the entrepreneur confided in a previous interview with Monaco Tribune, the company’s vehicles are “100% electric,” and unlike elsewhere, “the delivery staff are EatIn employees, not self-employed.” To bring his project to fruition, Léo was able to count on support from his mother, Ingrid, co-founder and co-manager of the start-up, who provided the initial investment. You know the saying, behind every great man…

Riccardo Giraudi: his restaurants are pleasing palates in Monaco and beyond

riccardo-giraudi-monaco-viande — *The Giraudi group boasts around forty restaurants worldwide – © Adrien Daste*

Behind the Beefbar, Song Qi, Moshi Moshi, Cantinetta Antinori and Tiny Thai, there is just one name, Giraudi. These well-known brands in the Principality were all created at the instigation of Riccardo Giraudi, Chairman of the eponymous group. Having studied finance and marketing in London, he returned to Monaco to take over the family business, founded in 1968 and specialising in the import and supply of luxury meats in Europe, but not only.

An entrepreneur through and through, he also set himself the bold challenge of opening a restaurant showcasing this high-quality meat, and that’s how the famous Beefbar was born in the Fontvieille district in the 2000s. Since then, Riccardo Giraudi has gone from strength to strength, both in Monaco and internationally. His group now boasts around forty restaurants worldwide, with a dozen in the Principality. In October 2022 and now in his 40s, he acquired the legendary African Queen in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, in partnership with Patrick Gioannini and Philippe Schriqui, and this year opened a kebab restaurant on Rue Princesse Caroline called Babek. Future projects in the Principality include ‘Le Leafbar’, a 100% vegan restaurant that is due to open very soon.

Les Treves: attracting the biggest stars to Sass’Café

sass-cafe — *The father and son team manages the Sass’Café together – © Samuel Treves via Instagram / samysass*

Opened by Salvador Treves, Sass’Café has nothing left to prove. The restaurant-club, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in September, has welcomed and continues to welcome the world’s biggest stars. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Richie, Dalida, Michael Jordan, Bono, Sean Penn, Elton John… The list of celebrities that have stepped into number 11 avenue Princess Grace is a long one. Now run by his son Samuel Treves, the recipe for success is still the same : a special welcome for clients and an unrivalled party atmosphere.

“Samy” honed his flair for entertainment alongside his father, but also his mother, a businesswoman to the core. The local boy added his own personal touch to Sass’, taking inspiration from what was proving popular across the Channel in London. Since then, he has teamed up with several well-known personalities in Monaco, such as Riccardo Giraudi (see above), with whom he opened the ‘Le bouchon’ restaurant, now called La Cantinetta, and Italy’s Flavio Briatore, for Cipriani. The entrepreneur has also worked for SBM as a consultant, and recently, in May 2021, he took on the challenge of starting his own business, alone, creating « The Niwaki », a Japanese restaurant.