Gastronomy is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Long days, high pressure, hardly any breaks. What do you love about this life so much that you choose it every day?

As hard as the work is, the feeling of accomplishment at the end of an evening, when you have been able to delight your guests with culinary experiences, is always worth it. You could compare it to a theater performance: our guests enter our establishment expecting much more than just a meal — they expect an experience. From 6 to 10 p.m., we function like a football team, everyone giving their all to make it the best possible evening for our guests. Excellent bottles of wine are opened, we get to serve extraordinary culinary creations again and again, and celebrate the evening together. It is simply fun.

You say that a restaurant does not only serve food — but emotions. What needs to be right for a guest to truly feel that when they walk through the door?

The decisive factor is not the food alone; all the senses need to be stimulated. The guest looks around a lovingly designed space, with a grand piano, flowers and candles creating a golden-yellow light — this creates an atmosphere of comfort. They feel the high-quality, soft leather armchair they are sitting in, smell spices and high-quality products, and hear pleasant, quiet lounge music in the background. I welcome my guests with open arms, many of them also know each other, and the atmosphere is warm, familiar and has something of a living room about it. The enjoyment should be maximized, and that means more than just taste.

BONNA in Bad Nenndorf carries both of your names: Bojan and Ana. Naming a restaurant after yourselves is a bold statement. What does that mean to you — and what standards does it set for you every day?

Yes, that’s right, you recognized that well. Bonna is made up of Bojan and Ana, while at the same time it has a sound that is not unfamiliar. “Bona” from Latin, whether “buona,” “bonne” or “bom” today, means something good to us Europeans and also simply stands for tasty food. When Bonna opened in March 2022, Plaza had already existed for twelve years, and it was important to us to give our guests a sense of security; that we stand behind this new establishment and, on the one hand, offer a new concept while on the other hand maintaining our standards of quality. Bonna was intended to offer a new, relaxed bistro atmosphere, with pizza & co. on the menu. The decision is also closely connected to the fact that Bonna is a family business through and through — Bojan and I as hosts, my father-in-law and my younger daughter at the counter, and my older daughter as head of service. At home, we plan every day what needs to be considered the following day. Which guests are coming, what needs to be taken into account for each of them. Guest satisfaction is the top priority — and even more so when your own name is behind it.

You say that a restaurant does not only serve food — but emotions. What needs to be right for a guest to truly feel that when they walk through the door?

The decisive factor is not the food alone; all the senses need to be stimulated. The guest looks around a lovingly designed space, with a grand piano, flowers and candles creating a golden-yellow light — this creates an atmosphere of comfort. They feel the high-quality, soft leather armchair they are sitting in, smell spices and high-quality products, and hear pleasant, quiet lounge music in the background. I welcome my guests with open arms, many of them also know each other, and the atmosphere is warm, familiar and has something of a living room about it. The enjoyment should be maximized, and that means more than just taste.

You get involved yourself, you know your guests, you are present. In a world where hospitality is becoming increasingly anonymous — is this closeness a philosophy for you or simply who you are?

It developed that way over time. In the early days of Plaza, we felt the pressure to make everything perfect, to provide perfect, unobtrusive service. Gradually, it became clear that the personal connection mattered much more to our guests than perfection. By now, our presence has become part of the concept, but it is also simply natural for all of us.

Two restaurants, two children, a life you have built entirely yourself. When you think of the woman in Serbia who did not yet know that any of this would happen — what would you tell her?

As a young person who came to a foreign country back then without speaking the language, without knowing anyone except my partner and without any certainty about the future, I often doubted whether I had made the right decisions. At this crossroads, left or right? And what if I have now taken the wrong turn? It eats away at you, not being able to predict what lies ahead. Today, I would advise that girl: Trust your gut feeling. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Follow your heart. Do what makes you happy and surrender yourself to your life decisions, then success and happiness will come almost by themselves.

What should a guest feel when they leave your restaurant — not think, but feel?

Butterflies in their stomach!

In the two or three hours that a guest spends with us, they experience “wellness” for the senses. They should feel as though they have experienced a day of vacation and feel the desire to come back soon. Good gastronomy touches the heart. That is our passion. Making happy people even happier.