Ízlelő

I had a dream; a place where no matter which ability is one missing, it only matters who they want to become. A place where we can live the daily cathartic experience of being served by people with disabilities. At an excellent level. This is how and why Ízlelő was created, where disabled employees are not only assisting; they are not only performing symbolic functions but they occupy all positions (except the head chef and restaurant manager), so they create real value. Nonetheless, we provide a quality gastronomy service, offering a varied and high quality food.

Hungary has one of the highest unemployment rates for individuals with disabilities in the EU. Only a third of this community find work; two-thirds of this work is segregated and often in minimum-wage manual labour, regardless of the person’s skills.

Ízlelő was founded as a restaurant in 2007 to offer an opportunity for disabled communities to work. The project works together with social workers and disabled communities to plan their careers while working for a fair wage. The restaurant training and operational structure have been designed with the cooperation of a social worker to ensure that everyone can work in all roles.

We work together with communities with disabilities and NGOs. Ízlelő is operating in municipality-owned buildings that were rented to us for long term use. Our business model is supported by Franchise Alliance, who helped us to develop our social franchise model and connect us with investors.

We started Ízlelő from six employees with disabilities to currently 34 employees with competitive salaries. Ízlelő has two locations in Szekszárd and Budapest; we are also planning to open two new restaurants. Ízlelő won many awards, but our greatest impact is the satisfaction of our employees.

Since our founding in 2007, we have expanded the restaurant three times and opened a second location in Budapest. The restaurant is currently operated as a social franchise; the Ízlelő business model can be implemented in other regions.