As ECDI reflects on 20 years of service, we want to celebrate the success of an early client, Jean-François Flechet, founder of Taste of Belgium, a Cincinnati-based restaurant group.
In 2007, Belgian-born Jean-François Flechet started Taste of Belgium in Cincinnati’s historic Findlay Market with little more than a dream. “I brought up one waffle iron from Belgium to see if people would like the waffles I grew up with,” Flechet said. It turns out they loved them. The waffles became popular fast. “The next step was I cashed out my IRA and bought 10 tons of sugar,” Flechet said. “Then we built the sturdiest waffle iron ever built.”
Flechet wanted to expand his unique concept, but was turned away when he tried to get a loan through a traditional bank. As an economist himself with multiple degrees, this baffled him. Flechet jokingly refers to himself as the world’s most educated waffle baker.
Fortunately, Flechet discovered ECDI. In 2009, Flechet got a $45,000 loan through ECDI to open up a location at Columbus’ North Market. He hired seven workers. His very first customer in Columbus was Jeni Britton of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. Soon, the line for his waffles went around the market.
In 2014, Flechet got another loan through ECDI to open a location in Cincinnati’s up-and-coming Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. “We opened that location thanks to ECDI. Nobody else would lend us money. ECDI has been the most influential partner that we’ve had,” he said.
Taste of Belgium now has nine locations, over 600 employees, and over 50 stores sell Flechet’s special-recipe waffles featuring pearl sugar. Taste of Belgium’s menu expanded to include beer, fried chicken, and sandwiches. While Fletchet’s unique creations, such as lemon-poppy and S’mores-flavored waffles and caramel apple & walnut crêpes, have made Taste of Belgium a hit in multiple parts of Ohio and Kentucky, the flavors aren’t the only uncommon thing about Flechet’s business.
“We offer a 401k program called ‘Retire Like a Belgian.’ We pay a higher percentage to employees than our competitors. 50% extra to workers and 70% more to managers, and the executive team makes an extra 95%. We were offering health insurance long before Obamacare,” Flechet said. When the economy stabilizes, Flechet hopes to offer paid vacation to all his workers. This model has been critical to Taste of Belgium’s success.
“As an economist from a country with more social protection than the US, I find it shocking that in the US, working in a restaurant often carries the perception of being merely a server until finding a ‘real’ job,” Flechet said. “Hospitality is not commonly seen as a respected career path here, unlike in Europe where professions like being a barista in Italy or a server in Belgium or France where these roles are considered skilled labor, and individuals pursue them as their chosen career.
"My vision is to elevate these positions into careers people can be proud of. I want people to aspire to work at Taste of Belgium, viewing hospitality as a serious profession. We prioritize hiring the best talent, offering excellent benefits in a supportive atmosphere without the cliché of chefs screaming in the kitchen at everyone.”
Soon, Taste of Belgium will open a full bistro at the Cincinnati airport. After years of growth, Flechet wants to focus on consistency across his existing locations. “I want to make sure everything is profitable. We’re still recovering from the financial effects of COVID in this industry. Then we’ll look to expand, possibly back to Columbus, maybe further into Kentucky, and we’re talking about Indiana,” he said.
From Taste of Belgium’s humble beginnings to its current success, Flechet has remained committed to his team. For instance, his Director of Training started as a server and has been with the company for over 12 years. “What I love most is to give people opportunities,” Flechet said. “We opened our second restaurant because we had so many good people at our first restaurant who had nowhere to go! I’ve gotten to see so many good people grow with us.”
