While Brussels bashing is rather trendy, Yves Jadot, the exile in the country of Trump (“jfinds it difficult to live in a United States like his “, he admits), extols the merits of a city where life is good.
Between Angèle, the best friend of his daughter, Adeline, who painted the decor à la Frida Khalo, his son Jabeeau who designed the musical atmosphere, the cocktails of his partner Nicolas Vignals, Yves accepted, during a his visits to Belgium, to rewind his life where Brussels has never been far from his heart.
“I have a lot of difficulty living in Donald Trump’s America”
After opening several successful restaurants and bars in New York, why did you want to create your first Horeca business in the heart of Brussels, which remains your city?
“I’m very nostalgic. For ten years, I’ve been telling my friends that I’m going to one day open a bar or a restaurant in Brussels. It’s done and I really like it.”
Your journey is atypical. Legend has it that at the age of 18 in 1986, you left Brussels for the Big Apple with $100 in your pocket?
“I had a little more than 100 dollars when I arrived in Manhattan and I had a small job and a place to live. For two years, I worked on the other side of the city. Then I moved on the jobs of waiter, bartender then I became manager of an establishment (he was the owner of the famous brand La Petite Abeille), then two,…”
We can still talk about the American dream.
“If the American dream means that it is only possible there, I say no. It is sometimes more complicated to succeed in Brussels than in New York where there are a lot of people. The competition is fierce but it It’s less difficult to impose yourself. I understand this image of the American dream but, for me, it wasn’t. I came to New York to work for a few months. I’ve been there for over 30 years. .”
Would your adventure still be possible in 2024?
“I’m often asked for advice on moving to Manhattan. I don’t have any. Today, other cities are better suited to it than New York. In the past, you could find accommodation for $500. Now it’s over. You need 3,000 bucks to rent a room in an apartment. In addition, the laws have become stricter. It used to be possible to work illegally and be paid in cash. in tips.”
“Today, other cities are better suited to success than New York”
During 38 years of presence in New York, what were your relationships with your family and friends in Belgium?
“I went back and forth. For three and a half years, I was considered illegal, and I did not return to Brussels. For fear of no longer being able to return to New York. My best friends date back to primary school. One of my brothers is a lawyer in Belgium, my mother is there too. Two brothers joined me in the States which allowed me to have fewer bouts of depression.
Yves Jadot on his son: “I am relieved that he is behind bars”
When you’re Belgian in New York, do you get homesick?
“At first yes. Especially food or beer. When I opened La Petite Abeille, it allowed me to taste our products again.”
“For three and a half years, I was considered illegal. I didn’t dare return to Belgium”
When you opened your first business, did you expect to stay this long?
“It has always been a parenthesis that has dragged on. It is only in recent years that I have realized that I have to put the brakes on. I had my head in the handlebars. It passed very quickly. At the moment, we were managing 12 establishments. That didn’t allow us to think about anything else. We worked from morning to night, we hardly took any vacations. I started to slow down by stopping the restaurants to concentrate on the restaurants. cocktail bars. I started to have a more normal life, perhaps a little too much, which made me want to start a business in my city.
Did Donald Trump’s arrival in power have an influence on your decision?
“It accelerated the process. I realized that I didn’t want to stay in a country like that. It gave voice to people who didn’t deserve to have it. Today, no one has afraid to walk around with a Confederate flag in the street. They proclaim their racism out loud, to the point that I sold my apartment in Manhattan to go to Red River, more than an hour from downtown.
When the American president called Brussels a “rathole,” did you have to defend your country’s reputation?
“More than once. I remember an anecdote around the 100% Belgian final of the US Open between Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters in 2003. It was in the middle of the Gulf War in which three countries were opposed: France, Germany and Belgium, which the White House spokesperson had described as losers. We were at the stadium as supporters with a large Belgian flag with the inscription “We are the. losers”. Belgian humor in New York The photo appeared in Paris Match. The Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, Louis Michel, called me to take a photo with the black-yellow-red flag.
You have therefore decided to open, in the company of Nicolas Vignals, your first Brussels address “Confessions” in the Chatelain district of Brussels. How did you decide on the location?
“I love the Place Sainte-Catherine district where I live when I return to Brussels. It was not recommended for me because access there has become complicated. I also explored the Sablon before opting for Ixelles , a more accessible place for those going out or coming to the city, with a strong community presence.”
How does a resident of New York judge the Brussels of 2024?
“I like it. The people of Brussels don’t always have a positive idea of their city. Certainly, there are undoubtedly events that have taken place, things that have been poorly thought out in the city center but, at the All in all, Brussels is a city on the move and a good place to live. Compare the Belgian capital to other cities in the world and the balance will be positive.
You arrive in a world of Horece which is suffering. And you open a new business…
“I’m new to Brussels. I’m going to find out. The Belgian likes to complain. We’ll see in a year.”
Would you have had the feeling of an unfinished career without an establishment in Brussels?
“With Nicolas Vignals, who worked at the Villa Lorraine, I have a quality partner. A real mixologist who creates cocktails that don’t exist elsewhere. I wanted to reproduce what I do in New York : even if the look is different (the concept is original with Frida Kahlo-inspired frescoes painted by her daughter and subtle references to religion in the decor), the comfort, the atmosphere, the product and the service make the difference.”
You have surrounded yourself in the capital with some Brussels personalities.
“There is a Brussels Café in New York. I wanted Brussels residents to invest in their city even if they are not all from the capital. The idea is not one investigator but ten of different backgrounds with an address book.”
Did your project immediately convince them?
“Some said yes from the start. Some know my establishments in New York. Others were convinced by the business plan.”
Plus, you work with family. Your daughter Adeline designed the murals and your son Jabeeau created the musical universe.
“She designed from A to Z with the influence of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. My son created a specific playlist for each cocktail. We lend you headphones and via a QR code you listen to music for 60 seconds that encompasses your cocktail. I didn’t believe it but, as an ex-mathematician, he explained to me that music could influence the feeling and even the taste of your drink.”
In the very original decor hides a famous dog Pépette, Angèle’s pet. What does this have to do with you?
“I have known Marka, his father, since I was 15 or 16 years old. He was the one who got me into nightclubs. We stayed in touch. We have known Roméo and Angèle since they were born. She is very close to my daughter Adeline.”
“The project is to open other Confessions. We are thinking of Ghent, Liège or Paris”
You have opened several bars in New York. Do you intend to imitate this model in Belgium?
“That’s the long-term goal. Ghent seems to me to be an attractive city. Liège too. Maybe Paris, London or Monaco.”
Why don’t you come back to live in Brussels?
“If I could… I still have too much business in New York. I still own 4 bars, I’m going to open a 5th. I’m working on a project in Hudson Valley. But my goal is to spend less time in the States , more in Brussels and in Europe.”
