OrNormes Kitchen, the flagship of a number of Brussels city-centre brands, has been one of the most active creators of catering concepts in the city for some years now. Its catalogue includes popular addresses on Rue de l’Ecuyer: Ricotta & Parmesan, Zotte Mouche and Uniko. Three restaurants, three concepts, but also three successes that validate the vision of the two partners, Renaud Waeterloos and David Debin: to offer tourists and locals a dining experience to remember, even if it means sometimes breaking with the codes of the sector.
Inventing meal memories
OrNormes Kitchen officially filed its articles of association in 2019, but its history takes root much earlier, 20 years to be precise, with the opening of Ricotta & Parmesan. Renaud Waeterloos’ first vision. After a string of jobs in the kitchens of some of Brussels’ top gastros, he imagined an ultra-convivial Italian trattoria that would break away from tradition and allow customers to choose a type of pasta and match it with the sauce of their choice. Penne carbonara, gnocchi al ragù, …. A heresy in Italy, a popular success in Brussels for 25 years. In June 2021, after several years of gestation, OrNormes will give birth to its second nugget, Zotte Mouche, a festive Belgian bistro with a “New Year’s atmosphere” every evening. Last but not least, Uniko, the Osteria & Vinoteca de Ricotta & Parmesan, will serve its first risottos in September 2022 and, under the guise of epicureanism, will give pride of place to the best cured meats and wines from the Botte.
Think sustainable to save money
With the opening of these two new locations, Ornormes has had to completely rethink its production system, “to do more and do it better”. Everything now takes place in Evere, in a Brucity workshop powered 100% by green energy produced on site. As well as saving energy, this centralised production model is proving to be a virtuous circle for every stage in the chain, from raw product to plate. The number of deliveries is halved, waste is reduced and easier to sort, and for the customer, the quality of the recipes remains constant every day of the year. OrNormes sources as much of its raw materials as possible from Belgian producers, even if for some products it has to resort to a few infidelities, as Belgium is not exactly an Eldorado “when you’re cooking more than a tonne and a half of tomatoes a month”.
“hub.brussels is a goldmine for young hospitality project holders, both as a resource centre and for its networks”.
A certain vision of Hospitality
It’s a fact that Brussels’ tourist appeal has been riding a wave of hype for the last 20 years. And the quality of the capital’s catering offer is certainly no stranger to this trend. Renaud and David, who have a front-row seat to witness this development, are also noticing less competition and more mutual aid in this microcosm of ‘colleagues‘. It’s in this spirit that David takes part in the hub.brussels networking events, “you always meet people who share the same issues, it helps you move forward”. Will he be opening another restaurant in the coming months? It’s possible… but not in Brussels. OrNormes is now looking to export its existing brands beyond the ring by offering ‘full package’ franchises for Zotte Mouche and Ricotta & Parmesan. Partnerships with the brewer and the fresh pasta producer have been concluded, “white papers have been written“, and the first touches have already been made in Belgium and northern France… The adventure continues.
