From the 60th Burger King to Lila29, including Insieme...

NOW OPEN - From the high-rise bar to the ever-increasing franchise, from the small neighborhood spot to the Michelin-starred restaurant, a brief glimpse of the places that have just opened.

Welcome to this second episode of Now Open . Through this short watch, Gondola Foodservice is helping to map what's making the sector tick. By identifying the players who are (re)defining the Belgian culinary landscape.

On today's menu: a direct flight to Sardinia, a restaurant that transforms itself during construction, a neighborhood trattoria in the heart of historic Namur...

The youngest franchisee in the network opens the 60th Burger King in Belgium

At 29, Pietro Rinaldi Jr. became the youngest franchisee of the fast food chain by recently opening the 60th Whopper flagship store in Belgium in La Louvière . He is following in the footsteps of his father, who took the same step in the early 1990s by taking over the management of the Quick restaurant in Haine-Saint-Pierre.

This new BK Louviérois can accommodate 140 customers, including the terrace, creating around forty local jobs. This positive impact on the economy should be replicated any day now in Binche, with a new opening of the same size.

The continued rollout of the "flame-cooked burger" franchise in our country highlights another interesting development: almost 10% of Burger King customers in Belgium now opt for the vegetarian alternative (compared to 25% in the Nordic markets).

A one-way ticket to Sardinia from Verviers

Former La Cucina owners Federico Pilloni and Chloé Corman have opened their new establishment just a few meters from their previous location. From a "nearly finished" Martyr Square, La Sardegna invites you on a culinary journey through Italy , with a particular emphasis on typical Sardinian flavors. The menu features homemade dishes and fresh produce, most of which comes directly from the second-largest island in the Mediterranean.

Behind this brand is Verviers-based real estate developer Jean-Pol Bollette, a local heritage enthusiast who has made it his mission to preserve buildings of historical and industrial value while revitalizing his hometown.

A neighborhood trattoria… in the historic center of Namur

Both trained at the Citadel of Namur hotel school, Serena Borli and Mathias Grandmont opened their very first restaurant at the beginning of April, also inspired by Italian traditions: Insieme , a unifying name since it means "together" in the language of Dante.

Customers have since given them a warm welcome. One piece of feedback particularly struck them: "We feel at home." This fulfills the two young restaurateurs' wish to pass on their legacy.

The couple pays great attention to fresh produce and homemade dishes, with a menu that changes with the seasons. They don't mess around with wine either. "Non c'è pasto senza vino," they joke at Insieme, to the point of clarifying this on their social media.

Passionate about oenology, Serena has created a wine list with her suppliers that takes you on a journey from Sicily to Puglia, via Piedmont.

Restaurants that adapt as the work progresses

"After 22 wonderful years by your side, Au Fil du Temps is temporarily closing its doors while work is carried out on the Place de la Gare in Dottignies. When they announced this at the end of May, Pierre Vanlaere and his team weren't throwing in the towel just yet. In the meantime, they've transformed the former delicatessen on Rue de France into a new brasserie, Sur le fil .

New concept, new menu, with classics of the genre at an affordable price. "The hospitality industry is constantly evolving, and customer expectations are evolving," Bastien Vandaele, who runs the kitchen, explains to Sudinfo . Open from Thursday to Sunday, the venue can accommodate nearly 110 customers (including around fifty on the terrace). With the option of renting or privatizing, even partially.

Dishes to share, responsibilities too

After more than a decade behind the scenes at the Michelin-starred Attablez-vous, chef Charles Jeandrain couldn't resist the renovation of a former bistro in the Namur pedestrian zone to launch a new concept: PARTAGE .

At Le Partage, the heart of the project isn't haute cuisine, but rather family-style dishes, changing with the arrivals, to be shared, naturally. "Partage returns to simple and authentic cuisine to guarantee a moment of pleasure for all," explains the chef.

And the notion of sharing doesn't stop at the plate, since it's the young people from Attablez-vous who are in charge. Sharing experiences, sharing responsibilities, sharing successes? To be continued.

On the roof of Brussels, “high-flying” Iberian flavors

Perched above the Northern Quarter, on the twenty-ninth floor of the The Standard hotel chain recently installed in a WTC tower, the “rooftop restaurant” Lila29 marries

"bold Iberian touches," dared by Californian chef Alex Joseph, and panoramic views of the capital. All in an undulating interior design, expressed by Belgian architect Bernard Dubois, who represented our colors at the Venice Architecture Biennale.

Alongside cecina de león , pan de cristal and other Manchego-style croquetas , Lila29 offers a mixology that is also out of the ordinary, combining Cuban rum and pomegranate, mezcal and saffron paprika.

Previously on Now Open:

• The 120th McDonald's in Belgium

• The Nano, to the power of 3

• Chaga, next-level cuisine… at the Faubourg21 Hotel

Are you about to open the doors of your establishment? Have you just inaugurated it? Let us know! We'll help you share the good news. Contact us to provide us with all the relevant information.