Zsendovits Ábel

Ruin pub owner, association president, community builder

Ábel is a leading figure in the community-building hospitality scene in Budapest and one of the 50 most influential people in Hungarian tourism. Together with his partners, they opened the new concept Szimpla Café in the early 2000s, followed by Szimpla Garden: a model of organic development in the Hungarian hospitality industry. With the help of three partners and family support, he started his business with only a few million HUF, the unparalleled success of which has led to the development of an internationally renowned network of ruin pubs in Budapest, which also hosts important social events. Ábel is a well-known media personality, opinion leader and president of the Association for a Living Erzsébetváros. His international experience in the hospitality industry, which he has put to good use in starting up his own business in Hungary, was gained in the USA,