Not sure if you’re following us on Instagram or Facebook, but you may have noticed our big announcement: we will be opening Šodó, a bistro in the Dejvice district (which is roughly where we live), with Gabi and Petr, aka PG Foodies, of Etapa. We will be hiring in September, and we hope to welcome you all in our new place some time in November.
We’re sure you’re having questions. Let’s answer some of them.
How the heck do you pronounce this thing?
You pronounce it „sho-doh“. (Basically the first syllable of „chauffeur“ with the last syllable of „Bordeaux“. And no, it’s not a French restaurant.)
WHAT WILL IT BE?
A small (smaller than you think) neighbourhood bistro with a welcoming vibe, specialty coffee, a small menu with tasty breakfast, a few lunch dishes, and later some easy fare that goes well with wine. And baking. And alcohol - Jan has insisted. It’s a celebration of the local tastes we’ve known and loved since our childhoods, mixed with a few inspirations through our travels. All that wrapped in a streamlined concept manageable with just a few members of great staff.
How it started?
So the year is 2021 and we are getting pretty desperate. Taste of Prague relies on open restaurants and open borders, and this was the second year we weren’t getting either of those things. So we were thinking, we need to so something else, something for the locals, too.
Our initial idea? A great grocery shop with great local produce and awesome things from abroad we tasted in our travels. We found a really nice place that reminded us of the small town shops of our childhoods. And with great landlords who loved the idea and gave us full support.
Turns out small grocery shops are very, very, very hard to do. But we still loved the space, and the landlords. Enter Gabi and Petr. They were playing with the idea of opening a new space, and were even scouting locations in Dejvice. Maybe they might like our space? Take it over from us? Let’s ask!
Turns out they liked the space. And the idea of running a small bistro… with us! Okay, a few deep breaths, we’re in.
How it’s going?
You mean except the sleepless nights and the anxiety and the self-doubt? Oh, it’s going splendid.
Anyway, we are now finishing the shell and core part of the reconstruction. The place is tiny (I think we bought a dozen chairs?) but was an office so needs to be converted and approved as a place to eat. We’re choosing the fit out and finishes, the kitchen equipment, the coffee infrastructure. We hope to be opening in November. Did we mention the sleepless nights and anxiety?
We are also trying to figure out how to make great things on such a small footprint. But hey, if Atelier September can cook on a single counter and still have lines outside of the joint, there must be a way. The concept should be very simple, manageable with just a few members of staff.
Speaking of staff, we will be hiring very, very soon. If you know anyone who’d love to become a part of the team and set sail on a joint adventure with us, let us know.
Oh yeah, and the address is Wucherlova 1. It’s not on the main street but hey, that did not stop Etapa from being a hit. The street is quiet, near the Praha-Dejvice train station, and there’s trees, benches, a nice square and a playground all nearby. We love the vibe.
What the heck is Šodó, anyway?
If you didn’t grow up here, šodó is, broadly speaking, vanilla custard that used to be a staple of Czech school cafeteria lunches. Basically a bunch of baked buns served in a plate of the custard. Everybody wanted more šodó, right? So that’s why.