Raise the Bar Academy

He started his career as a barista at the 42 Coffee Co. bar, but soon continued to perfect his barista and bartender skills at the Dežman bar. As a bar consultant, he worked at Jägerhorn Hotel in Zagreb and the One Suite Hotel in Dubrovnik. He is most renowned as the head bartender of the former Aperitivo bar. His immense love for cocktails and years of experience in the hospitality sector encouraged Kruno to initiate the Croatian Modern Classic competition, which connects nineteen bars in Croatia and more than thirty top bartenders in the country. He continues to work on projects that popularize the cocktail scene and established Wunder Bar, a bar consulting agency dedicated to increasing the number of exquisite bartenders and bars in Croatia. Kruno attends the Faculty of Economics at the University of Zagreb.

He is one of the pioneers of craft beer in Croatia and the founder and main administrator of the web profile pivarstvo.info, which was started in 2007. He organizes numerous domestic and international competitions for craft breweries and is a regular judge at international competitions. Before becoming an entrepreneur, for seven years he worked as a developer at Interactive d.o.o. and for three years he was acquiring experience in the production of composites and special parts for racing cars and aircraft. Andrej attended the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology and the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology in Zagreb. Years of experience in home brewing encouraged Andrej to establish Zmajska pivovara, the first craft brewery in Croatia, with the desire to offer innovative and different beers and to set new benchmarks in the market. The confirmation that Andrej Čapka and his team are on the right road came in the very first year of business – Zmajska pivovara became one of the top ten newly opened breweries in the world in 2015.

She acquired her degree at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management. The degree in brand management was acquired at Filaks business school in Zagreb, while her skillset was later supplemented by the globally recognized sommelier course WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) of the second level. More than eighteen years of experience in management in the hospitality sector were dedicated to restaurants, bistros and bars, to shaping their image, educating their staff and developing the drink and bar food offer. Her most important projects include developing and introducing the brands Dežman bar and Dežman Mini Bar in Zagreb and creating the Lokal Bar In One brand, a bar at the One Suite Hotel. At the same time, she was involved in the entire One Suite Hotel project, which has received an award at the International Hospitality Awards 2017 in Kiev in the category Opening of the Year in Europe. She also wrote columns for the gastronomy portal Buro 24/7 for a year.

Croatian sommelier champion, the first Croatian sake certified sommelier, certified by the Sake Sommelier Association (SSA) and manager and co-owner of Noel, the first restaurant in Zagreb with a Michelin star. Ivan studied to become a chef. After working as a chef for three years, he shifted to the position of a waiter. In 2011, he became one of the first sommeliers with a diploma from the Croatian Sommelier Club operating in line with the standards of the International Sommelier Association (ASI). He is a recipient of numerous recognitions and certificates, one of the most prominent of which is the international diploma complying with the ASI standards, which is currently held by less than ten people in Croatia. Through constant development and growth, Ivan positioned himself as one of the key people in Croatian restaurants.

He started his career as a waiter during his studies, finding himself behind the espresso machine by the action of “force majeure”. After shortly reflecting on whether to pursue a career in the hospitality industry, he decided to enroll into educational modules at Cogito Coffee where his views on coffee changed and the door to a new world opened.
He worked as the head barista in “Garden Bar” in Zaprešić, where he further strengthened his knowledge and skills. Thanks to his mentors, his knowledge grew resulting in numerous awards at competitions and eventually SCA diplomas. He also spent some time volunteering and helping his mentor Karel Purić (Four Wheel Coffee Roasters) in his roaster to further expand his knowledge and fully enter the world of coffee.