About
Meet me
Originally from Almaty, Kazakhstan, I left my country when I was 8 years old to follow my diplomatic parents around the world. I have lived in the US, UK, Spain, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. While studying in the UK, I met my now husband and a while later, in 2009, moved to Switzerland permanently. I fell in love with this beautiful country immediately, but not its food. Back in 2009, Zürich`s food scene consisted of sushi and pasta. I had dreamed of being self-employed and moving here, opening up a new chapter in my life, was my chance.
It took me one year to write my business plan and another year to find the perfect location. In January 2012, on my birthday, I opened up my first restaurant Simply Soup in the heart of Zürich. I did not have external financing. My investors were my family. Two years later I had the chance to open a second location, and two years after that, the third one.
Over the years, Simply Soup has had a food truck, a shop in shop, a pop up. We have tried pretty much everything we could. Through a lot of trial and error, I have now built a successful, profitable restaurant with delivery and catering services as well as a webshop.
Having gone through my journey, I can tell you for certain that there are mistakes I am glad I made and there are mistakes that I know I could have avoided, if only I had the right guidance.
Bio
2011- present day
Founder and Owner, Simply Soup, Zürich, Switzerland
2023 – present day
Ambassador, Action for Women, Zürich, Switzerland and Athens, Greece
2022 – present day
Board Member, Treffpunkt am Berg, Erlenbach, Switzerland
2018 – present day
Board Member, Bossladies, Zürich, Switzerland
2009
Finance and Administration Manager, RTTI, Florence, Italy
2007-2008
MBA, SDA Bocconi, Milan, Italy
2003-2006
Bachelor in Business Administration and Law, European Business School, London, UK
Testimonials
Starting my new café business has been an incredible journey, and I couldn't have done it without Assem's amazing mentoring! From the get-go, she has been a crucial partner in shaping my venture. Her expertise in determining menu costs, setting up efficient systems, and providing top-notch advice on employee management has been invaluable. Assem's knowledge extends to all my gastro questions, and she's even connected me with quality food and beverage suppliers. What sets Assem apart is her flexibility. Our calls are tailored to fit our busy schedules, and she always focuses on what's most pressing for me at the time. Thanks to her unwavering support and guidance, my café is thriving today. If you're looking to elevate your business, I can't recommend Assem enough!
Our Happy Place, Zürich
As we were both fairly new to the gastro industry, Assem helped us navigate the HR space within the local gastronomy scene in a super efficient and simple manner. Despite the fact that Assem is a busy entrepreneur, she always takes her time for you and makes sure you get the proper help and value in order to overcome any challenges you may have, or simply grow your business further - saving you time and money. We have really enjoyed working with Assem and can only recommend her if you are setting up your business and don’t know all the ins and outs of the industry.
MOON