Where in Comrat can you taste the dry-aged steak and selected wines from local producers?

In business since 1995, full of ideas that eventually become a profitable business. We are talking about Nicolae Cara, a native of Comrat, the founder of a restaurant in the southern part of Moldova, popular both among residents and tourists. His extensive experience in entrepreneurship has taught him that challenges make us stronger and that there are no good or bad ideas in business; you just have to try to implement them and be confident that you will succeed.

To develop his new project, he applied for a loan to Microinvest. This collaboration radically changed his opinion about financing in non-banking institutions and helped to resume his activities in the HoReCa sector in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic. He has a lot of bold ideas for the future, which he told us about over a glass of good wine and a delicious steak cooked according to a special a la Boulevard recipe in Comrat.

How did you come up with your business idea?

I started my first business 26 years ago with three friends who became my business partners. We were young and energetic, and at that time, we were carried away by the idea of creating the best nightclub in the region. And we succeeded. Freedom Disco, which we created together, has become one of the most popular nightclubs in the south of the country. It was a very valuable business experience for all of us, and with it, other ideas came as well as motivation to continue on the path of entrepreneurship with new goals.

The Boulevard Restaurant is a new gastronomic place for meat and wine lovers. What makes it different from other restaurants in the area and across the country as a whole?

I launched this project in the very center of Comrat together with one of my business partners. I fell in love with this place, and since the first day, I was sure that there should be a restaurant with a unique atmosphere and culture. Boulevard is, first of all, meat cooked according to special recipes and quality drinks, served according to European standards. We are the only restaurant in the south where visitors can taste dry-aged meat and wines from the best local producers.

Why HoReCa? What are the main weaknesses and strengths of this line of business, especially in the southern region?

HoReCa is one of the most difficult areas of business, especially in the regions. Compared to big cities with a constant stream of people, restaurants in small towns require a completely different approach to be successful and attract customers. Another task that is becoming more and more difficult every year is to find a team of professional chefs. Wages are lower here, many people leave, and it’s hard to motivate people to stay.

What special dishes can be found on the menu of the Boulevard restaurant?

In a small town like Comrat, it is unprofitable to specialize in a single cuisine. Therefore, we tried to add to our menu dishes of international cuisine that are loved all over the world: pizza, pasta, Moldovan dishes. Gagauz cuisine is the most native and close to us. We have traditional dishes on the menu: shawarma, shurpa, pilaf. The highlight for lovers of tender meat will be dry-aged steaks in various slicing options: T-bone, Ribeye, New York Stip, etc.

How important are loans for a food business operator?

I am not from a rich family, and everything I have managed to achieve has been made possible thanks to a sharp mind, loyal friends, and a good reputation. I have a lot of experience in lending, which allows me to understand where to take credit and where not. Unfortunately, we small entrepreneurs are not interesting to banks. They want to see turnover and specific collateral to give a larger amount. The main problem of business is underfunding. Thus, the only chance for us are institutions like Microinvest. There they understood me and believed in my idea, and it helped me to develop my business.

In conclusion, what advice would you give to entrepreneurs who are planning to apply for a loan?

Do not give vent to your emotions when you have a large sum of money on hand. It’s stupid to take out a business loan and buy expensive things like cars or phones. Invested money must bring new money, that’s the only way to succeed in business. You also need to know what is worth investing in and be sure that the product offered will be of interest to customers. But everything comes with experience. In fact, the business is like a constructor. To build it, you need to put all the pieces in place and calculate the risks.

P.S. When in the south, be sure to visit the Boulevard restaurant with delicious steaks and selected wines in Comrat, 203a Lenin Street.

*Microinvest is the only NBLI in Moldova that holds SMART International Quality Certificate. It implies a responsible and transparent lending process, based on international principles of customer service, respectful, fair, and equitable approach.

By subscribing to the newsletter, you express your free and unconditional consent to receive news, messages, promotions and other informative messages from Microinvest at the indicated e-mail address. For more details, access the privacy policy.

Other news

Stay on top of all the action

"Lending opens doors to new opportunities and business development" – Aliona Tiskovskii, founder of Azalia flower store in Balti, Microinvest client. 5 April 2024 To learn more

"If you have the desire, you will find the way to success" – Ina Rusu, founder of Vestiti brand, Microinvest client 28 March 2024 To learn more

"Entrepreneurs are increasingly informed and responsible about investing" – Daniela Crețu, Office Coordinator at Microinvest 22 March 2024 To learn more

Cauți un job ca să-ți începi cariera? Află istoriile de succes a 3 tineri care au făcut primii pași în carieră la Microinvest 19 March 2024 To learn more

The world champion in kickboxing, Nicolae Deleu, develops sports in the regions of Moldova, with the support of Microinvest 14 March 2024 To learn more

Client's Name
Client's Surname
Personal Identity Number
Currency
Term
Rate
Amount
Monthly payment
Amount to receive
Purpose
Comments

1. Name and Contact Information of the Creditor
Creditor
Address
Phone number
Email Address
Web page

3. Costs of the credit
Rates related to the credit
Annual Percentage Rate of Charge (APR) This is the total cost expressed as an annual percentage of the total amount of credit. The APR is there to help you compare different offers	%
In order to obtain the loan in accordance with the agreed terms and conditions, it is mandatory to conclude an insurance contract to guarantee the loan or a contract for another ancillary service.
Related costs
Any other costs deriving from the credit agreement	Fee for services rendered in relation to usage of credit, calculated and paid as follows: of the credit and paid by the Debtor on the date of granting the credit from own sources or is deducted by the Creditor from the amount of the credit The negotiation / prolongation of the credit can take place by mutual agreement of the parties, by signing an additional agreement, the Creditor being entitled to request an increase in the interest rate within the limits provided by the legislation in force. In case of negotiation / prolongation of the loan, the Borrower shall pay to the Creditor, at the date of the negotiation / prolongation a commission in the amount of 2% from the credit balance at the time of negotiation / prolongation.
Conditions under which the costs related to the credit agreement can be changed	The Sides can change the costs related to the credit by written agreement signed by both parties; For the non-constitution of the guarantees within the agreed term, the Creditor is entitled to calculate, and the Client will pay to the Creditor an Interest of delay in the amount of 5% annually, applied to of the daily balance for each day of delay, starting with the date following the term established for the constitution of the guarantee/ s and until the date of the proper execution of the respective obligation.
Obligation to pay for notarial fees / mortgage registration fees / fees for noting the prohibition of pledge in the Transport Register related to the pledge of means of transport (agricultural machinery)	Paid by the Client , except as otherwise provided in the pledge / mortgage agreement.
The cost for the valuation of real estate proposed in pledge	Paid by the Client directly to the Evaluator
Costs in the case of late payments Missing payments could have severe consequences for you (e.g. forced sale) and make obtaining credit more difficult
The repayment of the loan is free of charge in the secondary offices of the Creditor, as well as at the discretion of the Debtor through the representatives authorized to collect loan payments. The list of which and their fees are published on the website of the Creditor (www.microinvest.md/cum-achiti-creditul/). In case the Debtor use payment methods with fee, the Debtor cover all the costs of repayment of the loan and undertake to make the payments in such a way that the Creditor receives the agreed repayment amount and without any deductions by third parties processing the refund payment.
In accordance with and arising from the provisions of art. 15, para. 7), lit. a) from Law no. 202/2013, any payments related to the granted credit (commissions, taxes, penalties, late interest and any other type of payment), except interest, will be applied and collected within the limit of the ceiling of 0.04% of the total value of the credit per credit day multiplied by the number of days of actual use of the credit (hereinafter 'Ceiling'). Therefore, the Lender will be entitled to apply and collect the costs, excluding interest, exactly in the fixed or percentage amount established in the contract if the said ceiling allows, and if the ceiling is lower than the value of at least one cost, excluding interest, then the Lender will be entitled to reduce the fixed/percentage amount and apply and collect any of the applicable costs only within the limit of the ceiling value. When calculating the ceiling, the costs already applied and collected will be taken into account, with the exception of interest, which reduces its value. (Representative example: if the amount of the penalty is 20 MDL per day, and the ceiling value at that time is 16 MDL, then a maximum of 16 MDL will be collected).

4. Other important legal aspects
Right of withdrawal You have the right to withdraw from the credit agreement within a period of 14 calendar days	Yes
Early repayment You have the right to repay the credit early at any time in full or partially	Yes
The creditor is entitled to compensation in the case of early repayment The Debtor may repay the loan in full or in part in advance, notifying the Creditor in writing 3 days in advance, and paying an early repayment fee of:	% from early repaid amount, if the period of time between the date of early repayment and convened maturity exceeds one year; % from early repaid amount.The early repayment can be made only if the Debtor has no outstanding debts on interest or other amounts to be paid in accordance with the Contract. % from early repaid amount, if the period of time between the date of early repayment and convened maturity does not exceed one year.
Database usage The creditor must inform you immediately and without charge of the result of a consultation of a database, if a credit application is rejected on the basis of such a consultation. This does not apply if the provision of such information is prohibited by law or is contrary to objectives of public policy or public security The parties may agree on additional terms and conditions, which will be included in the credit agreement.	Yes
Right to a draft credit agreement You have the right, upon request, to obtain a copy of the draft credit agreement free of charge. This provision does not apply if the creditor, at the time of the request, is unwilling to proceed to the conclusion of the credit agreement with you	Yes
The period of time during which the creditor is bound by the pre-contractual obligations	This offer is valid for 15 calendar days after it is issued.
In this regard, I subsequently declare that: I was provided with the necessary information, the essential characteristics of the above-mentioned credit product were explained (interest rate, number of commissions, credit costs, early repayment conditions, total amount to be paid), as well as the consequences of non-compliance with contractual clauses; the costs included in the total cost of the loan were explained to me, including the costs for ancillary services related to the credit agreement; I was offered the possibility to negotiate individually the contractual clauses in the credit agreement that I intend to sign, I negotiated individually the granting commission, the monthly commission, the amount of penalties and I mention that its clauses do not disadvantage me, being fair in the report mine with the creditor; I was asked by the creditor about the probable importance of the information provided and whether essential circumstances that I expected to be provided were not omitted in order to make an informed and rational decision about concluding the potential credit agreement. the information provided and the corresponding explanations allowed me to assess, including the personal analysis of other offers of third party creditors, whether the proposed credit agreement is tailored to my needs and financial situation; I know the content of the contract and all its conditions have been explained to me, I have understood and accepted them, and the documents and information underlying the conclusion of the contract are complete and accurate; I know the law, the normative acts that will govern the contract, as well as the lack of consumer quality; I have no ambiguities or misunderstandings regarding the terms of the contract; the credit product corresponds to the purpose described above and will be used according to the destination and the economic activity carried out. The assets procured/resulted/constructed/repaired from received loan sources will be registered/transmitted in the social capital of the company where my business activity is carried out and/or will be used jointly by the members or individually however strictly for running my business activity. (Signature)