Web(and) Talks with Hangout

Darina Stanoilova and Ventsislav Trenchev are the founders of Hangout - a 3-in-1 "chameleon" space in Blagoevgrad, right across from the American University. In the morning Hangout works as a specialty coffee shop and brunch spot, in the afternoon it turns into a co-working space full of students with laptops, and in the evening - into a cocktail bar with signature drinks and a different atmosphere. Their idea has always been for one place to be able to transform and adapt to people's needs - just like a chameleon.

How was the idea for Hangout born, and what did it look like in the very beginning?

Darina: The idea for Hangout was actually born in 2020, when Ventsi and I were on a work-and-travel program in Colorado, USA. We worked as bartenders and waiters, and that's exactly where our curiosity about this industry began to wake up.

That's when we started asking ourselves: "What would our own place look like?" We imagined a space where students and young people could simply spend time - have a good coffee in the morning, a cocktail in the evening, work, meet with friends, or just feel "at home."

We realized that Blagoevgrad needed exactly this kind of space. We had already discovered our passion for the hospitality industry, and at the same time we saw the lack of a similar concept around the university. So somehow naturally we connected the two things and told ourselves: "Why not just try?"

Ventsislav: During our first and second work-and-travel programs in the US, I really enjoyed working behind the bar. I liked the process itself - mixing cocktails, garnishing them, talking to people, creating an atmosphere. Back then, though, I never imagined that one day this could become my profession and everyday life, not only in the States but also in my hometown - Blagoevgrad.

When we came back after the first program, we started looking at our surroundings in a completely different way. We realized that around the campus in Blagoevgrad there was no place that combined good coffee, quality cocktails, and a nice brunch atmosphere - a place where people would simply want to spend time, to hang out (or, well, "hangout" - haha).

Dari was in her last year at university, and naturally the moment was coming when she'd probably have to go back to Sofia and look for a job there. Instead, we told ourselves: let's create something of our own here - something that would give us a reason to stay in Blagoevgrad and start building something together.

So Hangout started not just as a business idea, but as our shared project and desire to create a place we ourselves would want to have.

What gave you the confidence that this could become a real, sustainable business?

Darina: What gave us the most confidence in the beginning was actually the fact that we were very young, very green, and to some extent even naive. We didn't know how many difficulties actually stand behind creating and growing a sustainable business. We looked at things quite romantically and thought: "How hard can it be? We'll manage."

And maybe that's exactly what helped us get started. If we'd had a real picture of all the challenges back then - financial, operational, emotional - we probably would have been much more scared.

And yet, from the very start we had the feeling that the concept had potential, because we ourselves felt the lack of such a place. So in the beginning our confidence came more from enthusiasm and intuition, and later it started coming from the people and the community that built up around Hangout.

Ventsislav: I think a big part of our confidence came from knowing very well the people we wanted to create Hangout for. Our core audience was students from the American University, and we ourselves were part of that audience. We lived the same lifestyle, had the same habits, and saw every day what the city was missing.

In a sense, we weren't creating a concept "for someone else" - we were creating a place we ourselves would visit. And maybe that's exactly what gave us the confidence that if we did it the way we imagined it, other people would recognize themselves in it too.

I also felt very confident because I had the support of my father, who also lives in Blagoevgrad. To this day he helps us a lot with the business, and part of the credit for Hangout's success belongs to him.

How did participating in and winning the Elevate Accelerator affect Hangout's development?

Darina: Honestly, without Elevate, Hangout probably wouldn't exist in its current form.

Besides the investment itself, which helped us get started, what was really valuable to us were the people and mentors along the way. We learned how to think more structurally, how to plan our finances, make budgets, and validate our ideas.

For two young people with no real business experience, that was invaluable. Elevate didn't just help us start Hangout - it helped us believe we could grow it sustainably.

Ventsislav: Elevate helped us a lot to prepare for the reality that awaited us. Even during the program we had to validate our idea by organizing various events and offering the concept we one day wanted to turn into a real place. It was like a mini version of the future Hangout, and it gave us a very real sense of what it means to work with people, create an atmosphere, and be responsible for the whole experience.

On top of that, Elevate gave us a strong push to actually take action - to think about marketing, finances, budgets, and generally approach our idea more seriously and in a more structured way.

But maybe the most important moment was Demo Day itself. When we won, the people we wanted to create Hangout for - the students - were sitting right there in the audience. And in that moment it felt like we made a public promise that this place would exist.

How did you meet, and how did your partnership take shape?

Darina: We met at university - I was in my third year, Ventsi in his first. We hit it off naturally right away, and over time we started seeing eye to eye both as people and in the way we thought.

The idea to create something together came a bit later, during our work-and-travel program in the US. That's where we started talking more seriously about wanting to have our own place one day, and what it might look like. Somehow, very naturally, our personal relationship grew into a partnership too.

What were the biggest challenges in the beginning?

Darina: The biggest challenge in the beginning was simply how inexperienced we were. We literally learned on the go - everything from how to make a cappuccino to how to manage a team and communicate with staff who, in most cases, were almost our own age.

There were a lot of moments when we had no idea what we were doing, but that's exactly what taught us so much. The hardship definitely helped us grow up very fast.

And we're very grateful that, right from the start, we met people who believed in us. One of them is Bori - our manager today, who's been with us from the very beginning, and we grew up together alongside Hangout. Another is Krum, Ventsi's dad, without whom the place wouldn't look the way everyone knows it today - without his help and support we wouldn't have made it. My sister, my mother, my father, even my grandfather also had a part in this, and we're grateful to all of them.

Ventsislav: For me, one of the biggest challenges in the beginning was that I was still a student when we opened Hangout. Dari had already graduated, while I constantly had to balance university and the bar - lectures, exams, and then straight to Hangout to make coffees and, in the evening, cocktails.

There were moments when professors got upset that I was missing extra evening lectures, but the reality was that I had to be behind the bar at that time. And it was hard mostly because I knew that Dari was carrying a huge part of everything on her own.

Maybe that's exactly when I realized how much I wanted this place to succeed. I couldn't wait to graduate so I could dedicate myself fully to Hangout and help much more.

Was there ever a moment when you doubted Hangout would work out?

Darina: Honestly, right now I can't even remember a specific moment when we told ourselves Hangout wouldn't work out. I'm sure there were difficult periods and a lot of challenges, but somehow, over time, I've erased them from my memory.

If you ask me today, I'd tell you everything happened very naturally and smoothly - even though I know that wasn't the reality at all. We just wanted this place to exist so badly, and believed in the idea so much, that we never really let ourselves doubt it.

Ventsislav: I can't recall a moment like that.

How did you arrive at the concept of Hangout as a combination of several formats?

Ventsislav: Actually, a big part of the concept was inspired by the place where we worked during our program in the US. In the morning it functioned as a brunch spot, and in the evening it turned into a cocktail bar. We really liked the idea of one space having a different energy throughout the day and adapting to people and their needs.

When we came back to Blagoevgrad, we started analyzing what was missing around campus. We realized there was no place for a good brunch, no specialty coffee culture, and almost no interesting cocktail bars or cozy spaces where people could simply spend time.

That's how the idea for Hangout as a "chameleon" venue was born - a place that changes throughout the day. In the morning it's a coffee and brunch spot, in the afternoon it turns into a co-working space, and in the evening - into a cocktail bar.

How do you create an experience, not just a venue?

Darina: For us, the experience is created exactly in the small details. With us, every drink - whether it's coffee or a cocktail - comes with its own story, idea, and presentation.

During the day, of course, the pace is faster, because a lot of people take their drinks to go. But even then we try to tell people a little more - that our syrups are homemade, that our matcha is ceremonial-grade, that we work with specialty coffee, and so on.

In the evening, though, the experience becomes much more complete. Every cocktail has its own concept, story, and way of being served. For us it matters that people don't just drink something tasty, but get excited and remember the moment.

Maybe the best sign of that is when we serve the cocktails, present them, and then step away from the table, but the guests keep talking about the cocktails among themselves for another 5-10 minutes. That's when we know we've managed to create something more than just a drink.

What's something people don't see behind Hangout, but is the hardest part of keeping it running?

Ventsislav: I think people most often see the end result, but not everything that stands behind it. Especially with the cocktails - many of them look simple, but in reality the process behind a single drink sometimes takes more than 24 hours. We filter, clarify, test different techniques, and do a huge part of it by hand.

The same goes for the homemade syrups, the prep work, and all the small details that ultimately build up the whole experience.

But maybe the hardest part is that we're constantly trying to push ourselves further. We don't like standing still - we always want the next menu to be better, the next idea more interesting, the next experience even stronger. It's very motivating, but also very demanding, and even more exhausting.

And lastly - who would you recommend we invite as the next guest in the series, and why?

Ventsislav: I'd recommend Georgi Stanoilov - Dari's father. He's someone I personally respect a lot, because he's an example of a social entrepreneur.

For more than 10 years he's been organizing free weekly 5-kilometer runs in different cities across Bulgaria. And the most impressive thing is that this happens every Saturday, without a break, for so many years now.

I think he's a really interesting example of someone who builds communities and does something meaningful for people, not for profit, but because he truly believes in his idea.

Hangout on social media:

🔗 Instagram: @hangout.blg

📘 Facebook: Hangout Blagoevgrad

💡 With "𝐖𝐞𝐛(𝐚𝐧𝐝) 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬" you will have the opportunity to meet people who have contributed to our digital industry, from whom you can learn a lot and be inspired! Follow the series on Instagram here. ⬅️