
Yoann Benaniba
Co-founder at Reservoir
Describe yourself, your background and what you do today.
I was born in France and moved to Brussels with my mom when I was six. She used to be a dance teacher, so I grew up in an artistic environment, which probably lead me to go to art school and study interior design. Then I moved to Barcelona for three years, worked in nightlife and started my first company. When I came back to Brussels, I started a booking agency with friends, but later quit for H&M where I was in charge of visual merchandising. Afterwards, I worked as a chef for two years until I opened my first shop with my friend Nico Volckrick: that’s when Reservoir was born. Today, together with my new partner Boris, we expanded our brand and Reservoir-Store now counts four shops: Man., Woman., 313. and The Lab., as well as our brand new webstore.
How has Brussels shaped you as an individual as well as your professional activities?
I see Brussels as a playground and, after a few travels, I noticed that Brussels was missing a lot of concepts that you could find in any other capital cities. My motto is: “Take action, create, innovate”.
List three things you like the most about Brussels.
- I find it easy to ride my bike in Brussels.
- There are many beautiful destinations in its various neighbourhoods.
- I love the joyful and festive spirit of Brussels.
I see Brussels as a playground
List three deciding factors that converted you to bicycle use.
- I don’t have a driving license.
- Brussels is pretty small.
- There’s too much traffic and a lot of new bike lanes all over the city.
List three favourite bike routes in Brussels.
- Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos: the perfect route when you need some fresh air and a quick escape from the city.
- Alongside the canal: an endless ride, no effort needed.
- Car free Sunday: once a year, you can engage in the tunnels and Brussels’ main streets without worrying about cars.