Oskar Brink Svendsen.

He took the chance at 21

Oskar Brink Svendsen trained at a Michelin starred restaurant, is part of the Danish national culinary team and now runs his own restaurant in his hometown, determined to prove that you can build something great in a small city.

He stood there for the first time on a cold day in December. Light streamed in through the windows, and the view over the water in Struer spoke for itself.

He knew right then what had to happen. He was 21. And just a few months later, he opened his own restaurant.

It was not a decision years in the making. In fact, he had been on a completely different path. He had started at a business college with plans of becoming an entrepreneur, but it never quite felt right.

The desire to build something of his own never disappeared. It simply found a different outlet.

It made sense in the kitchen

That is why he applied for culinary school in Holstebro.

Here, something else clicked. Learning a craft. Working with his hands. Improving at something tangible.

“It just gave me a real hunger for it. Getting your own knives, having something that is yours. That was when I thought, this is really something.”

He trained at the Michelin starred Søllerød Kro, where he learned discipline and the importance of even the smallest details. 

“It was not that the ingredients were different in your hands, but everything was handled with incredible precision. I learned to understand what I was working with. And to use all of it.”

The time was now

After three years on Zealand, he felt the pull to return home to West Jutland.

Opening his own restaurant so soon had not been part of the plan. But when the opportunity appeared, he did not hesitate.

So he took the leap and bought the space overlooking the water in Struer.

“I knew immediately what I wanted to create here.”

For Oskar Brink Svendsen, it was not just another location. It was an opportunity to build something that belonged there. Something that made sense for the town.

Giving something back

Even with a Michelin background, he is not chasing stars. For him, it is about something else.

About creating a place that fits the town. A place people want to come to. Where quality is high without becoming inaccessible.

“I do not want to take anything from the town. I want to give something back.”

His ambition is not to replicate what he has seen elsewhere, but to build something that works in Struer. Something that creates life. Something people can connect with.

Responsibility from day one

Today, he is not just in the kitchen. He runs a business with employees. And he carries the responsibility for making everything work. One thing, in particular, has surprised him: how much time it takes to take care of others.

“What has surprised me the most is how much time you spend on your staff. Making sure people are doing well and are happy.”

They come to him with everything even things outside of work.

“I have told them they can come to me, no matter what it is.”

It is a big shift from his days as an apprentice, when his only focus was the food. Now he wears all the hats, and it has shaped his approach to leadership.

“I never raise my voice. That is just not me. We should have fun, but when it matters, I also expect things to be done properly.”

Alongside running his restaurant, Oskar Brink Svendsen is also part of the Danish national culinary team. Here, he is not the one in charge. Instead, he is part of a team a place to grow and draw inspiration from others.

“Here I meet people who are far more skilled than me. I can learn, ask questions and develop. It is about constantly improving.”

It gives him something different from his daily life in Struer.

“I also find a lot of inspiration here. Not necessarily for new dishes, but in flavor and in seeing how others work.”

Despite the high pace, it also feels like a break.

“I completely switch off when I am here. I do not have to think about the restaurant, and when I return, I have new energy.”

It will work out

Daily life is busy. The restaurant takes up most of his time. And alongside it, he has also opened a wine bar in Struer.

But for Oskar Brink Svendsen, it is not just about making it all run. It is about creating something. A workplace people want to be part of. A place where young people can come in, learn and feel a sense of belonging.

“I want to create a place people want to be part of. Where they feel good.”

At the same time, there is a bigger ambition behind it. A desire to prove that something can happen in Struer.

“The town is often spoken down. But I want to show that you can build something that works. Even here.”

That is also why he is not worried about the future or about having a fixed plan.

”Either I’m still in the same place. Or I have opened more restaurants and wine bars. The important thing is not where it ends up. What matters is that it is in motion. The rest will work itself out.”