09/05/2026
Waffle making was not Plan A for Jean-Francois Flechet, founder of Taste of Belgium. Long before he opened his business, he came to the U.S. from Belgium to pursue a PhD in Economics. As he was pursuing his doctorate degree, he was working with a business partner to develop a hot food vending machine, but after finishing their prototype, a major investor pulled out of the project, which stalled all progress.
“So I had to either go back to the corporate world or find a way of paying my bills. I figured, hey, I have a small mortgage, so I don't really need much. If I can sell so many waffles on the weekend, I’ll be good,” he says.
At an industry trade show in Belgium, Jean-Francois met a man who was making waffles at the entrance and struck up a conversation while he was waiting for some friends. That casual chat turned into a two hour-long discussion, which led Jean-Francois to do some back-of-the-napkin math about how he could implement this back home. He returned the next day to purchase a 120-pound waffle iron (which he attempted and failed to check onto a Delta flight), and began pursuing this plan.
Back in Cincinnati, legendary local chef Jean-Robert de Cavel, a friend of Jean-Francois’, offered sage advice: "If you're going to be making your own thing, you need to do it right." Lacking a commercial kitchen, Jean-Francois used the basement of one of Jean-Robert’s restaurants to test recipes. He perfected his Liège waffle recipe, which is made with a dense dough rather than a batter and is studded with imported Belgian pearl sugar and pressed in cast iron just like they do at home.
When it came time to start selling his waffles, Jean-Francois had one place in mind—Findlay Market. Jean-Francois had been shopping at Madison’s since 2000, and he approached the owner, Bryan Madison, to see if he could make his waffles in the back of the shop and sell them there. Paired with Madisono’s gelato (run by Bryan’s son) and topped with fresh strawberries and cream, the waffles became an immediate sensation.
After a few weeks it became clear that Jean-Francois’ waffle operation was a huge hit, and Bryan was suddenly inundated with waffle-seeking customers. “Bryan pulled me aside and said, ‘We have a problem. I’m in the business of selling produce and my store is congested with people eating waffles,’” Jean-Francois laughs. So he sought out a plan to expand outside of Madison’s.
Jean-Francois moved operations to the North side roll-up doors before establishing a permanent anchor in the center of the Market House in 2009. He started out selling his waffles at farmers markets in the area almost six days a week until he eventually landed his permanent location inside the Market House. There, he and his team produced all of their products—waffles, cookies, macarons, cheesecake, pizza—all the delicacies you know and love from the original Taste of Belgium stand, and he did so in a very small space.
As demand grew, Jean-Francois decided to expand his business concept and opened a full-service restaurant at 12th and Vine in Over-the-Rhine, shifting bakery production out of the Market stall to expand into full brunch and dinner menus alongside authentic Belgian b**rs, each served in their respective glassware just like back home.
“I love the country where I grew up,” he says. “There's a lot of cool food, whether it's the waffles, the chocolate, the b**r. It's been fun to introduce people to our cuisine.”
Taste of Belgium grew rapidly, expanding their portfolio from one to 10 locations since their inception nearly 20 years ago, and more recently, they have scaled down to three locations, Findlay Market, Rookwood, and The Banks, following the COVID-19 pandemic. These days Jean-Francois and the team are focused on the long-term sustainability of their brand, ensuring that Taste of Belgium remains a Cincinnati staple for years to come.
Whether grabbing a warm Liège waffle while strolling through the Market or sitting down for Sunday brunch, guests can still experience an authentic slice of Belgian culinary tradition born right in the heart of Cincinnati.
