Beatrice Melandri – In the heart of Faenza, Mens Sana was born in 2014, a small place that later became much more than a simple bar. The name, inspired by the famous Latin phrase «Mens sana in corpore sano», casually engraved on the wall of the venue, already represented a manifesto of what the venue has become: a place where the well-being of the body and mind meet. Initially, it offered breakfasts, simple lunches and cocktails with fresh fruit, attracting customers fond of the quality of the products and the welcoming atmosphere. The first pay-off “cocktails and fooling around” already embodied the sense of lightness and conviviality that can be felt in the venue. In 2017, a new chapter comes to life: the idea of transforming the place into a place where you can also dine. The owner, Davide Bulzaga, came up with the idea, after living for years in London, of a food truck, already widely used in the English capital. This idea allowed Mens to start creating gourmet sandwiches with refined flavors despite the small space of the restaurant. But why burgers? «While I was living in London I noticed that the hamburger shop was very popular, influenced by this I understood that here there was nothing comparable because the typical hamburger could only be tasted in some kiosks, there, however, everything was more reciped and refined. The idea from the beginning was to differentiate ourselves, having always focused on quality, we headed down this path”, says Davide, adding then “the first menus were created by me. I tried them first hand, experimenting at home. Then the tests with a group of customers and friends with a form where I asked for their opinions to understand which was the right path. During these tests a girl had the idea of the name for one of our best-sellers, Fumè». This innovation marked a fundamental turning point, helping to consolidate the reputation of the place and significantly increasing the clientele, no longer fond only of the atmosphere of the place but loyal to the succulent and appetizing, but never banal, tastes of the burgers. Mens was then renewed again with the arrival of the lockdown and the consequent start of home deliveries to which the creation of beers was added. «During the lockdown we wanted to give our customers the opportunity to enjoy beer, in addition to our sandwiches, while still bringing a bit of Mens home, which is where the collaboration with the Liquida brewery was born». Over the years there have also been collaborations with other Faenza venues. «The very first collaboration was with Ebe, I liked their philosophy and they liked the idea of creating a sandwich with their fried passatelli. Today we have been collaborating for 5 years.” Over time, the name Mens Sana was shortened to simply «Mens», as it was affectionately called by regular customers. Today, the place has become an evening point of reference for many young people and a place where adults can enjoy healthy and refined sandwiches. A meeting point and taste that continues to evolve and has managed to cook up to 60 thousand sandwiches a year, while always remaining faithful to its original philosophy, without ever abandoning refinement in flavours, original but never risky combinations and the freshness of quality ingredients. On June 1st the venue will celebrate its first 10 years of activity and will do so “in Mens style”, as always putting customers first, with an event full of surprises. In fact, you will be able to find photographic shots of the history of the place, branded gadgets, a beer created specifically for the occasion, you will be able to participate in a small lottery and as in every self-respecting birthday there will be a cake, and then end the evening with a DJ set. In short, a place that aims to remain a place of aggregation and entertainment where well-being and quality are put first.
