Ussi Moniz Da Silva
Meet Ussi Moniz Da Silva, who is a not-so-average, 25-year-old entrepreneur. At an age where many are still trying to figure out what to do with our lives, Ussi has already launched Bondi’s newest hotspot, Upper East Side, as well as a string uber-successful nightclub and concert touring ventures.
Charm, bravado and talents aside, Ussi is a humble and diligent businessman. His parents were refugees when they arrived in Australia before Ussi was born, fleeing war-torn East Timor to find a better life for their young family. Literally building their new lives from nothing, Ussi’s parents taught him the value of hard work from the day he was born. Ussi remembers working in his parent’s restaurants that they owned in Canberra when he was a child. He never imagined that he would one day follow in their footsteps. After finishing school, he moved to Sydney to study accounting but quickly realised it wasn’t for him. He started working in nightclubs and it soon became evident that he had a natural talent for creating unique events.
He branched out, starting his own business that specialised in making one-of-a-kind nightclub events, gaining instant traction with tens of thousands of attendees. And then, at just 20, he ran his first concert tour, raising over $2.2million in funding. It was clear, even at this young age, that Ussi had a gift for spotting the next big trend and turning his ideas into an epically successful reality.
Living in Bondi for the last 6 years and spending a lot of time abroad in USA, Bali and Thailand, Ussi noticed a distinct lack of experiential venues in Sydney. He looked at the changing social behaviour of Sydneysiders, particularly in light of the lock-out laws, and saw that more and more people were opting to socialise locally, over ‘going out’. Rather than create a venue that was clearly a bar, restaurants or club, Ussi could see a new market for an establishment that effortlessly combined the best elements of all three.
Ussi dreamt of a venue that merged excellent food with a chilled-out vibe, stunning interiors and epic line up of live music and DJs. He wanted to create a whole new destination concept that catered for brunch with friends as effortlessly as it did a big Saturday night with the crew, after work drinks or a casual family dinner.
Upper East Side was the realisation of Ussi’s vision and has in just 6 months become one of the hottest, must-visit destinations in Bondi. Popular with the local crowd and visitors alike, Upper East Side has set the standard for the next generation of immersive venues. Lush, laid back and exuding exotic, tropical vibes, stepping into Upper East Side is like walking into another world – one that immediately puts you in a good mood, ready to soak up the stand- out food, cocktails and entertainment on offer.
Who is Ussi…
You live the entrepreneurial life; how did you start out at such a young age?
When I was a kid, I always liked creating, making and watching things grow.
I’m a person that has always wanted more and can’t sit still, as well as my parents always owning restaurants – I guess hard work was instilled in me from a very young age.
What has been the key to your success?
Hard work, persistence, believing that you can actually do it, life experience and networking – you never know where a conversation can take you.
What do you believe are the 3 key elements to a successful business?
Having a solid, unique product
An excellent team
Strong brand awareness
Describe yourself in 3 words
Outgoing, energetic and honest
Coffee or Tea? How do you have it?
Green Tea.
Next time you’re in Bondi, I highly recommend heading to Ussi’s Upper East Side Bondi
The food is amazing and the atmosphere is buzzing.
14-16 O’Brien Street
2026 Bondi, New South Wales, Australia
0411 591 234
The truth
says:It seems Kate that you also support entrepreneurs that have been accused of withholding wages from employees
Kate Bollard
says:Im sorry to hear of such thing. This blog was done a long time ago.