Eddy Massaad is redefining what modern dining looks like. As the founder of Swiss Butter, he has built a fast-growing, cult-status concept that goes far beyond a traditional menu, using simplicity, precision, and a deep understanding of sensory experience to deliver something both indulgent and instinctively satisfying.
What began as a bold, stripped-back idea has evolved into a rapidly scaling brand, driven by word-of-mouth, loyal clientele, and a clear refusal to overcomplicate what works. Built outside the conventional rules of hospitality, Massaad represents a new generation of entrepreneur, one that blends product obsession, brand clarity, and human behaviour to create something entirely distinctive in the global dining space.
What was the inspiration behind Swiss Butter:
I wanted to build something that didn’t rely on constant reinvention. Most concepts get complicated as they grow, and that’s usually where they break. From day one, the idea was to strip everything back and focus on a model that could actually hold its shape as it scaled.
Swiss Butter was built around doing very few things, but doing them exceptionally well, every single time. Not just in one location, but anywhere in the world. That meant engineering the concept properly from the start, from the menu to the operations to the training, so that consistency wasn’t left to chance.
It’s not about simplicity for the sake of it. It’s about control. When you simplify properly, you create something that can travel, something that can be replicated without losing its identity. That’s what I was chasing.
Who do you admire:
I admire builders. People who start with nothing and create something that lasts.
Not people chasing attention, but people who stay focused long enough to see something through. The ones who can hold a vision in their head for years, even when there’s no immediate reward. That takes a different kind of discipline.
What I respect most is consistency. Showing up when it’s not exciting anymore. Staying committed when things get hard, or slow, or uncertain. A lot of people can start something. Very few can carry it all the way through and protect it as it grows.
What defines your way of doing business:
Simplicity, discipline, and long term thinking. Everything we do comes back to those three things.
I don’t believe in building businesses that depend on individuals. People matter, but systems protect the business. If something only works because of one person, it’s fragile. My focus has always been on building systems that allow the business to operate consistently, regardless of location or team.
We are also very clear on what we don’t do. That’s just as important. We don’t chase trends, we don’t overextend, and we don’t compromise on the experience. Every decision is made with the long term in mind, not short term gain.
What advice would you give to someone starting out:
Start before you feel ready. If you wait until everything is perfect, you’ll never move.
Stay humble, because you don’t know as much as you think you do in the beginning. Stay obsessed, because that’s what carries you through the difficult parts. And accept that failure is part of the process, not something to avoid. You learn by doing, not by planning.
For me, it comes down to what I call the 5Hs. Hire for it, live by it, and act quickly when it’s missing. Culture is not something you fix later, it’s something you protect from the start.
And most importantly, work the trenches of your own business. You can’t design something properly if you’ve never done it yourself. You need to understand every part of it, not from a distance, but from experience. That’s how you build something that actually works.
