About Us
Costes Group has become one of Hungary’s most recognized and innovative hospitality groups, shaping the country’s gastronomic landscape for nearly two decades.
Our experience has been built through some of Hungary’s most acclaimed restaurants and hospitality concepts, including Michelin-starred restaurants and concepts recognized by the Michelin Guide. This heritage has given us something invaluable: a deep understanding of exceptional food, professional service and memorable guest experiences.
Costes Events & Catering brings this expertise beyond the walls of our restaurants.
From intimate private dinners and corporate events to large-scale celebrations, conferences and brand activations, we create experiences tailored to each occasion. Our culinary offering can range from creative street food and contemporary comfort food to elegant fine dining.
But great events are about much more than food.
Our team can manage the entire event experience — from concept development, menu creation and catering to venue selection, equipment, staffing, entertainment and complete event coordination. Whether we are responsible for one element or the entire event, our approach remains the same: attention to detail, creativity and uncompromising quality.
One team. One standard. Endless possibilities.
Our Mission
We provide full-service event solutions for corporate and private clients, from initial concept to flawless execution. As a single trusted partner, we bring together gastronomy, venue selection, project management and every related service — all delivered to an uncompromising standard of quality.
The Team
Costes Events & Catering is powered by a team of experienced and dedicated professionals, united by a shared passion for quality, creativity and exceptional guest experiences.
Károly Gerendai
Founder
Károly Gerendai is one of the most recognized and influential figures in Hungary’s gastronomy, events and entertainment industries. Throughout his career spanning several decades, he has played a key role in the creation and development of some of Hungary’s most iconic brands and projects, including Sziget Festival, Budapest Park and Costes Group.
His entrepreneurial vision, innovative mindset and commitment to quality have had a significant impact on the evolution of Hungary’s event and culinary landscape. As the founder of Costes, he was behind the creation of Hungary’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, setting a new benchmark for the country’s hospitality industry.
His decades of experience and vision continue to shape the philosophy of Costes Events & Catering: creating memorable gastronomic and event experiences where creativity, professionalism and uncompromising quality come together.
Kornel Toth-Harsanyi
Managing Partner / CEO
Kornél brings more than two decades of international leadership experience across the hospitality and hotel industries. Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership positions with globally recognized companies including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, Hard Rock International Hotels & Casinos, and AIC Hotel Group.
His career has included leading F&B operations and development across hotels, resorts, casinos, restaurants, and cruise ships, with responsibility for serving tens of thousands of guests and overseeing the production of up to 30,000–40,000 meals per day. In addition to his senior F&B leadership roles, Kornél has also served as a Hotel General Manager, giving him a comprehensive understanding of hospitality operations, from culinary and service excellence to commercial strategy and overall business management.
For the past three years, Kornél served as CEO of Costes Group, leading the Group’s growth and development from three restaurants into a diversified portfolio of more than a dozen hospitality venues and concepts. Today, he leads the strategic development and growth of Costes Events & Catering.
His experience spans large-scale events, concerts and festivals, as well as high-volume catering and street food concepts, through to fine dining and Michelin-starred gastronomy. Kornél brings this broad international and local expertise to Costes Events & Catering with one clear objective: to deliver exceptional events, professional execution, and uncompromising guest experiences.
Dániel Konrád
Head Chef
His culinary career began in Szekszárd before taking him to Budapest, where he joined the team at Costes Downtown and was introduced to the world of high-end gastronomy. Throughout his career, he gained experience at some of Hungary’s most renowned restaurants, including the two-Michelin-starred Onyx.
He later became Head Chef at Déryné Bistro, where he further developed his leadership experience and culinary identity, before returning to Costes Downtown as Head Chef — bringing his career back to the restaurant where his journey into high-end gastronomy had begun.
Alongside his restaurant career, he has been involved in numerous festivals, galas and large-scale events, and for the past three years has led the backstage hospitality operation at the Sziget Festival Main Stage. As Chef of Costes Events & Catering, his goal is to combine the expertise and standards developed throughout his career with the versatility of event gastronomy — from creative street food to Michelin-level culinary experiences.
Viktor Al Hajjar
Operations Manager
Viktor brings extensive professional experience across the restaurant, catering and events industries. Throughout his career, he has worked his way through every level of hospitality operations, progressing into senior management roles and gaining valuable experience with some of Budapest’s most recognized hospitality and catering companies, including KIOSK Budapest.
This hands-on background has given him a comprehensive understanding of hospitality operations, from day-to-day execution to the management and delivery of complex events.
As Head of Operations at Costes Events & Catering, Viktor is responsible for ensuring that every event is delivered with precision, professionalism and the high standards expected of Costes — from initial planning through to flawless execution.
Marietta Baga
Sales Manager
Marietta brings several years of experience in premium hospitality and events. She spent several years within the Costes Group, where, as Banquet Manager, she was responsible for the end-to-end execution of events. She also gained valuable professional experience as part of the Virtu team. Today, as Sales Manager at Costes Events & Catering, she brings this comprehensive operational expertise to every client relationship. She not only understands each client’s vision and expectations, but also knows exactly what it takes to bring them to life. From planning and proposals through to on-site execution, Marietta approaches every event with a 360-degree perspective, ensuring that every detail comes together seamlessly, professionally and to the highest standard.
Join Our Team!
If you would like to join the Costes Events & Catering team, send us a short introduction along with your CV.
Sustainability
For us, sustainability is a natural part of thoughtful planning and responsible operations. We strive to continuously reduce our environmental impact while maintaining the highest standards across our events – from sourcing and food preparation to the execution of each event.
We place particular emphasis on seasonal and, wherever possible, locally sourced ingredients, careful quantity planning, and reducing food waste. When selecting our suppliers and partners, we consider not only quality but also their commitment to responsible and environmentally conscious practices.
At our events, we aim to minimize the use of single-use products. Where the nature of an event requires disposable solutions, we use environmentally conscious Bibo products. We apply the same approach behind the scenes, using Bibo products for our cleaning and maintenance needs as well.
Reducing waste, using ingredients thoughtfully, and managing energy and other resources efficiently are integral parts of our everyday operations.
We believe that exceptional hospitality and responsible thinking can go hand in hand. Our ambition is to create memorable events while making conscious and responsible choices about the resources we use.