Petra Dimitrova is the Operational Manager and Managing Partner of Bar Academy Bulgaria. Together with her partner Darko Angeleski, she forms the strategic and creative core behind Sofia’s first speakeasy-style cocktail bar — 5L Speakeasy Bar. Opened more than nine years ago on Shishman Street 15, the bar remains a quiet symbol of authenticity and intention —accessible only through a shared code, preserving a culture of trust, curiosity, and community. Petra brings over 18 years of experience from the corporate world, with a strong background in marketing, management, and organizational strategy. In 2015, she shifted her focus toward entrepreneurship, choosing to invest her expertise in building long-term hospitality ecosystems rather than short-lived concepts. Her work spans multiple layers of the industry — education, production, food concepts, and operational infrastructure — including Bar Academy Bulgaria, Bar Pro Ice, the Mexican cantina El Gallo at Quartal Food Park, and Chef Pro, a restaurant outsourcing platform designed to support sustainable growth behind the scenes. Beyond business development, Petra is an active voice shaping the direction of the bar and hospitality profession. She curated the program of the inaugural Sofia Bar Show in 2020, contributes regularly as a guest author to Bacchus, and leads bar operations for large-scale events with EXE Events. As Head of the Bar Management program at Bar Academy Bulgaria, she focuses on developing leaders who understand responsibility, systems, and long-term value in hospitality. Petra’s vision aligns with the Academy’s broader mission: to elevate hospitality through clarity, intention, and shared knowledge. Guided by the philosophy that less is more, she believes that true quality comes from thoughtful choices, disciplined execution, and respect for people, product, and process. Her work is driven by the goal of creating enduring concepts, fostering collaboration, and contributing to a stronger, more sustainable bar community.