There are many new businesses in town and that should not go unnoticed. Otherwise you will miss the tasty bread at Koen's Brood, the delicious food at Het Gemaal and L'Archiviste, the delicious drinks at Wijnbar Ary & Co and all kinds of haberdashery at Het Fourniturenkabinet and you don't want that!
Discover the latest business this spring!
The Gemaal: restaurant surrounded by nature!
Alex Verbrug owns several restaurants: Gusto and Oliva in Rotterdam and co-owner of Restaurant Post in Dordrecht. He was itching to open another business. When he got the chance to open a new restaurant together with companions Jeroen Molenaar and Sven Maliepaard in a building near the Oude Gemaal in Stadspolders, he seized it. The pumping station itself has existed since 1881. It was founded as a steam pumping station to drain Stadspolders. At the time, the pumping station was fired with coal. The barn where this coal was stored has been granted monumental status because of its unusual construction. And exactly at that location, at the campsite Het Loze Vissertje, there is now a restaurant where you can have drinks, lunch and dinner. Alex gets a lot of positive feedback, just from local residents. "They are happy to be able to come to such a nice place. We're just outside the city, in the green, by the water. The many windows give you plenty of views of the river."
Koen's Bread opens bread store
Just 18 years old and having completed bakery school, Koen Verschoor started as a delivery baker two years ago. With success, because there was soon a lot of demand for delivery to private individuals and the hospitality industry. Even better: more and more people asked Koen if they could also come and collect bread. The rapid growth of his business gave Koen an idea: why not open a store? And so it happened, on the Achterom. Now you can take a look inside the bakery! You can buy all kinds of breads and sandwiches. Chances are you'll pick up sourdough bread, because that's Koen's Brood's specialty, with eight different breads to choose from. Certainly the desem squash bread and the desem dark bread are runners-up. Koen is only too happy with his store as well as his team of young employees. He now has a staff of five. "I get such great reactions from customers to the store! With the whole team we are making it a success."
Step into old Paris at L'Archiviste
Back in the days of "then": step into 1920s Paris at L'Archiviste restaurant, where alcohol was not done, just like in America. Forget the outside world, make time for each other and enjoy the things that really matter. Take a seat on the beautiful plush couches and experience the past! But you don't just get there: walk into L'Archiviste - you don't suspect from the outside that there is an establishment inside, or a "speakeasy" concept - then you enter a large bookcase with books from the 1920s. What a surprise effect! An archivist welcomes you and only then are you in the restaurant. There, everything is French, from the atmosphere to the menu. The lunch menu is a small compact menu where you will find the home-baked croissant in many savory varieties. For dinner, only entremets are used, so be sure to order three or four. From scallops and steak tartare to ratatouille and a fish stew. Vegetarian guests are also thought of at L'Archiviste. You'll enjoy a whole evening carefree, as there is only one seat. So you can experience a special speakeasy concept in the heart of the city in peace and quiet.
The Haberdashery Cabinet now in Vleeshouwersstraat
Irene Koene started her store Het Fourniturenkabinet on Reeweg last April, but moved to Vleeshouwersstraat at the end of February. Familiar territory for her, as she had a store there before. "The building on the Reeweg was fine to start in," Irene looks back. "But when I heard that the premises on Vleeshouwersstraat became vacant, this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up." Fortunately, because The Haberdashery Cabinet - where you will also find an embroidery machine that can be used to personalize items - now has an area twice as large, divided between the store and the workshop for day care. There is room for everything: from the so-called haberdashery library where you can borrow cards with darning wool to a Walhalla of buttons in all shapes and sizes. Irene: "People often think my store is like a candy store, but with haberdashery. It makes them very happy, just like me!"
Top wines, champagne and luxury bites at wine bar Ary & Co.
At the brand new wine bar Ary & Co on Scheffersplein, you'll find dozens of wines on the menu. From white to red, in all price ranges. Unique detail: some of the top wines are also served by the glass. So you get a top wine for a nice price at wine bar Ary & Co! More in the mood for a glass of champagne? You can order that by the glass as well. For those who are hungry, there are all kinds of dishes: pintxos, the famous French cheese board and various croquettes, just to take a look at the menu of wine bar Ary & Co. These are somewhat more luxurious appetizers that go perfectly with a glass or bottle of wine. And if the season is right, you'll also find oysters on the menu. Wine bar Ary & Co - which has just received a coat of paint in Dordrecht colors - is there for everyone who loves good wine, says Milan van Homoet, the brand new manager. "We just opened and are getting a lot of enthusiastic responses. Dordrecht is ready for this wine bar!"
