Dordrecht's city center is buzzing and these new businesses prove it one by one. From a new LP store to relocation and from new owner to additional catering expansion - there is plenty of new to discover in the heart of the city.
Let yourself be pleasantly surprised!
The Schenkerij of the well-known The Tea Shop
In early March, The Tea Shop Schenkerij opened its doors. Because when Monique Blom stopped her tea shop a while ago and continued online, she noticed that she missed the contact with people. And more specifically seeing people enjoying tea, among other things. So it was time to follow her heart and so Monique opened a catering establishment, De Schenkerij. She did the start-up together with two students from Da Vinci College. "In De Schenkerij I can let people taste tea and that's what I like. With a pastry to go with it: a beautiful, round cake. Truly a gift on your plate!" It is also possible to order a small lunch. And how about a high tea, afternoon tea or a nice cream tea, or a scone with clotted cream and jam? All possible. Monique: "I keep my store there, where you can buy the tea and coffee you taste in The Schenkerij. I'll just stay the tea hat of Dordrecht!"
Bigger store: more atmosphere, color and coziness!
Recently, Pauline Snel moved her clothing store Elily Ladies Fashion from Voorstraat 316 to 320. Two doors down, but with a world of difference, according to the entrepreneur. "This was an opportunity out of thousands - I ran into the wall in terms of creative plans to realize and suddenly could get this property." Or: a beautiful corner building with lots of storefront windows. "I am now much more part of the city and have more traffic. Also, the store is two to three times larger, which allows me to set up the collection more spaciously." And also expanding: scented candles from the well-known WoodWick brand can now be found at Elily Women's Fashion. Just by expanding the assortment, Pauline is happy with the step she took to move. That did take some time and effort. "I did a month of remodeling; you won't recognize it again! The store was already colorful, but is even more so now."
Garden Cafe is green oasis downtown
At Bluebirds in the Backyard you can find something new: the Garden Café. A lovely indoor garden with warm colors and lots of plants! And in a new location; the business is now at Voorstraat 261, says Claire MacNeilage. "Our previous location was a monument, we had to deal with a lot of regulations there. We really wanted to create a green space and fortunately we now have it at this new location. Even if it's raining outside, inside you step into a kind of jungle. It's like summer every day!" And people don't say that twice, because it's nice and busy in the Garden Café at Bluebirds in the Backyard. "People like the feeling of being warm inside with an outdoor feel. It's a wonderfully hip place that caters well to different ages. Certainly the play area runs well. Mothers like to take a break with us and order something plant-based while the kids are playing."
Rummaging through bins of records at LP&ZO
Sandra Streijl and Marco Stander opened their brand new store LP&ZO in the center of Dordrecht in January. You will find a large assortment of records, singles and CDs. Nice and cosy: rummaging through bins full of records! At ease, while enjoying a cup of coffee. Admittedly, there are several record stores in the street, but Sandra and Marco stand out, they say. "We especially have a lot of second-hand items. The market for LPs seems to be getting bigger and bigger, so we're glad we started a store here." The two find that people are all too happy to reach back to the old days. "People have emotions when seeing LPs. Old records bring back memories and when they see a cover they think of something from the past. Before playing an LP, many people really take a moment and that's nice to hear. With us, they find those unique vinyl treasures."
New owner, new look B&B and meeting place
Voorstraat 125 has a new owner and a completely new look: Diana, her husband Erik and sons Kevin and Ramon have recently focused entirely on 'Royal Rooms Dordrecht' - a B&B - and 'Voorstraat125'. The latter is a meeting space for such things as lectures, weddings, parties and drinks, and Royal Rooms Dordrecht is a new B&B with two rooms where you can stay. In the heart of the city center, by the water. This is not surprising, because the family is a real inland family. "That's why it's extra nice that we're on the waterfront with Royal Rooms Dordrecht; we're real water people," says Diana, one of whose sons works in IT and the other has a cocktail bar in town. "We were keen to make the property more visible to Dordrecht and so we renovated it considerably, while retaining authentic details. It is a beautiful building and therefore it is good to keep it alive. In our opinion, Royal Rooms Dordrecht is an asset to the city. We like to promote Dordrecht. With tourists, but also with Dordrechters themselves."
