Hospitality entrepreneurs on their first days back open (part 1)
Monday was the day: the hospitality industry was allowed to reopen. Celebration! But was it like that for hospitality entrepreneurs too? How did they experience these first days back open? Did the places fill up or did they remain painfully empty? Had they forgotten how to pour beer? And what had they missed most?
I asked seven different hospitality entrepreneurs: Riad Farhat (including Maxwell, Waterkant and Pacific, Amsterdam), Maarten Melo (Piet de Gruyter, Amsterdam), Vivian den Hollander (Viviamo, Woerden), Tess Posthumus (Flying Dutchmen Cocktails, Amsterdam), Ron Simpson (The Avocado Show, Amsterdam) and Boris Liesveld (Spaghetteria, Amsterdam and Utrecht).
Open again! After having been closed for almost three months, what is it like?
Riad: “Mixed feelings. It’s really, really nice to be open again. The past few days have gone fine too, but yeah… it doesn’t feel like normal. The atmosphere in the café is simply different; subdued, unnatural, flat. I expected more queues, but I get the impression that people still find going to the hospitality industry a bit nerve-racking. Or a hassle.”
Maarten: “The atmosphere was great. Not just because of the happy people on the terrace, but because of the whole neighbourhood: cyclists waved, cars honked. I opened and closed the place three days in a row and haven’t felt the slightest bit of pain. Such wonderful energy.”
Vivian: “Super-surreal. For three months, seven days a week, we were busy with deliveries and takeaways. That went well, but being allowed to welcome guests again really is a celebration. Boxes off the tables, candles lit, shiny glasses. And seeing people again was of course a really wonderful feeling.”
Tess: “It was a real disappointment. I hope Friday and Saturday will be better. This bad weather is shit for people with a terrace, but good for us. The cocktail packages were selling well, but when the hospitality industry reopened, the number of orders immediately halved. The necessity is gone. Normally, we could accommodate 40 people here on a Friday, and then it would be pleasantly busy. Now I only have room for five tables, and we can’t even fill those. Painful, but I remain hopeful. We’ll continue to pamper everyone and hopefully they’ll gradually find their way back to us.”
Ron: “It’s wonderful to be able to be together again. Exciting and something to get used to, of course, but you immediately feel again why you ever started doing this in the first place. It’s a wonderful feeling to serve delicious food again and give people an experience they won’t soon forget. It feels like the beginning of a beautiful time.”
Boris: “Quite exciting. We have to reinvent ourselves a little: we had never worked with reservations before, the restrictions require creativity and we’re also waiting to see how guests deal with the situation. Fortunately, a feeling of relief and euphoria that the hospitality industry is open again prevails. Of course, you’d rather see the bustle in the restaurants that you’re used to, but the fact that there’s work to do again gives us energy.”
How have the past few days gone?
Riad: “Our places are still fairly full, but when I drive through the city, I find it relatively quiet everywhere. That surprises me and I do find it worrying. The supply is of course large and the group of guests small. You’re missing day-trippers, tourists, older people and groups. What I did notice, by the way, is that many people ordered a beer quite early. Especially on Monday, of course.”
Maarten: “The energy was insane. Everyone was happy and excited, both us and the guests; the whole neighbourhood came alive. There was a bit of fumbling at first—some people had to get used to having to do five things at once in hospitality—but after an hour everything was running smoothly again. The first guest? It was a friend of mine. He was standing at the door at ten to twelve to order a flute of beer. So typical; everyone had a good laugh about it. The support is unbelievable. Victor Abeln [ed.: yes, that bartender from First Dates] ordered a fried egg sandwich, cappuccino, orange juice and food, and gave a tip that was higher than his bill—and there were a few others like that. Very nice.”
Vivian: “Much more smoothly, better and more positively than I expected! I was afraid that people wouldn’t be understanding, that it would be awkward to ask guests about their health, but actually it went surprisingly well. People were genuinely excited. It was also wonderful to have the team back on the floor. Everyone was eager to get back to work. Of course, at first we still had to find our feet: ‘Where’s that button on the till again?’ ‘Are you walking to table 3 or am I?’ But soon everything was running as usual again.”
Tess: “When the first reservation came in, we did a shot of jenever. And once we opened, you could feel a healthy tension among everyone. They had all continued working, but making and vacuum-sealing cocktail packages is of course not why we do this work. You could really feel that everyone was excited to get back to it.”
Ron: “Pretty well, actually! Everyone got used to keeping their distance and waiting their turn quite quickly. It also seems as though we’ve all become more polite and more aware of one another. The first order? Pancakes and eggs Benedict with fresh juices, avocado fries and coffee. A perfect choice for lunch in the sunshine on the terrace. Everyone was and still is excited; you can really feel it.”
Boris: “Generally well. It naturally takes some getting used to; many guests also think you can no longer just drop in for a spot. But you can always make a reservation at the door. Fortunately, we immediately saw many familiar faces again, our new drinks-and-snacks board was well received and orders through UberEats are also coming in thick and fast, so we’re nicely busy!”
What was fun? And what wasn’t?
Riad: “It’s really nice to see people sitting in the café and on the terraces again. It brings atmosphere back to the city, brings it to life. And personally, I also like being able to eat somewhere again for a change.”
Maarten: “The intake interview with questions like ‘how are you feeling?’ and ‘do people in your household have an illness?’ really feels like a play, very strange. Anyone who’s ill just stays home, right? And you certainly don’t go to the café then. That seems like common sense to me. So that’s what I find the most ridiculous. But the best thing is that everyone is so happy to see us. The energy in the air, the fact that the neighbourhood is switched ‘on’ again.”
Vivian: “It’s your second home, and it really was like a burned-out village for a while. There was no life, no soul in it. Now the glasses are gleaming, the candles are burning and there’s a hum of conversation. There’s atmosphere in the place again. A real celebration. There’s actually nothing I don’t like. We’re so happy to be open again that even the things I used to like less, I now like, haha!”
Tess: “The disappointing figures are of course absolutely not fun, but the positive energy of the team and the guests who do come is amazing.”
Ron: “Hearing and seeing people laugh. That proud feeling you get when people beam at their food was also something we had really missed in recent months. The least enjoyable thing is that groups aren’t really possible, so the parties are small, but we’ll get there step by step.”
Boris: “Normally, we never say that we’re full. You might have to wait a little, but a spot always becomes available. Unfortunately, there’s now a limit on how many guests we can receive, which is a shame. But the most important and best thing is that plates are sliding across the pass again and the sgroppino machine is running!”
What did you miss? And what didn’t you miss?
Maarten: “I really missed the social aspect. It’s so nice to see everyone again and know that they’re doing well. Actually, there was nothing I didn’t miss; everything was fun. Well… perhaps a few older regulars who simply don’t understand what you’re doing. But I laughed about that too.”
Vivian: “The buzz, the conviviality, the passion for the profession—actually everything that comes with it: beautiful dishes, beautiful wines, pampering people. I really suffered from not being able to do that for three months. And the turnover, of course; let’s mention that too, because it’s not a small thing. I hope we can get that back, because with that money you can do beautiful things, including for your business.”
Tess: “I really missed interacting with people. Having to act on the spot, telling them about the menu, helping them choose and getting that instant gratification from it, instead of a star on your online review. I wouldn’t miss the reservations for anything. Timo (co-owner) and I worked at Door74 for eight years, a speakeasy cocktail bar with reservations only. When we opened Flying Dutchmen, we swore we’d never take reservations again. Well, things are a little different now, haha.”
Ron: “I think everyone missed social contact, and so did we. Seeing one another again and seeing people enjoy themselves together. The food and drinks, of course, but also simply the atmosphere. Being together, having fun and being able to enjoy ourselves.”
Boris: “I missed everything!”
Photo: Maarten Melo at Piet de Gruyter by Carly Wollaert
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