After 117 years, the curtain has fallen for the De Rooij family bakery. The Zeeland-West-Brabant court declared the company bankrupt on Tuesday. The stores in Rucphen, Roosendaal, Oudenbosch and Etten-Leur are therefore closed at least for the time being.
The bakery’s branch in Oudenbosch had been closed for a number of days. There was a note on the window with a message from the owners that ‘due to the current economic situation in the Netherlands’ they are forced to close their doors after 117 years.
According to curator Fred Froger, about sixty people work at the company. Many people had worked at one of the bakeries for years. “That makes the bankruptcy even more sad,” he says.
It was still unclear on Wednesday morning what awaits them. According to Froger, there is a good chance that they will be fired, but it is still too early to draw any real conclusions.
Four stores closed
The bakeries in Rucphen, Roosendaal, Oudenbosch and Etten-Leur are closed for the time being. In the coming days we will look at what is possible. “There is still quite a bit of stock in the bakeries. There is a chance that one of the bakeries will open again, but that is not certain.”
Baking continues at the bakery’s production location in Oudenbosch. “De Rooij supplies bread to various healthcare institutions and companies. It is important that these customers continue to receive their orders.”
Interested in bakeries
Several interested parties have already contacted the director with an interest in taking over one or more branches. It is not yet clear whether the bakeries will actually restart.