From Wednesday you can go to a restaurant until ten o’clock in the evening to have a bite to eat. The cabinet gave final clarity about this at the press conference on Tuesday evening. In those restaurants, everything is now being done to be able to receive guests again on Wednesday.
And that still has a lot of feet in the ground. At Restaurant 1910 in Eindhoven, the kitchen team has been working from early in the morning. A lot needs to be done, says Freek van Veldhoven. “We have been working in two shifts all day, because all the cupboards were empty. There was no more stock, nothing at all.”
There is therefore no full menu on Wednesday. “We can’t run a full card yet. But we do have a surprise menu.” In any case, the first guests have already registered. “We received the first e-mails a few days ago, when it was rumored that restaurants can open again. People were already asking if they could book a spot in advance.”
And it’s not just the guests who can’t wait, the team itself is also enthusiastic, says Freek. “We are really looking forward to getting started. Today staff members who were not scheduled also came by to have a look. Let’s see if they could do something. Clean up something, prepare something. Fortunately, we have a very committed club We’ve also fought hard to keep the squad together lately.”
Also at La Fleurie in Oirschot, they are happy that they can open again on Wednesday. Martino Verbruggen can’t wait to receive guests again. He is especially happy with the end time that the cabinet has set. “Open until ten o’clock, that is a real gift for us. People can really go out for an evening again.”
But here too there is not yet a complete map. Not only because there is still a lot to be prepared, Martino also takes into account a staff shortage due to infections and quarantine. “That’s why we kept the map limited.”
Restaurant De Treeswijkhoeve in Valkenswaard has to wait a little longer before the doors can be opened again. Since a fire broke out in the kitchen just before Christmas, everything has been done to rebuild the place as quickly as possible. Initially, owner Dick Middelweerd hoped for mid-January, but that will work. Partly because of corona, he explains. “For example, what we encounter is that the factory cannot supply parts for the kitchen, because they are dealing with corona infections there. Then there are a lot of staff at home. And more suppliers have that problem that they cannot deliver.”
He has no choice but to resign himself to it for the time being and focus on the day when it is possible again. “I’m busy with a new menu and new dishes. Not in the kitchen, because that’s not possible yet. But in my head.” He hopes to be able to and remain open on March 4.
Freek van Veldhoven expects that to remain the case. “I don’t expect that we will have to close again in the short term. You never know. But I think new measures will be needed at the earliest in the autumn.”
In the video a summary of the press conference: