Previously, only blue envelopes were served in this building, but soon good food and a beer will also be served. The metamorphosis of the ground floor of the former tax office on Emmer Raadhuisplein is almost complete. Just a few more weeks of patience and then tapas bar Barcelona and grand café De Gele Kameel will open their doors.
The two businesses are run by Gerben Junoy Montolio and Jan Braam, both no strangers to the Emmer catering world. A collaboration that took shape thanks to the Spanish city after which one of the two companies is named.
“I was just joking, but suddenly there he was,” Montolio laughs. He still remembers it well. There was Jan Braam suddenly standing at Barcelona airport. Montolio had sought refuge in Spain in 2021 at the height of the corona crisis. His Café Plein (on Raadhuisplein in Emmen), which opened in 2016, was forced to close. Exciting and worrying times.
Would his case come out of this in one piece? For a bit of air he therefore looked for the Spanish sun, for the land where he was roots lie. “And the catering industry was open there.”
He sent images to his friend Jan Braam, who at the time ran two catering businesses in Schoonebeek and Klazienaveen. Well, yes, that too was ruined by corona. “I didn’t have anything here either,” said Braam. “I was really annoyed. The shops were overflowing and we were not allowed anything.”
But then he received the apps with photos of sunny terraces in Montolio. “With the invitation to visit him.” Actually meant as a joke, but Braam didn’t think twice and got on the plane.
The two hung out together and the idea for a collaboration soon arose. Montolio: “I was already making plans for catering in the tax office. But after all the corona misery, I thought it would be better to catch my breath.” But when he discussed the idea with Braam, enthusiasm flared up again. “We came to the conclusion that we are just going to do it together,” laughs Braam.
Two places under one roof, each with more than 100 seats. But both with their own character. “Barcelona is becoming a tapas bar,” Montolio explains. “You don’t have that much in Emmen. At least not along the Raadhuisplein, so that’s where we distinguish ourselves.”
The Yellow Camel is the grand café, which is a perfect addition to Barcelona. Montolio: “It’s a nice place to have a drink after dinner. After dinner, guests often want to have a drink. That’s possible with us under the same roof. You just walk to the other side.” And that also works vice versa, according to both entrepreneurs.
An eye-catcher in De Gele Kameel will be the self-tapping wall, where guests can tap their own beer. Braam: “We only spend money where you can put an amount yourself. You then pay for this wall of adventure,” Braam winks.
The name Barcelona refers to Montolio’s Spanish background. But where does The Yellow Camel come from? In any case, it has nothing to do with the presence of Wildlands. “No, it’s a name I had lying around that I like. The fact that the zoo is opposite here is a nice bonus.”
As mentioned, it’s all about the finishing touches. The ceilings still need to be installed and the tap installation is coming. Braam also wants to have its own beer on tap. And it’s coming. “That will be the Camel Toe. Why that name? Because in beer country anything is possible.”