You don’t know what you’re missing until it’s gone. These three friends from Westwoud thought so too. Their favorite café De Lindeboom had been empty for three years. And so they took up the gauntlet themselves. “They are already calling us asking if they can throw a party there.”
It is a great loss to the village. Café De Lindeboom, which has a rich history, has been closed for three years. The previous owners couldn’t handle it anymore.
So Karin Blokker (52) and Thea Bot (53) from Westwoud and Edith Ekelmans (61) from Oosterblok are now filling that gap. The three friends know each other from the local football club, Woudia in Westwoud. Karin and Thea’s men are together in a team of friends and Edith is behind the bar.
The story actually came about by chance, says Edith. “We were with a group of friends at someone’s house. We talked about the cafe and we all regretted that it was closed,” Edith looks back. “Then we thought: let’s just go for it.”
Are we really going to do it?
The next day, Thea calls her. ‘Is it serious. Are we really going to do it?’, she wonders, while they talk on the phone. The choice was made quickly. “There were three of us left, so we just kept going.”
After that everything accelerates. At the beginning of this year, they register with the Chamber of Commerce. And that means that Westwoud is one café richer. Not a superfluous luxury, since a beer can only be drunk in the De Schalm village hall.
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The cafe is not completely empty. For a while, two Ukrainian families still live on the first floor. But since there a reception location in Hoogkarspel, they also leave again.
In a few months the time will have come, when the permits from the municipality of Drechterland have been received. They hope to open in late May or early June. An opening party should therefore not be missed. “That anyway: they need to know that we are there,” says Edith. “We want to go bang again during the fair.”
Although all three have permanent jobs, they embark on the adventure together. In short, there is no shortage of ambitions. “Everything is still in good condition and we can take over the furniture and bar equipment. Nothing is changed in terms of the interior, it remains as it is. We start with a small and simple menu.”
Positive reactions
The brown café must become the living room of the village again, just like before. “Something like that is sorely missed.” It was their great concern that their favorite cafe would disappear forever. “Because if this cafe disappears, it will never come back.”
It won’t be the comments. They are positive, Edith knows. “We have already received many nice responses. They are already calling us asking if they can throw a party there when we are open again. It gives us a lot of energy and motivation to continue.”
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