One more time a little war fries, a bear bite or a croquette. With tears in his eyes Fred Verkuil, better known as Fred Kroket, throws his snacks into the hot fryer. After more than two years of fighting for a permanent place, it is over and he throws in the towel. The municipality of Zaanstad wants to put out a European tender for a company at Fred’s location. This means that Fred has to compete with financially strong companies and he cannot and does not want to enter into that battle. “Then I first have to invest around 10,000 euros without knowing whether I can stay.”
Fred’s very last day as the owner of a snack bar is crowded. A lot of people come there especially to say goodbye. “We always detour for it,” says a woman who is eating chips and croquettes with her husband and son. They don’t know what to do when Fred is gone. “Maybe to Wormerveer”, suggests the woman who is very sorry. “It’s so stupid that he has to leave because of all kinds of people who have bought it. Or whatever.” Her son, who will soon be working in the area, had pinned all his hopes on a tasty snack from Fred during his lunch break. “So that’s no longer happening.”
‘Final Closure’
On the windows and the entrance door there is an explanation from Fred under the title ‘Final Closure’. It states that the municipality does not want to choose “a local entrepreneur who has made an effort over the past 2 years to make something of it, but the one with the most money gets the opportunity”. Cees, a good friend of Fred, helps to pack all kinds of hot snacks for the orders outside the door. “I feel so bad for Fred that he has to end up like this. He’s such a good guy.”
Fred doesn’t know what he’s going to do next, but doesn’t think he’ll be back with a snack bar anywhere. “First finish this. Break everything down tomorrow. Monday the whole site has to be empty. And then the blow will come. Sour. It’s no different.”