Rob, Bodhi and Rishi Bosma from Maassluis have a scoop. For the first time in the history of Hoogeveen there will be a coffee shop that they will run. But who are these entrepreneurs from under the smoke of Rotterdam?
In the Herman Bavinckhuis at Stoekeplein, the three imagine. Rob Bosma is oldest and came to Hoogeveen with his two sons to talk about their new coffee shop in the Grote Kerkstraat.
The three hopes to be able to open the location in October if everything goes well.
The Bosma family is known in the world of cannabis. For years they have been at the helm of coffee shop almost in Maassluis and have gained the necessary experience, they say themselves.
It once started with father Rob, who came to work in a youth center decades ago. “Learning was not really my thing, I was more of the practice. At one point I was behind the bar at the youth center.”
According to him, entrepreneurship started there. Two friends bought the center and organized parties and meetings. Bosma joined and had to delve into the world of the hospitality industry.
“Then you suddenly have to learn everything about beer and wine,” he laughs. He can still remember that there were often house dealers who sold weed. “That was really another time and that was a kind of tolerated,” he continues.
The company grew and was asked to fill in weed policy together with the municipality of. The choice was presented whether the company wanted to go through as a coffee shop or as a pub. It was eventually possible, but the coffee shop arrived in the garage of the building.
According to the entrepreneur, that has its advantages. Sales no longer happen at parties or at someone’s home. “That cover was made in no time and that means less crime,” he explains. The company grew and there was a security branch.
In the meantime, his sons Rishi and Bodhi are also working at the company. When Hoogeveen admitted the arrival of a coffee shop, that aroused interest. “The permit has been issued on the basis of a number of points that you have to meet and is not a lottery,” says Bodhi.
Hoogeveen wants interested parties to lay down a strong plan where safety is paramount. “With our experiences in Maassluis and in security, we thought we had a good chance. And we succeeded.”
But not everyone is happy with it. Local residents and catering entrepreneurs in the Grote Kerkstraat fear nuisance, parking problems and a negative influence on the hospitality industry.
Son Bodhi understands the worries of the people. “We try to think along to prevent nuisance. You can only pick up at our coffee shop, we discourage use in the area with special signs and enforce ourselves too.”
“There is always someone present and there are cameras,” adds father Rob. “It is also true that we can always be reached when something happens. The plan is to create a WhatsApp group for the neighborhood.”
The entrepreneur also says that in practice there is often no nuisance. “People who buy weed often take it home or to a place where they can smell it without disturbing. There is often no nuisance, except that you can smell it.”
The entrepreneurs say that something annoying can happen, you never know in advance. But according to the trio, that is possible everywhere, for example also while going out.
The doors must open around October. It is still a bit due to the preparations whether that will work. Local residents of the Grote Kerkstraat can now lodge an objection for four weeks against the arrival of the coffee shop.