Of course he is happy to stay. Marcel Atema of mobile snack bar ‘t Edammertje has finally slept well again after months now that the judge has ruled in his favor. He does not have to move his snack bar every day, as the municipality of Edam-Volendam required of him. “But was all that fuss really necessary?” he wonders.
Marcel was under so much stress that he had a heart attack and had to undergo several bypasses. “I really hope now that I get some rest.” He has recently received many hundreds of messages of support on Facebook and today many customers pass by to congratulate him. “That does me very good”, says Marcel. Because what bothers him and still bothers him the most is that the verbal commitment of a civil servant has not been recognized by the person himself or by the municipality. “That official was also not at the trial. In retrospect, it was naive of me that I was satisfied with that verbal promise – that I could stay here in the parking lot.”
The municipality of Edam-Volendam did not want to make an exception for Marcel and therefore adhered to the obligation that mobile food trucks must leave their location every evening. Those who fail to do so risk a fine of 3,000 euros per day. “Then I’ll be bankrupt in a week,” says Marcel. And it is impossible for him to maneuver his snack bar between all those parked cars.
That is now all over, although the municipality can still appeal against the court decision. In a response, the municipality says it will first thoroughly study the verdict. Marcel hopes for good relations with the municipality. “My permit in this place expires at the end of next year, but I am also open to other places.