Travelers have had to wait a year for it, but they can again go to the Gieten bus station for a quick bite or a cup of coffee. Catering entrepreneur Wouter Heerema (46) from Zuidlaren is the proud new operator of the catering point, which was festively opened today.
The kiosk closed a year ago because the previous entrepreneur could not find sufficient staff. At the beginning of this year, the province of Drenthe, owner of the building, started looking for a successor. Not only so that travelers can get a sandwich again, but also because kiosk staff can keep an eye on things. In addition, there has been no toilet for travelers at the station since the closure.
Secretly, the doors of the kiosk opened a week ago, says Heerema. Although he has a lot of experience in the catering industry, including eight years as owner of Snackerie de Pieper in Zuidlaren, running a public transport kiosk is a different story. “We did have some run-up, but it wasn’t that busy. We didn’t want that at all, because we mainly wanted to use that week to try out some things,” says Heerema.
A big difference with his cafeteria is that customers only visit for a very short time. The crowds mainly occur during the morning rush hour, when people go to work or school. The range has been adapted accordingly, but Heerema has also brought enough products from the snack bar. “Of course we have coffee, but also fresh sandwiches, cookies, sweets and ice creams. And the runners from Zuidlaren, such as our bratwurst sandwich. We will also deliver,” says the entrepreneur.
Travelers getting on or off the bus have varied reactions to the reopening of the kiosk. “I’d rather bring something from home,” says a boy working on his laptop at the bus stop. A young woman who just missed her bus is happy about it. “He just drove away in front of me, so those are moments when I would go get something.” A student waiting for her transfer is overjoyed: “I’ve been really hungry all this time. Thanks to you, I now know it’s open, so I think I’ll go get something.”
Owner Heerema is happy with all the hungry students who come to him for food and drinks. He does hope that his kiosk can serve an important group of road users in the future: truck drivers. There is currently no room for large trucks at the P+R at the station, so they all pass the public transport hub.
“While there is actually nowhere along the road between Emmen and Groningen where you can stop for something to eat. There is now very little on offer for them and it would be nice if that could change in the future,” says Heerema. He hopes that the province will take his proposal into account when adjustments are made to the Public Transport Hub.
Watch the television report to see what the new kiosk looks like from the inside