The brown café The Old Pal is an indispensable part of the City Center. You can have a bite to eat there, have a drink and, according to director Pepijn, they can now also call themselves a fully-fledged restaurant. A business that is at home in all markets! “Especially since we expanded in April,” says Pepijn.
Which Zoetermeer knows The Old Pal now isn’t it? Here you meet friends, eat a good meal and get together around drinks time. “We started as a brown café 33 years ago,” says Pepijn. “Over the years, the menu has expanded and we are really a restaurant. Our customers come for our specialty beers on tap, among other things. After nine o’clock at night we are a bar.”
New place for parties
Since April, the adjacent space – the former Friends café – has been merged with The Old Pal. This has created space for larger groups, parties, private dining, weddings and more. “On busy days we include that space with the rest of the business,” says Pepijn. “We also regularly organize parties there for people over 21 or 25, for example.”
A little boy
Pepijn saw The Old Pal become a success as a little boy. The café belonged to his father. Years later, his mother also started working in the café. “So I walked around here a lot as a child. The cook who worked there then is still there now. That is very special.”
Passion for catering
Pepijn’s passion for catering was instilled in him at an early age. Yet he did not inherit The Old Pal from his father. “He sold the business and I started working in other places in the catering industry. First in large and small restaurants in the Netherlands, then for a while at a beach club abroad,” says Pepijn.
“At one point I wanted to leave the catering industry and started selling parquet floors. But the catering industry beckoned. So when the current owner of The Old Pal asked me to help out during busy times, I accepted the opportunity with open arms. And I’ve stayed ever since.”
Traditional and innovative at the same time
Pepijn enjoys nothing more than giving people a nice evening. “In our case, this includes a nice menu with traditional dishes such as salmon fillet and spare ribs,” he says. “But we also have more and more for people who want to eat vegetarian or vegan. We also take dietary requirements or allergies into account with love. Everything to make our guests happy, because that gives us energy.”
As far as Pepijn is concerned, the location in Stadshart is perfect for The Old Pal. “We have been doing very well here for years, so that says something,” he explains. In the winter period, The Old Pal offers a warm, cozy place for guests. The covered terrace is decorated with lights and the heaters make it cozy on cold days. “For example, there is a summer terrace at the surrounding catering establishments. Thanks to this varied offering, we complement each other well on this square.”
City center Zoetermeer
In City center Zoetermeer there is a lot of choice of shops. Whether you are looking for a new television, beautiful clothes or an original gift: you have come to the right place in Stadshart Zoetermeer.
The range of shops varies from small specialty stores to large department stores, such as Mediamarkt, Albert Heijn XL, TK Maxx, JD Sports, Douglas, Rituals, H&M, Mango, Just Brands, Foot Locker, Albert Nolten, Primark and the Douwe Egberts Café. Stadshart Zoetermeer also offers a wide choice of various dining and entertainment options. Have you worked up an appetite from shopping? Or would you like to take a break with a drink? You will find a place to settle down in the City Heart!
This article is sponsored by Retailers Association Promotion Stadshart Zoetermeer.