Gerard Tesselaar has been the proud owner of Bistro Smul and snack bar Smultaria in Schagen for over 25 years, but that could come to an end soon. The catering entrepreneur, who made himself heard last year due to rising energy prices, is putting things up for sale.
Even with working weeks of often 60 hours and hardly any holidays, Gerard Tesselaar still enjoys working every day in his bistro and snack bar, but that will come to an end. The entrepreneur has put his business up for sale. “I’m ready for something else,” says Gerard Tesselaar.
That idea has been around for a while, three years to be exact. By the corona pandemic and following an energy crisis, he decided to postpone the sale for a while. “But now is the time to put it up for sale,” says Tesselaar. He is referring to the major renovation of the shopping center Makadowhich should be ready next year.
But until a new owner is found, Tesselaar will continue to work every day with great pleasure behind the chip shop or serving. His bistro is still pleasantly full every day and the snack bar is still going well. Despite the price increase that Gerard was forced to introduce because of the high energy costs. That has cost him about 5,000 euros per month more for a number of months now.
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But sitting down is not for Gerard. On Prinsjesdag he went with NH News as ‘perseverant’ to The Hague, and talked to Pieter Omtzigt, among others, about the difficult times he is going through as an entrepreneur. “That was great fun. My dream was always at the table with Jinek, but that didn’t work out,” jokes Gerard.
Fortunately for Gerard, the price increase he had to implement did not result in fewer visitors. Customers understood his choice, because he had no choice. “It was another challenging year, but I made good decisions with the price increases,” concludes the catering entrepreneur when he looks back at 2022.
In 2023, Gerard will continue to work in his bistro and snack bar, until a suitable successor comes forward. Saying goodbye to his company, which he has built into a successful bistro and snack bar in 25, will be difficult for the always cheerful Tesselaar. But also for his regular guests, who sometimes come by several times a week. “Some were angry with me when I told them,” says Gerard.
Catch your breath
But Gerard has to think about himself now, after all these years of hard work. “Don’t have to do anything for a while”, as he puts it himself. “Some more free time and see more things of the world,” says Gerard. And there are also plenty of chores in the house that Gerard wants to make his wife happy with. “I’m going to start with the garden and there will be a porch for my wife.”
A few nice trips and some chores around the house are Gerard’s plans if he has found a suitable successor. But early retirement is not an option. Then he will start looking for a new job. “I’ve even been offered a few,” he says. “But first take a breather, although they will send me away after a few months at home,” Gerard concludes with a smile.