‘Sisters Becomes a Big Sister’, appears in large letters on the shop window of Lunch Café Sisters. An announcement that is not to be missed: the successful lunch café of the sisters Marinka and Jolanda Bakker makes a big growth spurt.
Since the opening in 2018, the café is indispensable in the MatisSpassage in Emmen. Now they go from 100 to 230 square meters. And the entrepreneurs are looking forward to it. Marinka shines: “I just have itchy in my stomach.”
Seven years ago Marinka and Jolanda settled in the former building of Eethuis Mickey’s on the MatisSpassage. His well -known hamburgers made way for a new map with local products in the lead.
The start was tough: not long after the opening, Corona struck, which had to lock the doors for a longer period of time. “Pick up, to go initiatives and actions such as Valentine’s brunches helped us because of the difficult time,” said Jolanda. And that was not for nothing. Their approach was bearing fruit.
Because despite that difficult period, Sisters managed to stay in the spotlight. As a result, the establishment quickly grew out of its jacket. Marinka: “We have experienced that there is literally a row at the door in the weekends. Customers sometimes even politely offered their place to the waiting people, but that should of course not be the intention.”
It was clear to both sisters: there must be more room. Because even in the case of groups, the current space is not sufficient enough. “We are actually already full with a group,” said Marinka.
When the fashion store located behind their business left, the sisters immediately seized their chance. And after a conversation with the tenant, the case was stipulated: they can put on the vacant space in their case. The wall between the two buildings goes out and Sisters doubles its capacity: in one fell swoop from 40 to 80 seats. The current bar is moved mirrored to the new part and there will be an extra entrance from the adjacent covered shopping center De Weiert.
Moving was never under discussion. “This place just suits us. We have rooted ourselves well here and the people know where to find us here.”
The common thread through the story of the bakers is clear: family, hospitality and entrepreneurship. “At home it was always the sweet raid,” Marinka recalls. “Everyone kept eating. Mother was always baking pancakes.” They also wanted to bring that atmosphere to their business. Jolanda: “The idea as if you were visiting friends.”
Doing business is in their blood. Their parents, Bertus and Angela, ran a dairy farm near Wijster for years. They are now retired, but father Bertus remained active and took over the horse tram in Orvelte.
Jolanda started a poultry farm himself in good example, while Marinka followed a career in education and HR. Yet the hospitality industry, in which they had already gained a lot of experience with a part -time job. “We have always been a good team together,” says Marinka. Jolanda is the accelerator pedal, while Marinka sometimes put the brakes on. That works perfectly together, according to the sisters.
But that actually applies to the whole family, because it also jumped. Third sister Christa helped where she could be in the ministry, while brother Piet delivered the chicken meat. Mother Angela baked apple pies who were super fast. “We still use her recipe,” laughs Marinka.
Sisters must temporarily close the doors for the upcoming expansion. The case will close from 4 May to be reopened in June. “It feels like an adrenalinerush,” says Marinka. “But we and everyone around us are enthusiastic. This will just work.”