Wendy has been working in the catering industry since she was thirteen. She already dreamed of having her own business, but that dream was put on the back burner when she started a family with Jay. Until she got the chance to take over Proeflokaal Bregje in Zoetermeer at the end of 2022. Now Wendy and Jay work hard in their own restaurant, which gives them great satisfaction: “if we can do this, we will survive anything.”
Proeflokaal Bregje is a restaurant on the cozy Cadenzaplein in Stadshart Zoetermeer. You can eat a three-course menu for a fixed competitive price: 19.50 euros during the week and 21.50 euros at the weekend. Dishes such as tenderloin, salmon and vegan Indian curry are on the menu. “Bregje may be a franchise concept, but we are not a mass company,” says Jay. “We have a hostess and we aim for personal attention. Bregje is truly a family restaurant. It is cozy, homely and has a warm appearance.”
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Own business
On December 1, 2022, Jay and Wendy took over the restaurant from the previous owner. She had already approached Wendy to ask if she wanted to work for her. “I then indicated that I only wanted to do evening catering if it was for my own business,” says Wendy. “She remembered that, because when she wanted to sell the business, she knocked on my door.” Wendy’s parents also had their own catering business. She learned to persevere from them. With a renovation, a lick of paint and hard work, Jay and Wendy made their Bregje completely their own.
Family business
Now Wendy and Jay both work for the restaurant. It is slowly becoming a family business, because their eldest son also works in Bregje’s kitchen. The middle son also wants to start working as a dishwasher soon. “It’s great fun to do this as a family,” says Wendy. “They also really want to contribute, which I think is so cool to see.”
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City center Zoetermeer
Wendy and Jay are lucky with the location, they indicate. They are located on Candenzaplein in Stadshart Zoetermeer, together with all kinds of other catering companies. “We don’t see that so much as competition,” says Jay. “It’s more of a great opportunity to work together. We all offer something different so it’s not like we’re stealing each other’s guests. However, together we can make this square a fantastic and pleasant place. You have to divide to multiply, right?” Together with other entrepreneurs, Jay and Wendy also hope to organize more events on the pleasant square.
A second matter
First, the couple wants to make Bregje a huge success. “We are already well on our way,” says Wendy. Secretly they are also looking to the future and thinking about a second restaurant. Provided they can find the time and staff, of course. “But the dream is already there,” says Wendy. “We already know that it will be a franchise again and we already have a concept in mind.” Which one is that? “We’ll keep that a secret for a while!”
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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.