It was fun on the street in Haren. The fourth (or was it the fifth?) edition of the Wijnloop attracted a few hundred people to the shopping evening. But was it the last?
You could almost say: As a local entrepreneur, it is not easy to come up with something in the municipality of Groningen that attracts an extra audience. Generate additional sales. And it’s all according to the rules.
Maybe it’s apples and pears to compare, but tell that to the entrepreneurs. Daphne de Haan, owner of bistro Heerlijk in Haren, knows the example Own dough sandwich , boulangerie in City. Open on Sunday mornings for many years. Very important for sales. But against the rules. When someone reported the matter, the municipality acted. And the left-wing coalition in the city council went too far to adjust the rules in favor of the baker.
That combination of alcohol and retail
As far as De Haan is concerned – she is a center manager and initiator of events in Haren – something similar is happening in her village. The semi-annual wine run – with a wine glass to be refilled, strolling and buying along shops in the village – has been granted an exemption from the Liquor and Catering Act since 2021. As support in the back in coronat time. And last Friday it was still allowed. But as far as the municipality of Groningen is concerned, it was the last time. That combination of alcohol and retail cannot be allowed indefinitely.
“I understand that the municipality does not want this in the city, that is behind it,” says De Haan. “But there is a completely different audience there. The municipality proposes a food festival as an alternative. Something in the village square. But the shops have nothing to do with that. Shopping evenings are declining nationally, aren’t they? And an event with a cup of tea and a soft drink, people don’t come to that.”
“I bought a shirt tonight”
Into the village.
,,This is an excellent initiative!”, says Erik Smidt, resident of Haren, resolutely. Glass of wine in hand, on the sidewalk at the lingerie store. The whole family is along.
,,I’ll tell you, I bought a shirt tonight at the Heeren van Veelen and I had never bought a shirt there before. For that reason alone, this event was a success. You walk through the village, talk to each other, visit entrepreneurs. They need support, don’t they? They’re tough enough. And this is not a bacchanal. If the entrepreneurs say: we can keep this under control, then the municipality must trust that. There are also empty shops here, right?
The call is interrupted.
,,Hey! Are you back too!”, a man shouts from the other side of the street. His name is Randall Martina. Smith begins to laugh out loud. ,,We see each other here once a year.” The anecdote that follows is too long to write. It is important that it was also fun last year. Martina: “Really outrageous that the municipality wants to kill this.”
The manager of lingerie store Julia’s, Rinette Martowidjojo, pours some more glasses. This wine evening is not necessarily for turnover, she says. For customer loyalty.
Meet entrepreneurs in the village
Across the street, Justin, a salesman at the Flashman men’s fashion store, has set up a firepit. Pricked lights on a string and cheese sticks, cubes of cheese and pieces of sausage on a table. ,,This is also a great event to attract people from outside Haren. They get to know entrepreneurs in the village in a fun way.”
With his snack table he has lured three satisfied guys from the village. Arjan, Floris and Hessel. Their wine run has become a wine stopper. ,,The bag with purchases is already behind the counter”, says Arjan. “The women are walking.”
It works, they say, this evening. You maintain the character of the village. Hessel: ,,You stimulate the small, local entrepreneur who keeps a village livable.”
Everyone has been on the drip
Coalition parties in the city council have been concerned about this small, local entrepreneur for some time. He’s having a hard time. This is no different in Haren.
“The corona blows are still falling here,” says center manager De Haan. “Everyone has been on the drip and now has to pay everything back. It’s never been this hard.”
VVD, D66 and City Party 100 percent for Groningen – also in favor of a Sunday morning opening for bakers in the city – have taken to the pen and ask the council not to kill the wine run in Haren. These questions must first be answered in writing before the Board responds.