Win a Michelin star. It is the holy grail for the most ambitious catering entrepreneurs. The three Brabant restaurants Vigor, Alma and Pikaar managed to get their very first star last spring. And that after an unprecedented corona time in which restaurants saw no guests coming in. How are they now?
Restaurant Vigor in Vught got off to a flying start for three months. Then the door had to close because of the pandemic. There was one year left to show what they had to offer. “We have achieved a high level in such a short time and we have been rewarded for that,” says co-owner and chef Lars Albers. He describes the reward in the form of a Michelin star as euphoric, a pink cloud. to return to the order of the day.
“We are mainly concerned with the question ‘what can be improved’. We are working on an even better experience for guests and we look at all the details. As a simple example: when it rains we play different music than when the sun is shining. And we recently also have a pick-up and delivery service for guests.”
The smoke has also cleared at restaurant Alma, says Malou Hagenaars, owner and wine waiter. After the big prizes (they received a star and Malou was proclaimed best sommelier in the Netherlands), she and her partner Wouter van Laarhoven saw a stream of reservations approaching.
“Our evenings are usually streamlined, precisely because we know the guests. Now there was a wave of new people that seemed unstoppable.”
They notice that the number of guests is stable and the numbers are higher than before. Yet Malou does not experience any extra pressure to perform. “You notice that you used to be a underdog used to be. People come to eat and say: you really deserve a star, it’s so good. That’s nice, you’re kind of a surprise. That situation is different now. Guests know what they come for. They are people who purposefully want to enjoy an evening. That gives some kind of peace.”
“We’re not blowing the tower. We have to show it on the plate, in the glass and in the restaurant.”
Albers is also not bothered by the urge to perform now that the star is on the facade. “You get the star for what you’ve done, not what you’re going to do next.” Although he would like to have a second star someday. “But I’m careful. We don’t blow high from the tower. We now have to show it on the plate, in the glass and in the restaurant.”
Restaurant Pikaar opened its doors in June 2021, less than a year later (May 2022) it received a Michelin star. The 26-year-old chef and owner Cas Pikaar started his own business just after corona. “A Michelin star has been a dream from an early age. This profession is a vocation for me. I have a lot of passion for the cooking profession itself.
“Every day should be better than the day before. That is my aim and it will remain that way.”
He is very happy with the recognition but remains sober about it. “A star is the icing on the cake, but that’s not the most important thing. We are improving and growing every day. That is my aim and it will remain so.”
The most important thing for entrepreneurs is a stable year ahead. In which the door does not have to be locked due to a pandemic. “Just be on time and be open for a decent year. Growing with the team and ensuring that we can maintain that occupation. I would be very satisfied with that,” says Malou. That also applies to Pikaar: “The aim is a beautiful, full store every day with satisfied guests and satisfied staff. Then I am also satisfied.”
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