It’s a huge investment for four months. But businessman Bram Smits, 32, of Café Fairhuis in Wissem wants to make the most of the summer to make up for the damage he’s done.
Thus, an additional floor was allocated to his balcony, which usually accommodates two hundred guests.
300 guests
On the deck, which can be accessed via wide stairs, a hundred visitors can sit, with a distance of one and a half meters between them. “Of course we can’t handle all the losses well, but we just have to work hard in the period ahead.”
Bar instead of the living room
Feedback from customers was very positive on this first day. A bar was also set up on the first floor so as not to overburden the staff. This way, the process doesn’t have to go up and down the stairs every time. “Drinks are prepared in my living room. The TV, sofa and chairs are stored elsewhere. I’m watching the European Championships on TV in the café section.”
staff
The entrepreneur has no shortage of employees at the moment. There are eight permanent employees and 74 on-call workers. “I have to have it. I can build an extra balcony floor, but if I don’t have staff, I can’t get anywhere with it.”
Smits says the extension request was sweating: “It took a while and once it looked like it was complete there was a risk of knots. Luckily we got the go-ahead at the last minute.”
The terrace floor at Café ‘t Veerhuis will remain in place until the end of November.
