Schiphol-East's new living room

Schiphol-East's new living room
At the 'Nest', the new multi-tenant office building in Schiphol-East, 'De Huismeesters' has been serving great breakfasts with coffee and healthy lunches since July. Additionally, 'De Huismeesters' offers quiet spaces for meetings.

When you walk into the 'Nest' office building in Schiphol-East, you will notice a reception area, an espresso bar and a meeting place, all in one. It’s a new location for 'De Huismeesters', which also has outlets in Amstelveen and Amsterdam. Founder Maarten Gouman is delighted with the new location. 'There’s a nice buzz here in Schiphol-East,' he says. 'People work really hard, but they still find time to socialise. The area is still in the process of development and we’re looking forward to being part of this through partnerships with others. There are so many possibilities, like a networking breakfast or a soup tasting event. Everything is possible here.'

Having studied psychology, setting up espresso bars was perhaps not an obvious choice for Maarten. However, he had confidence in his decision. Together with co-founder Martijn Vreeman, who had already gained some experience from working at Royal Theatre Carré in Amsterdam, he started work on the project. 'I kept an open mind and quickly discovered that I really enjoyed it. This included both being behind the bar and looking at the bigger picture – what direction do we want to take, and how can we develop our brand further? De Huismeesters currently has five locations. We want to take that to fifteen. We don't want to have too many locations, because it needs to remain personal.'

Feeling at home
Since Maarten has other sites to run, Kim Hogewerf is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Schiphol-East location. After she had completed her studies at Hotelschool The Hague, she worked in a variety of hospitality roles both in the Netherlands and abroad. Eventually, she became tired of working during the weekends and in the evening, and this job came at just the right time. 'I love it', she says. 'This place really makes you feel at home. Lots of people become regulars. I have a little chat with them, and then they drink their "coffee to go" outside in the sunshine. Getting to know your guests is the best thing about the job.'

Kim also makes 'fantastic rolls', says Maarten. 'They’re small works of art with delicious fillings.' In addition to coffee, of course, the menu also includes various breakfast items (from croissants to yoghurt with granola and fruit) and generously filled rolls and soup for lunch, which are also available to go. There is also a room that you can book for meetings, both formal and informal, and there are a number of flexible workspaces where you can work undisturbed.

'We’ve opted for a homely feel', concludes Maarten. 'We want this to be the nicest place to meet in Schiphol-East, both for the people who work here and for tourists who are staying in the hotels. Everyone is welcome.'

Annick Oosterlee

Community Manager
Schiphol Real Estate
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