Almost 25 years ago, Haarlem-based Marcel Levee saw opportunities in Groningen. At the time, he worked in a small village in Drenthe and sometimes went stap in Stad. "In Haarlem, party pubs were totally hot, I missed those places here in Groningen. It's party time here seven days a week and it's full of students. I was very surprised by what was happening here: I could see a market in it."
The opportunities Marcel saw in Groningen, he grabbed with both hands. He currently owns six catering businesses in the Poele and Peperstraat. Feestcafé Shooters, Twister, Klein Amsterdam, Oblomov, Gusto and the just-opened Pinchazz are part of his modest empire. At the latter, you can indulge extensively in Spanish spheres. They serve sangria, tapas, bocadillos and, of course, pinchos. The place has a matching Mediterranean décor and a cosy terrace on the always busy Poeleplein square. With special lighting, so it always looks like you are sitting in the Spanish sunshine, even when it is already dark outside.
Taking the cat out of the tree
At the beginning of his entrepreneurial adventure, Marcel had to get used to the Groningen (down-to-earth) way of dealing with people. "Groningers have to wait and see what happens. In the beginning, I did have trouble making contact; it was a bit harder than in the West. But once you pierce through, the contact is much more genuine. If you need anything, people are really there for you," he says.
Koninklijke Horeca Nederland
Over time, a lot has changed in the city. "Hospitality is fundamentally hospitable, it is a component that contributes to the city. People used to come to the city mainly to visit shops. Now there are many more reasons; museums, exhibitions and, of course, especially hospitality." To put the hospitality industry in Groningen on the map as well as possible, Marcel joined the board of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland. "I've been on the board of KHN for a year now. It is important to me to keep the administrative reality and the practical world as close together as possible. After all, those worlds still sometimes want to be far apart. It is therefore crucial that we cooperate with the municipality and policymakers."
In addition, Marcel believes it is valuable to help starting entrepreneurs get off to a good start. "Within my position on the board, I give tips to start-ups. If we help each other then that in turn has an effect on the rest of the city." He does argue that entrepreneurship has to be in you. "It is not a choice, entrepreneurship has to suit you. If you have that in you, you don't suppress that urge.
Favourite spot
Marcel truly considers the Poele- and Peperstraat his home base. Logical, because with six businesses he can often be found here. "The variation in people is really nice here: on weekends you have a lot of visitors from the province, but on weekdays the street scene is determined by students. Around them, the working young people roam. And we are also increasingly dealing with expats. So a very nice varied crowd." Although Marcel also used to live in the middle of the party scene, he has now chosen to live just outside the Diepenring with his family. This way, he can seek out the hustle and bustle whenever he wants, but can also return to all the peace and quiet.
This entrepreneurial portrait was created as part of the Gastvrij Groningen programme. The Gastvrij Groningen programme is run by Marketing Groningen and implemented and financed on behalf of The Fund for Enterprising Groningen, the Municipality of Groningen and Groningen Bereikbaar. Koninklijke Horeca Nederland and the four Groningen business associations: Groningen City Club, Bedrijvenvereniging West, Bedrijvenverenigin Zuidoost and Bedrijvenvereniging Noordoost are also involved in the programme.