Can you talk briefly about Gastrobar Berlage?
In the backyard of the Art Museum, a pergola leads to Gastrobar Berlage. The restaurant designed by architect H.P. Berlage caused a stir when it was built. An “undesirable frivolity,” according to the municipal guidance committee in 1927. The freestanding pavilion is a national monument and is a hidden gem amid Het Kunstmuseum, Fotomuseum, Omniversum and the World Forum. A place to just eat good food with a unique terrace and a view of Berlage’s very best work, the Art Museum.
Why did you partner with EAB Excellent?
I know Johan through the soccer club VV Wilhelmus. Both active soccer fathers, with Johan being a gifted player himself in the past. I was on the board and Johan helped us with (unraveling) the energy issues. He took the club a big step forward. Both in lowering costs, and also in raising awareness about sustainability, as a result of which the club now has solar panels on the locker rooms and LED lighting on the fields. In that capacity, I took that very pleasant cooperation to my hospitality ventures and real estate operations.
How do you experience cooperation and our services?
Like all (hospitality) entrepreneurs, we too are experiencing the pressure of erratic energy prices. From an average of 1.5% of costs, energy rose to an average of 4%. It is critical to hire professional help in making the right decisions. Johan and his team are very professional, he knows the market well and has an excellent network. For example, in a major financial dispute with Stedin over gas consumption, Johan helped us get knowledgeable legal support through his network. For that, too, I am very grateful to him.
The online environment EAB digital provides real-time insight into our consumption. Monitoring energy costs on a daily basis is now among the possibilities. And like sales and guest satisfaction, that now has our daily attention.
Do you have any tips for EAB Excellent to work even better together and improve services?
I am generally very satisfied. Questions and problems are responded to quickly and appropriately. But if I can think of something, perhaps I would like to be actively put on the right track regarding sustainability. EAB helps me thoroughly inventory the Energy Conservation Duty. But how do we make it concrete? Not only because of the legal obligation, but also because I believe that real sustainability helps the company move forward.
