INTERVIEW - WTC Amsterdam · BO NAM Vietnamese restaurant Bo Nam is the latest in hospitality entrepreneur Casper Reinders’ stable. Reinders made his name in 2003 with ... We Canteen

ALL CHANGE: A FRESH APPROACH TO FOOD AT THE WTC

INTERVIEW‘We’re bringing downtown Amsterdam to Zuidas,’ says

restaurant entrepreneur CASPER REINDERS

CATERING CONCEPTSFrom creative Californian dishes to a dynamic food court and the best of bistro

SMOOTH OPERATORSA new approach at the WTC Conference Center

BREAK-OUT BOOSTWTC Amsterdam has a new creative space where tenants can recharge and regroup

STACHStach Food was founded in October 2011

by Stach Schaberg and now the neighbour-hood deli concept has eight outlets across

Amsterdam plus four in Utrecht and Over-veen. Stach offers fresh soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch on the go. Much of

the produce is locally sourced and organic. WWW.STACH-FOOD.NL

MYLKMylk is a joint venture between

Amsterdam hospitality entrepreneur Casper Reinders and chef Elena Cholovsky, who set up her first

vegan restaurant Alchemy on Bali in 2011. The approach is raw, organic

food and drinks with a creative, Californian twist.

BO NAMVietnamese restaurant Bo Nam is the latest

in hospitality entrepreneur Casper Reinders’ stable. Reinders made his name in 2003 with night club Jimmy Woo and now runs a string of restaurants across the capital. He was also responsible for the Holland Heineken House

concept at the Rio Olympics.

OX & BUCKSPart of what is now the Fitch & Shui café is being turned into a

Grand Café with classic bistro food, lots of different wines and beer

and a warm, welcoming vibe. Ox & Bucks, with lots of wood and comfy chairs, is set to be the new place for

the perfect after-work drinks.

ALL CHANGE IN WTC CATERING AND

SERVICES

THE OFFICE OPERATORSIn 2009, The Office Operators launched a full-

service office concept offering clients maximum flexibility in terms and space. The company also

provides flexible work stations, meeting rooms and virtual offices and is now taking over responsibil-

ity for running the WTC’s Conference Center. WWW.THEOFFICEOPERATORS.COM

MAIN ENTRANCE

WE CANTEEN FOOD COURTWe Canteen was launched five years ago by Maaike

de Reuver and Charlotte van Leeuwen to bring a fresh new approach to in-company catering. The company now runs eight successful food

courts in Amsterdam, The Hague and Eindhoven and has built up a network of 300 local catering

companies. WWW.WECANTEEN.NL

O V E R V I E W

2 WTC EXTRA - JANUARY 2017

WTC NEWSNew catering companies

INTERVIEWCasper Reinders is coming

to WTC Amsterdam

MEETING PLACEAll change at the

WTC Conference Center

FOOD COURTLocal entrepreneurs

take centre stage

BREAK-OUTA new concept for F2

4

6

10

8

13

Welcome to this extra edition of WTC Today which focuses on our plans to completely shake up our catering and conference facilities in 2017. Eurest has been running the WTC’s cafes, can-teen, restaurant and meeting rooms for several years now and the team has done a great job. I’d like to thank them for all their efforts and innova-tions over the years. But now, in 2017, the time is right for change. A New Year brings new opportunities and we are taking the WTC’s services to a whole new level. We want to have a greater focus on catering and on the conference centre so we have selected sev-eral parties to work with us, each with their own specialisations. In particular, I’m delighted that we have been able to bring in some of Amsterdam’s hippest operators to overhaul our catering facili-ties. Casper Reinders is the man behind some of the city’s most innovative clubs and restaurants and he is the guiding light in many of the changes we are making. His involvement in the WTC – through restaurant Bo Nam and the new Grand Café – will help put the WTC and Zuidas firmly on the map as a great place to eat as well as work. Find out more on page 6. I’m also extremely pleased to welcome We Can-teen to the WTC. The company was launched five years ago by two very enterprising young women

and is setting new standards in corporate cater-ing. We Canteen is now part of The D&B Facil-ity Group which runs our reception, cleaning and security operations. I know the high standard we have come to expect from D&B will be reflected in their new approach to a canteen lunch. We Can-teen has made locally sourced and internationally orientated food its trade mark.You will notice other changes as well. Neighbour-hood deli and sandwich bar Stach is setting up shop in what was the Fitch & Shui coffee corner. Stach is a fast-growing food retail concept and I am very happy to welcome them to the WTC. And then we have a vegetarian fresh food bar with a Californian twist which will be a great addition for everyone who likes to make sure their diet is a healthy as possible. Read more about all the new catering companies on pages 4 and 5.As I said in my last column, central hall is also about to undergo a revamp. Those changes are now being finalised. The new-look central hall will also include a Stach Food to go, so visitors will be able to grab a caffeine fix and a bite to eat while waiting for their appointment. More on page 12.The other major change is taking place in the con-ference centre. The Office Operators are taking over the management and have great plans for the future. The Office Operators run several meeting centres in Zuidas and elsewhere in the Nether-lands and we expect them to bring a number of international events to the WTC. You’ll be able to recognise their staff by their red uniforms. Read more about TOO on page 11. In all, the changes which we are introducing in 2017 will be a significant boost to the WTC and its role within Zuidas as a whole. The changes will be rolled out over the next few months and we will do our utmost to limit the inconvenience to you as much as possible. If you have comments or questions, please feel free to get directly in touch via [email protected]. And as you sit down for your first paella courtesy of We Canteen or a raw food salad, bon appetit.

Bon appetit!

Christiaan Huijg, Managing DirectorWorld Trade Center Amsterdam

WTC EXTRA - JANUARY 2017 3

C O N T E N T S

EATING FROM APPLES TO ZUCCHINI

Raw food might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of lunch in the WTC, but Elena Cholovsky’s approach to healthy eating is more rock ‘n roll than puritanical. The menu in the vegetarian cafe will change with the seasons, focusing on locally-sourced and sustainable ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a warm interior. No time to eat before you had to leave for the office? How about coconut yo-ghurt with fresh berries or caramelised pear quinoa? Need a quick pick-up for lunch? Lentil and carrot salad, mint pea mash and roast balsamic beets will do the trick. The food bar will open for business in the former Fitch & Shui café in mid March.

A fresh approachFocusing on food from around the world and provided by local firms is key to the success of We Canteen, which takes over Fitch & Shui in Febru-ary. Of course, you will be able to lunch on home-made soups, filled rolls, seasonal salads and fresh juices but We Canteen also offers a constantly changing selection of hot meals from around the globe – think Asian, Arabic, South American and Mediterranean specialities like burritos, paella or curry. Every day, two or three different catering companies will set up shop at the WTC. ‘Our en-

trepreneurs serve dishes from all over the world so we will be able to find out, once we’ve started which best fit the WTC’s international work-force,’ says company founder Maaike de Reuver. More on page 8

CLASSIC BISTRO FOODCasper Reinders and D&B The Facility Group have developed a new concept focusing on the very best of bistro food for the WTC’s new grand café Ox & Bucks. WTC tenants will be able to en-joy the perfect BLT, Caesar salad, saté and a clas-sic steak tartare in an informal atmosphere. The location will include lots of dark wood and beams with industrial lighting, marble tiles and plants. The new café will open in late March and is set to be the perfect place for an informal meeting dur-ing the day and celebratory drinks with colleagues in the evening.


F O O D F O R M A T S

Stach classics such as a vitello tonnato roll with rocket, banana bread and gluten-free walnut and date bar will soon be available to busy WTC workers who want to grab a fresh, healthy lunch on the go. ‘Stach is a real convenience store,’ says founder Stach

Schaberg. ‘We ensure our customers can eat fresh, healthy food without making it themselves.’ Stach is also known for its great coffee and its fresh vegeta-ble juices. ‘Our turmeric juice with carrot, ginger and black pepper is terrific for a healthy boost.’

Bo Nam is the high-end Vietnamese restau-rant with a French twist that will replace Corso Como in September. Vietnamese cuisine is one of the richest and most inspiring in the world and has been influenced by European and Asian techniques and flavours for over 4,000 years - French colonists brought their own influence in terms of cooking techniques, coffee, chocolate and even bread (Banh Mi). Bo Nam will offer dif-

ferent menus for lunch (beef bouillon with meat balls or shrimp and mango salad) and dinner (fish with glazed ginger or a steamboat to share with friends). Creator Casper Reinders says the con-cept fits perfectly with the WTC. ‘We’ll be doing soup, spring rolls and really serious dishes,’ he says. ‘Office environments tend to play safe, but there are lots of opportunities and we can do a lot more for a brand like the WTC.’

A French twist

LOUNGING AROUND


F O O D F O R M A T S

PHOTOGRAPH: TAO GROUP, ALLJAN MOEHAMAD


I N T E R V I E W

Casper Reinders IS BRINGING DOWNTOWN AMSTERDAM TO ZUIDASAfter nightclubs and a string of successful city centre restaurants, the hospitality industry tycoon is now turning his hand to the eateries in the WTC.

Casper Reinders, the man behind Amsterdam hot spots such as Jimmy Woo, Bo Cinq and Lion Noir, took about five seconds to decide to get in-volved when approached by an old friend about pitching for a new catering contract.‘The WTC in Zuidas? My first thought was it is nothing for me but then I thought, this is bril-liant. I can do something totally different. I really like tackling new things. Last year I designed the Holland Heineken House for Dutch supporters at the Rio Olympics. I’d never done anything like it before and when I got the contract, I thought “wow!”. Entrepreneurs have to get out of their comfort zone and take chances. And the WTC is a great opportunity.’Casper, 46, has set up dozens of restaurants since starting out on his career some 20 years ago. He really hit the headlines with the launch of night club Jimmy Woo in 2003, which brought a new elan to Amsterdam’s nightlife. It is still one of the city’s most successful clubs, visited by the likes of Mick Jagger and George Clooney when they are


in town. Since then other clubs and other restau-rants have followed, all notable for Casper’s trade mark and inspiring interiors. Ravishing colours, a key piece of clever furniture… each restaurant is built around a particular vision – and Casper is applying that same philosophy to the WTC.

HIGH WINDOWS‘I usually work from a concept but now I am working with people who wear suits and want drawings which is different for me,’ says Casper, who prefers to dress in black and is famous for his collection of tattoos. ‘When I first walked into the Fitch & Shui space I was amazed how many people were there so early in the morning and that eve-ryone was so well-dressed. But I like office build-ings and I immediately liked the WTC space with all the high windows. There is something almost industrial about it, with the exposed pipes and a certain roughness which appeals to me.’As the biggest office complex in the Netherlands, with some 4,000 workers from across the globe, the WTC is far from a standard place to set up a catering operation. Casper’s involvement spans the current Fitch & Shui café area and the res-taurant space now occupied by Corso Como. The café section which fronts Zuidplein is being completely overhauled and will house three new concepts: food to go deli Stach, Mylk and a Grand Café. ‘The space is actually quite masculine at the moment so we are going to make it warmer and more sexy with wonderful colours,’ says Casper. Casper does not believe in off-the-peg concepts and sources the furnishings all over the world. The chairs, for example, are specially made in Mo-rocco. ‘We’re going to turn the space into some-where you will want to hang out after work,’ he says. ‘I want to keep our guests here after office hours with good food, lots of beer and wine and a warm atmosphere. It’s going to look great. We’ve picked up this amazing brown sofa for Stach, for example. It’s six metres long and far too expensive for a bar but it was way too cool to leave behind.’

COOL KIDSThe transformation into Stach, Mylk and a Grand Café will start in February. Once work there has been completed, attention will turn to the central area currently occupied by Corso

‘THE SPACE IS ACTUALLY QUITE

MASCULINE AT THE MOMENT SO

WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT WARMER AND MORE SEXY’

Como. At the end of last year, Casper opened his first Bo Nam Vietnamese restaurant in cen-tral Amsterdam and the WTC branch will open in the early spring. ‘It is too easy to play safe in a place like the WTC,’ says Casper. ‘Going for French or Italian cuisine is the simple option. But there are so many more possibilities.’ In ad-dition, he says, the WTC is so international and that made the decision to bring the Bo Nam con-cept to Zuidas a natural. ‘Bo Nam in the city centre is very popular with the young, cool kids and we are going to go a little more Bistro style in Zuidas,’ he says. The focus is on serious Vietnamese food using French techniques which date back to colonial times. ‘Think Vietnamese sandwiches - Banh mi

- which use French bread combined with spicy fillings,’ says Casper. ‘Or Vietnamese hamburg-ers which use small, black buns and are delicious. Asian food is really good and Vietnamese cuisine one of the best.’

WTC FAMILYCasper is quick to reassure those who may fear a little too much hipness is about to hit Zui-das. ‘We’re not going to be revolutionary at the WTC. That would not be appropriate. What we are doing, is bringing a bit of downtown Amsterdam to Zuidas. A lot of the people who work here already come to my clubs or restau-rants. And I think they’ll love to have drinks at the bar with the rest of the WTC family in our Grand Café on Friday afternoon because it will all be about comfort and quality. We’ve got a lot of great concepts with Stach, We Canteen and Weeds and together we are going to do some-thing really great in the WTC.’

‘ I WANT TO KEEP OUR GUESTS HERE

AFTER OFFICE HOURS WITH GOOD FOOD, LOTS OF BEER AND WINE AND A GREAT

ATMOSPHERE’


BARRABarra, home to what some say are the finest tapas in Amsterdam, is a vibrant little restaurant in the

heart of the Pijp district. Barra serves the best of Iberian cooking using authentic ingredients

freshly prepared by their own Spanish chefs. It is pure and simple food with a contemporary take.

WWW.BARRA.NU

BULLS AND DOGSWith two locations in Amsterdam and a popular festival food truck, Bulls and Dogs serves funky

homemade hotdogs, sausages and side dishes. The sausages are made by a local butcher from Amster-dam according to the company’s own recipe. Side

dishes include fare such as Mexican corn, fried onion rings, curly fries and fresh salads.

WWW.BULLSANDDOGS.COM

We Canteen was born out of frustration at the standard fare served up in so many corporate restaurants. Alongside a wide range of top quality fresh salads, sandwiches, drinks and soups, We Can-teen brings in two to three different local companies every day, each with their own specialities. Think hotdogs with a difference,

or tapas and Spanish seafood. With a stable of over 300 different food firms – from oyster experts to cocktail shakers – We Canteen will be bringing some of the best café, restaurant and food truck entrepreneurs to the WTC. Here’s a look at six innovative Am-sterdam eateries which may be popping up in the coming months.

No catering concept on the market offers more variety than We Canteen, the dynamic new food court operators who

are taking over the WTC self-service restaurant.

Fresh food and innovative ideas

X X X


KAAS EN WORSTThe Kaas en Worst (cheese and sausage) food truck is a popular sight at summer festivals, serving delicious meals and snacks from the back of an old Peugeot J7.

Lotte and Julio put the emphasis on home-made prod-ucts sourced from local growers with a focus on their

own sausage recipes and the best possible cheese. WWW.KAASENWORST.COM

DOPHERTVegan restaurant Dophert serves 100% vegetable products – so no eggs, no meat and no dairy. The team behind the successful eatery in Amsterdam’s

Spaarndammerbuurt make all the food themselves so they know exactly what goes into their sandwiches,

snacks and salads. Dophert also makes wonderful iced birthday cakes if it is your turn to treat the office.

WWW.DOPHERTCATERING.NL

RENZO’S DELICATESSEN

Launched in 1986, Renzo’s on the Van Baerlestraat in Amsterdam is the place for great home-made Italian

food and products. Pick from classic pastas, risotto and salads to delicious rolls stuffed with imported Italian meats and cheese. Gorgonzola with rocket or Parma

ham, anyone? Renzo’s dino sauce is legendary. WWW.RENZOS.NL

JUICE AND SALADWith three branches in Amsterdam, Juice and Salad

is the first salad bar in the city to grow its own products. Set up by farmers Michiel and Nick, the mission of Juice and Salad is to provide the most

delicious fruit and veg juices, salads and sandwiches. They also whip up a great fresh fruit yoghurt.

WWW.JUICEANDSALAD.NL

Smooth operators

A NEW LOOK AND A NEW FACE FOR THE WTC CONFERENCE CENTER


T H E O F F I C E O P E R A T O R S

‘Our first priority is to ensure everyone gets the perfect welcome,’ says Nienke Weeber, the new manager of WTC Amsterdam’s conference cen-tre. ‘We stand up, we are proactive and we take everyone to the meeting room where they are supposed to be. I believe it is crucial to create the best possible first impression and make people feel at home straight away.’The Office Operators (TOO) was founded six years ago. The company’s strategy is simple: to provide offices, meeting rooms and flexible work spaces with a total service package. The contract to manage the WTC’s Conference Center is the company’s 21th location in the Netherlands. Whether 200 guests are due to hear a keynote speech in the auditorium or a company country management team is having a satellite meeting with the CEO in New York, ‘providing the best possible service is key’, says Nienke.

AMSTERDAMNienke, 29, studied facilities management in Gro-ningen and made the move to Amsterdam after graduating. She started working for The Office Operators in August 2012 after a friend suggested she might like to apply for a job. After a year at the meeting centre at WTC Schiphol she was pro-moted to centre manager. Her next move was to launch her own location - the Infinity office com-plex better known as the former ING building next to the Amsterdam ring road. Now the WTC, just a short bike ride away, is next on the cards.

‘The WTC Conference Center is a fine, ba-sic product but we can do so much more,’ says Nienke. ‘The WTC is such a big complex and needs an excellent and international level of ser-vice and quality in its meeting centres. Our team, in their red dresses, will provide just that.’

STRATEGYTOO will get the keys to the space on February 7 and Nienke will then slowly roll out the com-pany’s own strategy. ‘It is crucial to make sure there is no disruption for the clients who are al-ready booked in,’ she says. ‘By early April we will be ready to start refurbishing the complex to give it The Office Operators’ look and feel. We adapt our strategy to the buildings we are located in. For example, the UP office complex close to Amster-dam’s main railway station has an urban interior compared with Infinity, which is more corporate. For the WTC we will be fairly formal as well, a modern office with a twist.’In her four-year career at TOO, Nienke has al-ready had to deal with her fair share of challeng-es. ‘I think the biggest was when a client told us they wanted to move into their new office in two weeks rather than five. We had to complete the entire project, from the flooring to the coffee ma-chine, in two weeks and I think we finished it on the very last night. My boss told me later she did not think we would get it done. It was pretty hairy but we made it.’Preparation and teamwork are key to providing the best service, Nienke says. ‘You need to know exactly what your client wants. Our customer ser-vice representatives are trained by the office man-agers who really know how things work and can share knowledge and experiences. We also oper-ate our ‘wow’ programme – we want to amaze our customers and to reward our people who provide service beyond our clients’ expectations. We nev-er say no or that something is not possible… we try to meet the client’s every need, even if it is as simple as providing mint tea with honey to a visi-tor who obviously has a cold.’

Nienke’s five key tips for a smooth operation

Prepare properly

Get a good team

Remember the wow factor

Never say no

See challenges, not problems

The red dresses worn by the staff of The Office Operators are set to become a familiar sight in the WTC as the company takes over the management of the Conference Center.


F A C E L I F T

The catering facilities are not the only parts of the WTC which are being completely overhauled. Central hall is also about to undergo a major revamp. The aim is to boost the way the space works and bring the facilities bang up to date. The plans are now being final-ised but we can say the new-look central hall will include a bright new reception and service desk area, and that there will be several places to meet, greet, relax and work. The plans also include a ‘Stach to go’, so visitors can grab a caffeine fix or a quick bite to eat. The new look was put together by design bureau Pubblik & Vos.

FACELIFT FOR THE CENTRAL

HALL


If you feel the need to let off steam by playing a game of draughts or air hockey, or even bash out a tune on a piano, then the temporary new break-out space in F2 is the place to be.The glass fronted office formerly oc-cupied by the Expatcenter has been turned into a place for all WTC work-ers to relax and recharge their batter-ies. Just turn up and join in.You can also enjoy the art by Am-sterdam-based conceptual light artist Clifton Mahangoe.Interior designer Marcel de Lyon and architect Dineke Dijk came up with the new look for F2. Later this year, plans to turn F2 into a permanent place to relax or hold an impromptu meeting will be finalised.

FEEL FREE IN F2

R E L A X I N G O N F 2


Work on revamping Fitch & Shui will start at the beginning of February. We Canteen will open on February 6 from 08.00 to 18.00 and will also station a food truck in the hall to provide a wider service. Once the café space has been completed and Stach, the Grand Café and Mylk are open for business, the Food Court will be open from 11.30 to 14.00 on a daily basis. Longer opening hours are of course an option for special events.

From breakfast to late-night drinksThe new catering concepts in the WTC will ensure a wide and varied choice of places to eat and drink throughout the working day and well into the evening. Here’s a summary of what eateries will be open when.

OPENING TIMES

WE CANTEEN FOOD COURT11.30 to 14.00

STACH FOOD07:30 - 20:00

VEGETARIAN FOOD BAR09.00 - 23.00

OX & BUCKS GRAND CAFÉ09.00 - 23.00

BO NAM10.00 - 22.00

STACH TO GO IN CENTRAL HALL

08.00 – 18.00

ROOM SERVICE AND BANQUETING

08.00 – 18.00and at other times on request


D A T E S F O R Y O U R D I A R YO P E N I N G S C H E D U L E

ALL DATES ARE PROVISIONAL AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE

WTC EXTRA is published by World Trade Center Amsterdam. You can also download WTC Extra from the website www.wtcamsterdam.com. WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO WTC TODAY? Please email [email protected].

TEXT Zuidas Text and Translations

PHOTOGRAPHY Annelien Nijland, Stach, TAO Group, Wendy Hereijgers

DESIGN Vindustries, Ouderkerk a/d Amstel

PRINT Drukkerij Aeroprint, Ouderkerk a/d Amstel. WTC Today is produced in a CO2 neutral production process and printed on 100% FSC certified paper.

CREDITS


FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3

LUNCH DATEThis is the last day you can enjoy lunch at the Fitch & Shui cafe and sandwich

bar and in the main canteen.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15

GET FRESHThe super-fresh vegetarian

food bar will open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

FRIDAY, JULY 28

CIAO CORSO COMOThis is your last opportunity to enjoy a pizza or pasta at Italian restaurant

Corso Como

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6

NEW CANTEENFood court We Canteen opens for

business, with soups, rolls, salads and hot meals from around the globe.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6

CONFERENCE CALLThe Office Operators team, in their distinctive red uniforms, take over managing the WTC

Conference Center.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15

GRAND OPENINGThe WTC’s very own Grand Café and bistro Ox & Bucks will open just in time for the next Vrijmibo borrel.

FRIDAY, APRIL 7

CONFERENCE CENTRE

The Office Operators will begin revamping the conference

centre in TOO style, keeping disruption to a minimum.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9

LOUNGING AROUNDSandwich bar and deli Stach Lounge will be ready to serve the best coffee,

cakes and rolls to WTC workers.

SEPTEMBER, TBC

BO NAMBo Nam, the Vietnamese restaurant with a French

twist, will open its doors after the summer break.

JUMP INTO SPRINGNEXT ISSUE: testing out the new catering concepts, a full news round-up, Zuidasdok developments and the latest WTC events

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INTERVIEW - WTC Amsterdam · BO NAM Vietnamese restaurant Bo Nam is the latest in hospitality entrepreneur Casper Reinders’ stable. Reinders made his name in 2003 with ... We Canteen