That in the midst of the lockdown a wonderful new initiative can bring people together, Mendel Janssen proves. As a hospitality supplier, he sits in sackcloth and ashes for exactly one week in March 2020. Then he comes up with Nijmegen Culinary, the restaurant gift card 2.0. After overwhelming success in Nijmegen, he now brings the concept of Culinair to other major cities and maybe even abroad. About the legal steps for the latter, Mendel spoke with one of our attorneys. Great story for this column #startupsanddowns.
Nijmegen Culinair is a restaurant gift card with a number of extras, which fit in seamlessly with the spirit of the times. Besides the well-known principle 'treat yourself or a friend to a nice dinner', you support - without investing yourself - a good cause in your own city. The local character of the card increases involvement and gives hands and feet to the insight of many now: 'we must do it together'. With the card you support the restaurant you know as well as your daughter's soccer club or your mother's nursing home. This feel-good feeling is reinforced by the fact that participating restaurants are selected on four criteria: the highest quality, the most beautiful location, the most unique concept in terms of food or method and rich history. It is always a mix of the best-loved items for every wallet.
Gigantically out of my comfort zone
Feel-good moments are also there for Mendel. This begins on the very first day, he says: "The concept was conceived, now it had to be sold. In my student days I was reasonably successful as a door-to-door salesman for charities. Was I going to do that again? I hesitated. Before I dared to press that first bell, I really had to get out of my comfort zone. At half past nine I rang the bell and from then on I was successful all day. During the whole day I only received 'no' three times." A nice 'up' for the start-up, especially in this difficult period.
Reliable and secure means of payment
But "downs" are also there. Getting officially registered as an electronic money institution is a tremendously difficult and long process. Mendel: "To make our card a reliable and secure means of payment, my company had to be approved by De Nederlandse Bank. It was not easy to prove that we met all the conditions because it is a new concept. In the end we succeeded and, according to the rules, I am exempt from the licensing requirement."
No more fun at all
Another "down" is the investment Mendel had to make during an uncertain time. He worked very hard for months on his concept, with no income. "We have two small children and then you do scratch behind your ears when you see your reserves evaporate. This financial uncertainty cost me a lot of energy. What am I doing, I regularly thought. I really believed in the concept and received enthusiastic reactions from all sides, but at a certain point I didn't like it anymore. It was December, the permit from De Nederlandse Bank kept waiting, the catering business was still closed. However, this low point shifted my focus to people who were having an even harder time, the people who had been living in quiet poverty for years. Instead of giving up, I decided to go the extra mile."
Crying with happiness
Together with Quiet Nijmegen, a foundation dedicated to helping people living below the poverty line, Mendel ensured that over 700 people would receive a sumptuous Christmas dinner that year from the various restaurants affiliated with Nijmegen Culinair. "A huge end-of-year campaign, which we put together within a few weeks," Mendel says. "I delivered many meals myself and met people who had to cry with happiness; that does something to you. At the same time, this campaign provided additional awareness and support."
Sparring with about scaling up
This is the "up" where Mendel can take the necessary next step: make the concept bigger so he can support his family with it because the margins are small. "With the foundation I've established, we can do the same for other cities in the Netherlands. I have super nice contacts with people in Den Bosch, Utrecht, Amsterdam, South Limburg, Rotterdam, The Hague. At this point I can spar well with one of the attorneys of Poelmann van den Broek. He assured me that my concept is easily scalable, gave me tips on how to take it further abroad. For example, what about domain names and the tax part."
Holland's finest restaurants under one roof
The next step is The Culinary Group. This is a nationwide portal where you can select your own region. Mendel: "This way we bring the best and nicest restaurants in the Netherlands under one roof, with the benefits of local involvement. Perfect for your city break. So for the time being, we will continue in the Netherlands first. But the prospect of not having to stop at the border gives me just as much of a boost as the news that the hospitality industry can reopen."
Want to know what Mendel is working on right now? Check out this page for his most recent project "Long Live Fathers." in collaboration with the Radboud Oncology Fund.
Poelmann van den Broek and StartUp Nijmegen
The #startupsanddowns section shows what Poelmann van den Broek can do for businesses in the nearby StartUp Nijmegen business incubator. Our attorneys have committed to this on behalf of Poelmann van den Broek by supervising business owners and holding regular consultation hours and sparring sessions. They do this out of personal interest and because they believe that young business owners deserve a flying start.
