DThe enthusiastic reactions to the arrival of Brasserie Harkema in the southern district of Helpman, the owners surprised Jeroen Timmermans and his partner Lisanne Harkema. A week after the doors officially opened on the corner of Verlengde Hereweg and Emmastraat, they are already looking for extra staff to cope with the large crowds. Brasserie Harkema mainly focuses on lunch and hopes to be able to organize a cozy drink hour as well.
Jeroen Timmermans and Lisanne Harkema are no strangers to the Groningen hospitality industry. Jeroen worked for twelve years at The Stadtlander in the Poelestraat and got to know his partner Lisanne there. She has served the guests at the same catering company for ten years. Six years ago they left the eatery and since then they have been looking for a suitable location for their own catering company.
Lunch in the southern city district
,,Our search initially focused on the inner city, but afterwards we are glad that we have now ended up in Helpman. In recent years there has been a lot of catering in the city center and certainly many day businesses where you can have lunch. There are catering establishments in the southern city districts, but these companies mainly focus on dinner and fast food. There was actually no real lunch opportunity that we have now opened'', says Timmermans. He also hopes that the brasserie will become a pleasant meeting place for many people from the southern city districts.
Hustle and bustle
The busyness in the first week after the opening seems to prove him right. Many guests clearly indicate that they are very happy with a company such as Brasserie Harkema and are already underlining this with regular visits. The brasserie opens every morning at XNUMX a.m. from Tuesday to Saturday. The first days of the week (Tuesday and Wednesday) the couple wants to close the brasserie in the early evening, on Thursday late afternoon the door remains open until about nine o'clock and on Friday and Saturday the drinks can continue until eleven o'clock.
Philosophy
The philosophy of Brasserie Harkema is clear. “We don't have an extensive menu, but the products we serve are good and tasty. We first want to see how the brasserie is developing as a lunch and drink venue and then decide to add a simple dinner menu. The kitchen that we have installed can handle it and certainly Valerie Versol, who has stood behind the stove in the Paal dome on the Meerweg for years and has now made the switch to us'', adds Lisanne Harkema, who gives the brasserie its name.