Everything went as planned on Saturday. OAK was one of the Zwolle catering businesses that participated in the protest against the corona measures. Where many entrepreneurs were allowed to open their doors again after the last press conference, those of the catering industry remained closed. But the stretch has now come to an end that Blaauwhof decided to only open on Sunday.
Comply
He was checked by enforcers and received a letter from Mayor Snijders in which he was imposed a penalty. “Sunday was another normal day and unfortunately I had to intervene,” says Mayor Peter Snijders of Zwolle. “I understand the problems the catering industry finds itself in, which is extremely painful. I realize that like no other, but we do have an agreement that the catering industry is closed. Everyone has to comply with that and I have to enforce that.”
But Blaauwhof does not agree with the letter he received from the mayor. He states, without going into detail that there are ‘factual inaccuracies’. He is going to see a lawyer soon to see if he can get his justice. He is surprised that enforcers can report such inaccuracies just like that.
easy prey
The catering entrepreneur describes how he got the enforcers into his business on Sunday, with the request that the seven customers who were present had to leave within half an hour. According to Blaauwhof, that had happened. “I had everyone pay and they were gone within fifteen minutes. I still have the receipts with which I can prove that.” According to him, after half an hour outside, the enforcers noticed from a distance that it was not yet in order and reported to the mayor. “I was the only one open, Sunday. An easy prey.”
But for Blaauwhof it was nothing less than a cry for help, as participation in the protest day last Saturday was such a cry for help. While Mayor Snijders on the one hand shows understanding for the situation of the catering entrepreneurs, he also calls it ‘naive to think that you can just open the doors.’ A comment that Blaauwhof can’t do that much with,
“That may be, but he doesn’t have a wife and three kids like me whose lives will be turned upside down when I’m bankrupt.”
happy people
A fight broke out between visitors to the city center in Zwolle’s entertainment center on Saturday. According to Snijders, it is clearly a learning moment. “It is one of the lessons we learned in Zwolle on Saturday. That you cannot just open the catering industry en masse without properly regulating it. There has been a lot of drinking, a lot has been taken. People were out for the first time, people were happy, but not everyone knows how to measure and that does mean a safety risk.” In order to steer this in the right direction, the mayor advocates the deployment of porters from the catering industry and enforcers and police from the municipality.
According to Blaauwhof, the catering industry has already proven in the past that they can do business safely in corona time. He refers to the two wine fairs he organized over the past two years. “A thousand visitors came at a time, we had zero infections.” It is proof for the entrepreneur that the catering industry can arrange it if they get the chance.
And that opportunity must come soon. “Should we just let the suffering continue? That the entire industry is going to break down?” For the time being, Blaauwhof is closing the doors of his business again. Wednesday it will be ‘open’ again for takeaway and online tastings. “All neatly according to the corona rules,” emphasizes the entrepreneur.
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