Young Entrepreneurs & new locations | CAMARAT Amsterdam, Bagels & Beans Gouda, and Loetje Tilburg
CAMARAT Amsterdam - Enjoying ‘The New Noord Cuisine’ 
CAMARAT Amsterdam - Enjoying ‘The New Noord Cuisine’ 
CAMARAT Amsterdam - Enjoying ‘The New Noord Cuisine’ 
From part-time job to second Bagels & Beans location - Melissa and Malik take over Bagels & Beans Gouda
Loetje opens its 39th location in the heart of Tilburg in 2026
Every day, we spot fun new concepts. This week: Restaurant CAMARAT opens in Amsterdam-Noord (North) and you can enjoy “The New Noord Cuisine” here, surprising dishes from the charcoal grill and late weekend drinks. Melissa & Malik take over Bagels & Beans in Gouda, their second Bagels & Beans location! And in Tilburg, the former Kantongerecht (court) is being repurposed as Loetje, with character, cosiness and the iconic steak in gravy.
We wish these entrepreneurs and their teams the best of luck and lots of fun with their new and renovated concepts.
3 minutes read
Restaurant CAMARAT Amsterdam | Enjoying ‘The New Noord Cuisine’
In Amsterdam, at Gedempte Hamerkanaal 4, on the site of the former Chateau Amsterdam restaurant, friends Beau van Haren and Ruben Andriesse have realised their dream: CAMARAT Amsterdam.
Beau brings over fifteen years of hospitality experience to the table, from holiday jobs to interim manager at Chateau Amsterdam, and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the business. Ruben, with a background in marketing and television, focuses on the restaurant’s marketing and strategy. After a week of trial runs, CAMARAT officially opened on October 11th. The doors are open from Wednesday to Sunday, and on weekends even until 3 a.m. In addition to delicious food and drinks, you can also enjoy dancing there.
Although CAMARAT clearly positions itself differently from the former Chateau Amsterdam, the collaboration with its neighbours continues. For example, they organise Urban Wine Tastings together and from the interior of CAMARAT you’ll enjoy a view of the wooden barrels in which the wine of Chateau Amsterdam matures.
Beau and Ruben focus on an audience of 25- to 35-year-olds: guests who want to eat, drink and dance in style. The menu reflects their vision of “The New Noord Cuisine”: French classics with international influences like Scandinavian, an urban twist and local products. Many dishes are prepared on the charcoal grill. They hired a new young chef, with experience at Noma in Copenhagen for his creativity. According to the foodblogger By Sam, they serve promising creations such as an oyster smoked on hay and rosemary with umami vinaigrette and crispy fried La Ratte potatoes with crème fraîche mayonnaise. Sounds delicious, we’ll definitely be stopping by soon!
CAMARAT Amsterdam – Enjoying ‘The New Noord Cuisine’
From part-time job to second Bagels & Beans location | Melissa and Malik take over Bagels & Beans Gouda
What once began as a part-time job alongside her studies grew into a thriving entrepreneurial adventure for Melissa. Nine years later, she and her partner Malik are at the helm of two Bagels & Beans locations. From November 8, they enthusiastically took over the location in Gouda from Gwen, in addition to their successful location in Alphen aan den Rijn. Bagels & Beans now has 89 branches throughout the Netherlands.
Melissa started out as a waitress, but soon discovered her passion for hospitality. At the age of 23, she was given the opportunity to take over the branch in Alphen aan den Rijn, a leap of faith that turned out to be a great success. Malik, with a background in real estate, found his own love for the hospitality industry through her. He traded his office job for the smell of freshly baked bagels, good coffee and happy guests.
Now the entrepreneurial duo is expanding their bagel happiness to Gouda. The branch will soon have a fresh, personal look, while retaining the familiar homely ambiance for which Bagels & Beans is known. ‘We want every guest to feel welcome,’ says Malik. Since November 8, visitors are welcome every day from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. for coffee, bagels and a healthy dose of positivity.
We wrote more articles about the inspiration by Bagels & Beans.
Loetje opens its 39th location in the heart of Tilburg in 2026
Loetje continues to grow! The popular restaurant chain is opening its 39th location in the former District Court on the Stadhuisplein in Tilburg. The opening is planned for mid-2026. The unique building, a municipal monument dating from 1963, will be given a new purpose, filled with conviviality, good food and the familiar Loetje ambiance.
In Tilburg’s bustling city centre, surrounded by shops, restaurants and city life, Stadhuisplein 75 will soon be the setting for steaks in gravy, good conversations and drinks with friends. ‘We are incredibly proud to be opening a Loetje here,’ says Sandra van Halderen, CEO of RCE. ‘The building has character and history, and the location fits perfectly with our formula. This will be a place where guests immediately feel at home, for lunch, drinks or dinner.’
The former Magistrate’s Court, designed by architect Jos Bedaux, is an icon of post-war architecture and a recognisable landmark in the city. This gives the monument a new, welcoming future. For almost fifty years, Loetje has been all about one thing: its famous steak in gravy, served with white bread. A classic that has become synonymous throughout the Netherlands with good food without fuss.
We wrote earlier about Loetje locations.
