Interview with Bart Verheijen, owner of Heere aan de Maas.

On Thursday 1 February, just after the water in the Meuse had dropped back to a normal level, I visited the beautiful Oolderhuuske marina complex near Roermond, where the business of Bart and his partner Pierre is located.

Starting with Butlaroo during COVID period

In an enthusiastic conversation with a view of the setting sun, Bart talks at length about the ins and outs of his catering business. Well before Corona, he saw that there would be a major shortage of skilled personnel and, after the necessary research, he came into contact with Butlaroo. Mainly inspired by how it should NOT be done in his eyes, he decided to opt 100 percent for ordering via QR code, to make it as clear as possible for his guests. "In Rotterdam, I saw how a waitress girl went crazy because of the lack of clarity about ordering. I then decided: at least that's not how we're going to do it."

Whereas in the Corona period there was a need to order with a QR code, today he takes plenty of time to explain (especially critical) guests why he chooses this system: "I sometimes spend 10 minutes chatting with a guest about the QR code system. In those 10 minutes, other guests simply order their food and their drinks and everything appears on the table within 2 minutes. I could have had a conversation about the weather or whatever for these 10 minutes, but at least I had full attention for this guy. Tell me: isn't this system hospitable? I have more time for my guests now! Often the resistance is broken when guests see that."

Bart and his team receive, especially in the summer, many German guests at Heere aan de Maas, accounting for about 70% of the turnover. In particular, the combination with a visit to the nearby Designer Outlet Roermond is an ideal day out for many of our eastern neighbors. Due to the various links that Butlaroo offers to allow German guests to pay easily (Pay Pal etc), this target group is also increasingly aware of the advantages of this way of ordering. "We have a beautiful view of the Meuse, but if everyone is turned around in their seats to get the attention of the waiters, that is of course a shame." Still, Bart notices that his German guests sometimes need a little more attention. "I explain to them with all the love in the world how it works and I stick to that. My business also means my policy. Guests are welcome to come here, but of course they don't have to. If they choose our concept, it means that I decide how to order. We are there for extra service and explanations where necessary and we are happy to provide them, because I really understand the fear of digital ordering. Anyone who orders and experiences for themselves that a drink is on the table in front of them after an average of 50 seconds with more than 200 other guests on the terrace, that this system works very well for us."

Dynamic Pricing

"Why should the same menu be a tenner more expensive on Saturday than on Wednesday? Until I realized: this also applies to hotel rooms and airline tickets"

The hospitality industry has major challenges and Bart wants to respond even more to trends in the future. He expects that Butlaroo's innovations can help him with this. "I've always said: why should the same menu be a tenner more expensive on Saturday than on Wednesday? Until I realized: this also applies to hotel rooms and airline tickets, right? I don't know if the hospitality industry is ready for this, but of course this is where it is going. If I can automatically enter my prices for certain time slots in a very easy way, I will definitely experiment with that and see what works for me and my guests. As long as I communicate clearly about it, a lot is still possible."

Product highlighting

Other examples that Bart wants to do more with in the short term include highlighting products in terms of margins in the digital menu (cold dishes, but also, for example, the simpler cocktails compared to the very laborious ones). "I continue to love to change things, to keep triggering my guests to come back to us for a night out. I just see that digital ordering leads to higher sales. As long as you communicate clearly with your guest, so much is still possible!

Butlaroo is happy to help Heere aan de Maas facilitate all wishes when it comes to guest experience, both through innovations and providing insight into ordering behavior through data. We like to actively think along and know the market.

Curious about our services? Please contact our sales department and we will show you in an (online) demo how Butlaroo can be of added value to your business.