![[Translate to en_GB:] Paviljoen Lutterzand](https://d3k5b7o5jugfme.cloudfront.net/_processed_/3/a/csm_Paviljoen-Lutterzand-De-Lutte1_c_9b8a72d565.jpg "[Translate to en_GB:] Paviljoen Lutterzand")
With the major renovation of the terrace, the picture is finally complete, sighs John Meijerink. He grew up under the thatched roof of Paviljoen Lutterzand, then his parents' business. "I was even born there," adds the entrepreneur. He was brought up with the trade, and after Hotel School and a short career elsewhere, he and his wife Renate chose Paviljoen Lutterzand. "Over the past 20 years, the pavilion has undergone a complete metamorphosis. A completely new kitchen came in, the halls have been updated, the interior renewed. But the terrace? That had to wait."
And that's quite a shame, considering that the terrace is also the business' calling card. "When you see what it brings us, both in turnover and appearance, you wish you had done it earlier." After all, you can't do everything at once, Meijerink knows from experience. And when he and his wife do something, they want to do it well. No half-measures for the entrepreneurial couple. Finally, the terrace was really up for grabs in the winter of 2019: planning, sketching, budgeting. In 2020, three weeks before Holland went into lockdown, the demolition work began. "The Covid-19 pandemic was a very strange time, unfairly feeling for the hospitality industry, because construction could go on as usual. For us, that was a stroke of luck. After all, we couldn't do anything anyway. When the catering industry was allowed to reopen after the first lockdown, on Whit Monday, we were 90 per cent ready. The terrace had a completely new look and feel, the picture was complete."
Meijerink refers to the set-up of Paviljoen Lutterzand, which actually consists of four businesses under one roof. "We are on the edge of the Lutterzand nature reserve, right in the middle of nature and on various walking and cycling paths and even car routes. With that, day trading is the main business for us." Lutterzand also has several halls for parties and celebrations; as many as 75 weddings take place a year. Companies also know how to find the pavilion for meetings and parties. Finally, the playground attracts many families and children, even for the sought-after children's parties: metal detector trips, treasure hunts in nature, and a pancake after.
Spreading opportunities
It is part of the company's philosophy: spreading opportunities. "If you focus on different markets, you are less susceptible to setbacks," Meijerink argues. Although Covid-19 was a very tough sell. "If you have to close, you tend to think that everything stops. We continued anyway, with various to-go concepts. Of course, we'd rather do regular catering, but this way we still got out of costs a bit. And besides, more importantly, you keep your staff in action, and that is essential for morale." The timing to widen the outdoor season came at a special time. "The terrace is important for all business units, but by corona it turned out to be even more important. Outside was still very much possible for a long time."
![[Translate to en_GB:] Paviljoen Lutterzand](https://d3k5b7o5jugfme.cloudfront.net/_processed_/4/8/csm_Paviljoen-Lutterzand-De-Lutte2-detailfoto_7d82eee159.jpg "[Translate to en_GB:] Paviljoen Lutterzand")
The couple tackled it thoroughly. "The terrace was up and outdated after 35 years. It was still clean and tidy, but no longer up to date." Meijerink had the shovel put in front of it and removed everything. The new terrace was literally rebuilt from scratch. Very important was the infrastructure: walkways, various atmospheric corners, points for water and completely new electricity for the lighting plan. Rainwater is collected via a system to water the terrace plants at the push of a button. There was a canopy from the building, with blinds in summer but only glass in winter - for warm seating. Four huge square parasols measuring seven by seven metres provide shade on the rest of the terrace.
Together with the architect, the couple worked out the plans further, with a spacious arrangement of high and low seating. Kroeze Interieur helped choose and supply the furniture. "We now have 250 seats on the terrace, but could also make it 500. We deliberately don't do that. We are in the middle of nature here, we want you to experience that space and tranquillity on the terrace too. We would like to exude the spacious, rich and burgundy of the area." That means nice sofas with green and rust brown upholstered cushions and upholstery, and lots of rattan. And that works, they find at Lutterzand. "The terrace invites you to enjoy a nice long time. People used to order a main course outside, now they calmly eat four courses on the terrace."
It was an investment of several tonnes, but the renovation is worth every penny, Meijerink says. Whereas the terrace season used to experience a peak around four to five months, after the renovation that has been stretched to at least eight to nine months of occupancy. "We have fifty fewer seats in the new setting than on the old terrace, and yet turnover is much higher. The atmosphere and experience are now completely in tune with the rest of the business and the surrounding nature."
And that has become increasingly important in the hospitality industry, where trends follow each other faster than before. "My wife and I call it - in carnival terms - that you should always stay ahead in the polonaise. Being a grey mouse in the hospitality industry makes no sense. That doesn't mean we do very crazy things, but we always provide that wow factor. After about eight years, it's good to give the atmosphere and the furniture another go. Not that Satellite's chairs are finished by then, but it is important to keep surprising guests. We also do this on our outdoor terrace, with five types of new furniture, but all from a certain line: sofas with nice cushions, tables with built-in fireplaces, and rattan armchairs in front of them with tree trunks as tables. The great strength of this terrace: When full, it doesn't feel massive. But if you're sitting alone, it's still cosy and cozy."
