Coffee chain Anne&Max will have fifty branches in the Netherlands. The counter currently stands at 21. Five more store openings are planned until March 2022, namely Delft, Groningen, Utrecht, Amsterdam and Amstelveen. That’s what founder Wobbe van Zoelen tells RetailTrends.

When Anne&Max is everywhere on the map in the Netherlands, Van Zoelen sets his sights on Germany. “It is a market that is of interest to us, namely the Ruhr area.” Among other things, the population and lives connect with Anne&Max.

Many Dutch companies opt for expansion to Belgium, but that is not the case for Van Zoelen. “The structure on the Belgian market is different in terms of franchise, so it makes more sense to first explore the German market.

Anne&Max finances the expansion out of its own pocket. Should the plans in Germany become bigger than anticipated, Van Zoelen plans to look for a lender. “We’ve never done that before,” he says. If necessary, he prefers to do so in a typical Anne&Max way. “For example, by creating guests of employees, so our values ​​remain secured.” Has the enthusiasm for this already been gauged? “No, not yet,” he confesses with a laugh.

Van Zoelen founded Anne&Max fifteen years ago, based on the idea of ​​creating a living room atmosphere in the city. Organic, healthy and sustainable food are central to the coffee shop. Read the full interview with From Zoelen here.