What? Different kinds of spaghetti.
Where? Nonnenstraat 12, 8800 Roeselare.
Who? Samuel Van Opdenbosch and Veerle Jacobs.
Genius often lies in simplicity. The concept behind Mister Spaghetti proves just that. The idea, conceived by Samuel Van Opdenbosch—who was born and raised in Blankenberge—came to him a few years ago on a plane as he was returning from the U.S., a country he adores. “My father had often mentioned that restaurants with a single dish do well, but I never really gave it much thought. On the plane, I took a sheet of A4 paper and sketched out the concept for Mister Spaghetti. Three months later, it was a reality.”
Samuel—Sam to his friends—knows how to get things done. Literally and figuratively. At eighteen, he became a doorman, a job he did with heart and soul for eleven years. In recent years, he’s also been popping up more and more often in Roeselare, at places like De Loods and the former Exotique and Palace. He still has his imposing build today, thanks in part to working out, the occasional CrossFit session, and martial arts, but that’s where the vague prejudices that a bouncer often faces end. “Talking was the most important part of the job. Acting appropriately was also the most effective approach. In terms of understanding people, that entire period was an enormous learning experience.”
When it was time for something new, Samuel opened a sports nutrition store in downtown Roeselare. He knew a lot of people in the sports world, including in the boxing community, so his social network only grew larger. He also noticed a lot of prejudice among the general public toward the boxing world, but that only made him more determined to do his own thing.
He kept that focus even when he stepped off the plane on that fateful day in late 2013 and decided to go all in on his own restaurant. “Why spaghetti? At home, we loved to eat spaghetti—and we ate a lot of it. Plus, you can take it in so many different directions. And honestly, I could eat it every day.” Sam admits he had a sort of master plan in mind, but it has changed a few times since then.
After all, things have moved quickly in recent years. About two years after opening, Mister Spaghetti moved to a location a little further down the street. “We were growing fast, but we had to turn down a lot of people. Eventually, that had a negative impact. Moreover, the new location allowed us to give the Mister Spaghetti brand more substance. I’d also like to mention that this growth and success were made possible in part by our chef, Koen Van Hove. He’s still with us today and fully supports the concept. He helped develop the sauces, and nothing is too much trouble for him. It’s become his baby, too. He also guided me a great deal in the restaurant business, which was new to me at the time.”
After the move, Molly’s Bite—which focused on finger food—remained at the former location for a while, but today Samuel and his team are once again fully focused on spaghetti. This led to a second location in Hasselt, which opened its doors in September 2016. The move was more or less a coincidence, thanks to his extensive network. Not long after, Sint-Truiden and Aalst followed. In the latter, one of his best friends—who is also his son’s godfather—runs the place. Fun fact: the owner used to run a fitness center and a sports nutrition store. Samuel opened a branch of the latter in Roeselare. “It’s funny that I used to believe in his concept and went along with it, and now it’s the other way around.”
“Were those extra locations part of the plan in my head? (thinks for a moment) It was always somewhere in the back of my mind, yes. I also want to work toward something—but I don’t want to hear the word ‘chain.’ I don’t have any staff either,” Samuel smiles. “Just employees and colleagues. Everyone here plays an equally important role in how we operate. If someone is labeled as ‘just a dishwasher,’ that really gets to me.”
But such strong growth naturally comes with growing pains—and, consequently, a fair amount of stress. Samuel is therefore cautious about making predictions about the future. “My main concern is that we maintain our family-run feel and that customers feel they are important—not just a number. Simply because they are important.”
These aren’t just empty words. For example, Samuel prides himself on responding to every review and rating. “Just recently, I replied to 600 of them—all from the past month.” A lot of people don’t think about it, but that’s part of running a business, too. At first glance, those responses might not seem to make much of a difference, but in the long run, we’ve noticed that people are more likely to reach out to us if they have questions or if they feel something isn’t right. We much prefer that to anonymous criticism from behind a computer screen. If they’re not satisfied, we want to know why. What we can improve and how. There will always be people who prefer to vent their criticism online, but for us, open and honest communication is very important. Moreover, it doesn’t stop there. It’s also a matter of being able to convey this correctly to our staff and, in turn, keeping our finger on the pulse through them.”
Although the concept revolves around spaghetti, it’s still important to keep investing in innovation. The biggest hit so far is the XL Challenge. Anyone who manages to eat 2.3 kg of spaghetti in half an hour gets it for free and makes it onto the (virtual) wall of fame. “That’s what made us big,” Samuel acknowledges. “And it’s still very popular. A video of one such challenge in Sint-Truiden even racked up 1.7 million views on Facebook. It’s crazy.” Samuel immediately counters any criticism that this amounts to food waste. “We’re very conscious of that, which is why we’re also strongly promoting our doggy bag, which has already become a standard practice among our customers. And we don’t serve bread either, because it’s been proven to be the biggest source of food waste in restaurants.”
It seems like the sky’s the limit. In July 2017, the company opened its first international location in Oosterhout, the Netherlands. “It’s a challenge, because apparently the Dutch aren’t used to eating spaghetti for lunch. We’re looking into how we can change that mindset—or at least better adapt to it.”
But the driving force behind the whole operation is Veerle Jacobs, he readily admits. Samuel met the Ghent native—who ended up in Blankenberge—three years ago. She has quite a bit of experience in sales. For example, she was general manager of Het Witte Paard, which comprises three hotels. “Last year, she took on a lot of responsibilities,” says Samuel, which also explains the strong growth. “That’s allowed me to find more peace of mind. Without her, we wouldn’t be where we are today, no. Honestly: I know very few people who can work at that pace while remaining so efficient and focused. After just half a day at the computer, I already feel like I’ve moved mountains, while she just keeps going. Thanks to her, I can focus on ideas, because believe me, there are plenty of them.”
Samuel’s mind is always racing. It’s tough—really tough—as he puts it, though he’s smiling again. But it’s also a form of drive—that life lived at 100 kilometers per hour. “Actually, I don’t live at 100 kilometers per hour. No. Veerle lives at that pace. For me, it’s mostly my mind that’s racing. I see the building and its potential, while she focuses on the practical side. I have to be able to hold onto that creativity, that impulsiveness, because that’s the core of entrepreneurship.” The fact that the two of them can balance all this with a son who’s barely a year old is nothing short of a miracle.
It’s no secret that Mister Spaghetti is something of a never-ending story. “Yes, it would be fantastic if Mister Spaghetti became a household name abroad. And, of course, New York remains the ultimate dream location. We’ve even made some initial contacts. But we’ll see.”
Text:©BertnBreakfast– Photo:©FotoFever
