Samuel Van Opdenbosch and chef Koen Vanhove of Mister Spaghetti. – Photo by Joke Couvreur
Samuel Van Opdenbosch and Veerle Jacobs are well on their way to building a true restaurant empire. Their spaghetti concept, Mister Spaghetti, can already be found in Roeselare, Aalst, and Sint-Truiden—and will soon be coming to Bruges as well. All of this in just three years. The ultimate icing on the cake? “A Mister Spaghetti in New York,” they say.
“We could eat spaghetti every day.” Speaking are Samuel Van Opdenbosch and Veerle Jacobs, the driving forces behind Mister Spaghetti. In March 2014, they opened their first restaurant on Nonnenstraat, and three years later, they’ll be able to boast four restaurants.
Started small
“My dad always said that a restaurant based on a single product is a fantastic idea,” Samuel says. “Besides, I love spaghetti myself, and it’s something everyone enjoys. Suddenly, I found myself sketching out the concept for Mister Spaghetti on a sheet of A4 paper. A few months later, the first restaurant was a reality. It was a calculated risk. I started small, with barely 26 seats. The first year, I was at the restaurant day and night. Luckily, I had great employees who helped me get the hang of everything. Mister Spaghetti was an instant success. On peak days, we sometimes had to turn away 60 to 70 people. Because of that, we moved to a location twice as big after just 1.5 years.”
Conquering International Markets
And it didn’t stop there. Last September, a Mister Spaghetti opened in Hasselt; Aalst is next this month, and later this spring, Mister Spaghetti will also open in Sint-Truiden. “It’s always been our dream to let people enjoy our concept at multiple locations—through franchising. But until now, we hadn’t really advertised or conducted any extensive marketing in this area. What we’ve achieved today, we owe to our network,” says Veerle. “And to that of Joeri Beuse, our partner for expanding our franchise network.” The couple is setting the bar high. They dream of a Mister Spaghetti in every province and even beyond the country’s borders. “We would indeed like to conquer foreign markets with Mister Spaghetti as well. The ultimate dream is to have our own restaurant in New York. But our growth must never come at the expense of quality and service.”
But what is the secret behind Mister Spaghetti’s success? After all, virtually every restaurant has spaghetti on its menu. “It’s a combination of several factors. We’ve opted for a beautiful, homey interior where guests can relax, we aim for a great atmosphere, and we offer a wide variety of spaghetti dishes. Our menu features no fewer than 27 different fresh sauces, and we also offer a wide variety of spaghetti: cappellini, whole wheat, spelt, and more. In addition, we pay close attention to allergies—for example, we serve gluten-free dishes. Customers should never be just a number; we take a personal approach. We respond to all messages on social media and place great value on feedback. And you can come to us for both a quick bite and a full dining experience, from appetizers to dessert.”
In addition, Samuel and Veerle emphasize that they rely on a strong team and on chef Koen Vanhove, who helped develop the concept. Learn more at www.mister-spaghetti.be.
