Gaetano and Elroy regroup after harsh television jury verdict

Owners Gaetano Volpicelli (29) and Elroy Krijnen (31) temporarily closed their dining room to make a fresh start, and they report that confidence has now returned. Voor het eerst zijn we blij met hoe alles loopt, they state. Before closing, the duo received tips from jury member Marcelo Ballardin and enlisted Anastasia to run the dining room.

The Jury Verdict and Menu Adjustments

The television jury delivered harsh commentary on the dishes served during the opening weekend. Jurors criticized the main course for having vettige schorseneren and the dessert for containing rotte braambessen. Marc Coucke remarked, Deze vergeten groenten waren beter vergeten and Ik at het enkel op omdat ik grote honger had. Concerning the dessert, a mascarpone mousse with blackberries, Marc Coucke warned his tablemates: Wat je nu gaat eten is vies and Het is over datum. Jurylid Shannah Zeebroek confirmed that: Die bramen zijn rot.

De braambessen waren pas ’s ochtends geleverd. Zo’n bes is een natuurproduct. Maar ik had van elk doosje moeten proeven.

Causes of the Opening Crisis

Reflecting on the struggles, Elroy stated, We steken de hand ook in eigen boezem, want onze dromen waren te groot. The fine dining concept proved unfeasible for the volume of covers relative to the necessary working hours and preparation. Gaetano added that the business suffered from a lack of permanent staff, relying instead on changing groups of students daily. Even reducing a four-course menu to three courses failed to resolve the operational strain. During the second day, lunch ran immensely late, which caused the preparation for the evening service to fail entirely. Hoe langer we bezig waren, hoe meer zand er in de motor kwam, the cook analyzed regarding the problem.

Gaetano and Partner Maintain Dream of Owning Restaurant

Despite losing the joy of the adventure temporarily—with Gaetano noting he was running on autopilot—the duo has regrouped. Het zette onze band zeker nicht op scherp. While acknowledging that customers lost some trust in Setl, Gaetano affirmed, Ik blijf ervan overtuigd dat we op een dag een eigen zaak hebben. Despite the rocky start, the dream of having their own restaurant has not been shattered.