SCHIEDAM - One of the city's smallest shops has a new purpose. De Bonte Koe is opening a "chocolate lab" at Hoogstraat 78, on the corner across from the chocolate maker's production department and vending machine, and right next to Café Het Weeshuis.
From its storefront, De Bonte Koe sells "strawberries topped with pistachios and chocolate." "Customers can take the cups home or eat the treats right there on the street," the company explains.
"In London and New York, it's become a real craze to get to-go cups of strawberries drizzled with hot chocolate," says Amy Klein, who owns the business along with her brother, Connor. "Videos about it are going viral. We're going to see if the trend catches on in Schiedam." And it already seems to be happening. "Our strawberry-chocolate pop-up store opened on Saturday, and we sold out in no time. On Sunday, things went quickly as well, and a hundred kilos of strawberries were completely sold out by four o'clock." The pop-up store will definitely remain open in the coming weekends. "After that, we might try other new chocolate products to see how they resonate with the public. That's why we're calling the new store our Chocolab."
De Bonte Koe is leasing the building, with its significant history, from Maassteden Stadsherstel. A five-year lease has been agreed upon. "De Bonte Koe will use this historic shop to test and sell new products and to record videos for social media."
Connor Klein currently records his social media videos in the production department. From now on, he'll be doing this on weekdays in the new shop. "For years, it wasn't a problem to record the videos in the production department, but because we're getting busier and busier there, I'm now really getting in the way," says Connor Klein. "That's why I'm going to use the new shop as a studio. And people from the street can watch the filming—well, they already did that on the other side of the street. I actually like that not only the followers can see the videos, but also the audience in Schiedam can watch live."
Exhibitions have recently been held in the building, including one featuring the work of Monique Tameris. A little while ago, it housed a children's fashion store and also Anita de Groot's collection. Henk Post sold his records there for a long time.