ALAIN SIMONIS, BY SIMONIS

The business is now in its fourth generation of family ownership at Simonis, the fish specialist. A household name in Scheveningen and The Hague, where owner Alain Simonis steers the ship. LXRY explores his background: who taught him the tricks of the trade?

The counter now stands at the fourth generation in the family business of the family's fish specialty stores Simonis. A household name in Scheveningen and The Hague, where owner Alain Simonis is partly at the helm. LXRY explores his background: who actually taught him the tricks of the trade? Text: Mical Joseph
Image: John van Helvert

What was your very first job?

“Albert Simonis, my great-grandfather, started a café and smokehouse at Westeinde in 1880. My grandfather and grandmother took over this from Albert and started the fish stall on the Hague Market in 1935. When I was a boy, the family business was mainly based on fish. We had a fish shop, a fish eatery and a fish stall at the market. At the age of 12, I went with my father on weekends and started working at the fish stall. This was one of my first part-time jobs. I have handled all facets of the company: from the stall to the shop to the restaurant. I always knew I wanted to have a role in the family business. If I had not ended up in the company, I would have gone into business economics and started something for myself.”

How did you end up in your current job?

“After high school, I studied Business Administration at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, after which I embarked on another adventure: The Harbor Club in Scheveningen. This was my very first 'serious' job. From this concept, Catch by Simonis was created in 2013 and Encore by Simonis in 2017.”

Who was your wheelbarrow in that?

“My father is my wheelbarrow. He first owned the company with my uncle. From the stories and vision of that time, I naturally received, and continue to receive, these factors. We all spar at the kitchen table, it's in the blood. My father always taught us that ultimately we are a kind of 'in between pope'. We are not Catholic at all, but this metaphor applies to us: even in the church you have a period to pass something on. That is also the case with us. We all have a specific role in the family business and ultimately we do this to pass something on to the next generation. In fact, where you are now, you are also largely because of someone else.”

What do you expect from the fifth generation?

The fifth generation is already crawling around, but we as a family do not expect this generation to also enter the family business. My brother has just finished his medical studies and still chooses to take on a role in the company. My younger sister is the same: she studied in Amsterdam and is also about to enter the world.

I don't expect my children to join the family business when they grow up. If they want this, then that is allowed. Do the children want something different? Then that's fine too. At the moment they would like to become a firefighter or actor. They are still too young to draw a conclusion.”

What is your greatest passion in your profession?

“In 2013 we started Catch by Simonis, which is an international concept. From there Encore by Simonis was born. Also a restaurant with international allure and ambiance. This look and feel is my passion: I would like to continue that international atmosphere and expand it further to Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

We are currently working on a project in Scheveningen, next to Simonis aan de Haven, of approximately 8000 square meters of catering, a beach club and hotel apartments. I can also express my passion in this.”

What have you learned as an owner during this corona period?

“The past few months have been one for everyone reset been. In the ten weeks that all our branches have been closed, I have learned to deal with setbacks creatively. In total, there are between 160 and 170 permanent employees and this suddenly disappeared. In addition to these employees, we also have 230 part-timers, and we no longer had any work for them.

We switched quickly: from the moment Rutte announced the first measure for the catering industry on March 15, this meant adapting for us. This fact forced us as a team to think in a completely different way. Due to our rapid switching, we started with newly conceived ideas on March 17. We did this by focusing on the store, where customers could pick up and place their food takeaways at the Encore by Simonis restaurant. It did not cover costs, but it ran very well from day one. We printed 150.000 menus and went door to door to distribute flyers so that our employees still had work.”

What has been the biggest learning moment in your career?

“In addition to the past period, one of my biggest learning moments has been that even though there are bad times, I have to convert them into positivity. Everything happens for a reason, so take the example of The Harbor Club: if we had not taken that adventure, there would never have been a Catch by Simonis. Everything I do, I do with full conviction. Nothing is for nothing!”

What advice would you give to your 18 year old self?

“If you don't try, you won't know.”

Have you been a wheelbarrow for someone?

“I am a wheelbarrow for my youngest sister, because we have the same vision and bond. She has just finished her studies and I can see that she would like to take on a role in the company. Together we discuss all kinds of things and when the time comes, she will work in one of the branches.”