On Tuesday, August 15, Martijn Geneyn and Ana Marques from Portugal will start as new operators of Bistro Dampierre along the Maalsesteenweg in Sint-Kruis. They follow in the footsteps of Liselot Synaeve and Dimitri Van der Jeugt who have run the business since 2011.
Brasserie Dampierre will become Bistro Dampierre from 15 August, with Martijn Geneyn (32) and Ana Marques (30) as the new owners. Liselot Synaeve and Dimitri Van der Jeugt experienced their last day in Dampierre on Thursday 27 July, or at least as operators of the increasingly popular business along Maalsesteenweg, close to the border with Sijsele.
Stage in Kempinski
The new hostess Ana Marques has Portuguese roots. “I did indeed grow up in Portugal, where I attended hotel school. Through an international internship, I ended up in Hotel Kempinski in Bruges, where I met Martijn who was working there at the time,” says Ana.
“We clicked very well and when I was also told that after my internship – provided I had passed my education – I could get a permanent contract, I was determined to stay. I still had to go back to Portugal to finish my education, but after that I came back to Belgium as quickly as possible.”
The South Side
In the meantime, Martijn and Ana have been living in Zedelgem for several years and they have two children. “We also worked together for a while in the Damse restaurant with one Michelin star, De Zuidkant,” says Martijn. “Ana in the hall and me as a sous chef in the kitchen. That was a very nice time and we learned a lot. But when our first child arrived, we deliberately distanced ourselves from the catering industry for a while and worked together for several years in a butcher’s shop with caterer in Roeselare. Not a bad choice then because the corona crisis arrived shortly afterwards and we all remember the consequences for the hospitality industry.”
But recently the hospitality industry beckoned again and especially the urge to get started independently. “It was the chef of De Zuidkant, who also knows the previous owners here because they often visit his restaurant, who informed me that Dampierre was about to be taken over,” says Martijn.
Bistro
“We started talking and soon came to an agreement. This was a wonderful opportunity for us. The location, so close to Bruges and Damme, is also ideal. Moreover, there is a lot of parking space along the side of the road and we can live above the business. We now call the business bistro instead of brasserie and will upgrade the menu a bit. For example, no more stew meat or vol-au-vent, but sole and a good steak, for example. And not just with fries and lettuce, but slightly finer, original garnishes. In addition to the à la carte dishes, we always provide a three and four course menu and a lunch.”
2023-07-30 09:25:06
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