On October 8, the Vredeplein café will close its doors permanently following 17 years. If they spread the farewells over six weekends in a row, Frank Yang, 52, and Caroline Casier, 61, are determined to move on, even if they know that they will miss their coffee.
From now on, the couple will open a bed and breakfast in Leisele, in West Flanders, with seven rooms. Their accommodation is expected to open in the spring of 2023, as they still need to make a number of adjustments. “To continue until 6 or 7 in the morning every weekend, it was no longer possible. We can’t keep doing this until we retire,” Frank explained to our colleagues from the Nieuwsblad.
A coffee in their image
It was in January 2006 that the couple took over this bar where Frank was already working. The Flemish them have gone through all the trades in the Horeca sector, and it is therefore an exciting new challenge that they are taking up. “We have always run the café as we like to go to the café ourselves. Everyone is welcome here as long as they respect others. This establishment has a soul and has existed since 1932,” they explain.
From now on, Ina, Fedra and Frédéric are taking over the business. “It was time to do something new and I have full confidence in this establishment. I also came to work there during the carnival and I myself spent many evenings there”, explains the new buyer.
