“The thing I like most is that you have all the freedom to do what you want. I really like that freedom.”
We went to visit Tim van den Hoed of De Utrechtse Boekenbar. We ask him all about his inspiring store and his experiences as an entrepreneur.
If you were allowed to read only one more book for the rest of your life, which would it be and why?
“That’s a very difficult question, but I would choose ‘American Psycho’ by Bret Easton Ellis. That’s a book I snatched from my father’s bookshelf and thought, I want to read more of this.”
Have you always been a fan of reading?
“Yes. I’ve always been a fan of reading. That’s actually the basis for this store. That’s where everything started actually.”
How and where did the idea for the Utrecht Book Bar originate?
“That’s actually a combination of love for books, love for the city of Utrecht and love for a meeting place or catering establishment where people come together. When? That came about in the course of my life. It was always an idea and at some point I decided to do it.”
What do you like most about being the owner of this bar on the Westerkade?
“The thing I like most is that you have all the freedom to do what you want. I really like that freedom.”
What book should every entrepreneur read?
“I then choose not a title, but a genre. Then I think every entrepreneur should read a novel because it’s good for your creativity. You read a story and you actually have to complete that story yourself. And it’s very good for your empathy, I think. Because you often read a story that highlights a different side of what you’re used to or what you know.”
Nowadays, people are reading less and less. What do you think about this?
“Yes, of course I find that super unfortunate. Of course, I only meet people here in the store who do read. I also have the idea that many people want to read, but find it difficult to concentrate. So I hope that many people still pick up the book more. I don’t think many people really don’t want to read, that it’s unwillingness.”
How do you view the future. Will people always keep reading books?
“Of course I have to say yes, and I think so actually.
I also always think it’s very important how beautiful a book is. So the paper or the thickness. Or how it’s edited. And I think that’s also one of the important things about a book. As long as a book remains a beautiful product, I think people also like to have it and keep reading it.”
What will the book bar look like in five years?
“I think we will stay here anyway, in this place. It’s a small store, but I think from this place – as a base – we want to promote reading in other places like this. By organizing festivals or collaborating with schools and other agencies.”
How did you and Kees de Boekhouder meet?
“That just went through through. A friend of mine was at Kees de Boekhouder. I was actually looking for a boekkeeper or program that I could easily work with. Then I went by once and it clicked right away actually.”
What does Kees de Boekhouder mean to you?
“I hate bookkeeping. So Kees de Boekhouder is kind of a stick for me to do it anyway.
I do know that it is very important. Over the years I have also found that it is very good to spend time on it. But with Kees de Boekhouder, I think I need to spend as little time on it as possible. So that’s very nice. And I really like that I can always drop my questions. A very short email is already okay, or just a phone call. That just works very nicely in between for me.”
