The story of Roger van Damme reads like a novel. The Zeeuws-Flanders soon comes into contact with Belgium when he chooses to follow his cookery training at the renowned ter Groene Poorte. He will never leave Belgium again. After an apprenticeship in Noordwijk, he decided to open a business in Antwerp in 1994. So many years and adventures later, Het Gebaar has become an institution. For lovers of sweets and other treats. We went to have coffee with Roger.
Roger, your story and that of The Gesture seem like a well-paved road to success. Do you experience it that way?
van Damme: “Absolutely not. When we opened Het Gebaar it was actually a complete jump in the dark We had no idea whether our approach with a focus on dessert could work. I have seen real black snow in the early years and many other colours. Believe me. Financially it was certainly not easy, the number of hours we worked in and for the business often reaching 20 hours a day. Success doesn’t just happen. At such a young age, you are not really an entrepreneur yet. You are constantly getting to know yourself and you also come up against yourself more than once. In the first 10 years, I invested a lot in the business: financially, but also of course all my time and energy. I can safely say that in the first 10 years, I had nothing to show for the business. As an entrepreneur, you have to sow a lot in order to reap only a very small part. There are many things that just don’t work out, that don’t succeed…
I can imagine that as an entrepreneur, that raises a lot of questions? What was the tipping point for you that you said: ok, this can work?
van Damme: “It is strange that you say that, because actually there has never been a tipping point. You have to keep fighting, wanting to improve yourself. If you think you are successful, the danger of going downhill is lurking around the corner. I have surrounded myself with good people over the years. That helps enormously.
Over the years, ‘Roger van Damme’ has become a name, hasn’t it?
van Damme: “Yes and no. The name Roger van Damme is not important in itself. I would prefer people to recognise me for the quality I deliver rather than for my name. That’s why I called my new business Désirée and not Roger van Damme.
Who have you learned the most from?
van Damme: “Well, I learn from everyone. Young and old. When it comes to the ‘big names’, I learned the most from Martin Berasategui (n.d.r. of the eponymous Basque restaurant Berasategui) and from Ferran Adria of El Bulli. Martin for the flavours and Ferran for the techniques.
But as I said, I also learn a lot from young people and the way they look at life. They ‘live’ more. Our generation can learn something from that.
What would you not do again Roger?
van Damme: I don’t really regret anything. You start something, you have an idea but everything changes continuously. I don’t believe in people who say that their idea is in their head down to the last detail. You constantly run into things and then you have to make adjustments. You always want to do better, but not everything is possible. Accepting that is sometimes difficult.
Roger, recently in the news you announced that you are going to take over the iconic Desirée de Lille business? We suspect you have big plans for it?
van Damme: “Yes, I have very big plans for Désirée. I think it is a beautiful brand anyway, with a gigantic beautiful history. But I also see enormous possibilities. The restaurant is one thing, but tomorrow we will also launch our own baking mixes, our coffee and tea line. The possibilities are endless. Very exciting!
Roger, there are rumours that you are not going to stop at one restaurant? Is it true that openings of Désirée are still planned?
van Damme: “Indeed, we have plans for a restaurant in Durbuy. That will be ready by June, July next year. I would also like to open an establishment by the sea. We hope to have completed the makeover of our restaurant in Antwerp by the end of next year. The process of obtaining the permits there is a little more difficult.
What are you most proud of Roger?
van Damme: “As such, I am not particularly proud of anything. Being proud means that you can look back on something you have achieved. Idon’t feel that the story is finished. I still have tons of things I want to tackle and do better. I’m always going to keep going anyway, that’s the nature of the beast. That’s how I want to make Désirée into a brand that really stands out.
At last Roger, can we wish you anything else?
van Damme: “I still dream of a place in Barcelona. Not to sit on my backside. But a nice mix between being able to take a break mentally and getting new inspiration at the same time”
Reserve atrestaurant Het Gebaar: Reserve here
Address of restaurant ‘Het Gebaar’: Leopoldstraat 24, 2000 Antwerp
Address Désirée: Schrijnwerkersstraat 14, 2000 Antwerp
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