Happietaria’s organisation, which was formed by five Christian student societies, is desperately looking for a suitable location for the restaurant. ‘It’s all very dependent on luck’, says Peter Neef, who is part of the management. Last year, the charity restaurant had found a location by early September.

Requirements

The search is made more difficult by the long list of requirements the building must meet. For example, the building must have a catering license, be near the city centre, have room for 75 people, and preferably be outfitted with a kitchen. There is also basically no budget for rent. Neef: ‘We hope to have a building free of charge for a month so that more money can be spent on the charity.’ This year, the proceeds will go to the slums in Lima and children in Burkina Faso.

The restaurant will be run by volunteers for a month. ‘But we’re short on those as well’, says Neef. ‘Once we’ve found a location, it will still need a lot of work. For example, if it doesn’t have a kitchen, we will have to put one in.’

Local products

If they do find a suitable location, the 21st edition of the pop-up restaurant can begin. This year, the theme is ‘a bond with the province’: the meals will be mainly prepared with local products. There will also by a liquor auction this year, where you can have your name immortalised on the menu.

Should the search fail, guests won’t have to eat their meals under a bridge. ‘We do have a back up location: a nursing home in the city centre. It’s not an ideal option because it has a very small kitchen and barely any hot water facilities’, according to Neef. So here’s hoping they’ll get lucky.