Coffeeshop Mellow Yellow, two years after forced closure still for rent

"No, not much happens in the Mellow Yellow. Occasionally a female from the neighborhood comes and closes the shutters, "says Pieter Doeswijk, chairman of De Vijzel entrepreneurs' association. Doeswijk says that the owner, "a gas dealer of the old stamp", did not want to rent the property at all after the forced closure. On January 1, 2017, the coffee shop had to close because it is within a radius of 250 meters from an educational institution, namely the hairdressing academy. "When Mellow Yellow had to close, the owner was so angry with the mayor that he said," I'll leave it empty for a year. "

Too expensive

Owner Jan van Tongeren was not available for comment to confirm that. The fact remains that the mellow yellow coffeeshop on Vijzelgracht 33 is for rent two years later, but is still empty. Potential tenants find it too expensive. Such as Len Koster, owner of clothing store Afura a few doors away. At the end of 2017, he showed interest in renting the property. He quit when he heard what he would spend on rent. "I don't know exactly how much money it was, but it really was a lot. And I would also have to pay an acquisition sum. "

Property has hospitality license

Natalia Valenkamp is Vijzelgracht street manager. According to her, Van Tongeren originally requested a takeover sum of € 100,000, in addition to a rent of € 10,000 per month. "For that money you get the old furniture and the name Mellow Yellow. But yes, what should you do with the name of a coffee shop if you are not allowed to run a coffee shop in it? ”Mellow Yellow does have a catering license, but is no longer allowed to sell soft drugs because of the nearby Kappers academy. Running a coffee shop in the old building is therefore not possible.

Drastically reduced in price

Estate agent Isaak, who has been offering the property for rent since January 2018, can confirm that. Just like the owner has now drastically reduced the rent and the lump sum payment. That now amounts to € 6,000 per month, plus a surrender sum of € 25,000 for "goodwill", says the broker. Valenkamp doubts whether the new tenants are going to bite. "The building must be thoroughly renovated. Moreover, from this year on, the entire Vijzelstraat will be redesigned, meaning that the location will be difficult to reach for three years.

Despite everything, Valenkamp has not yet given up hope for Mellow Yellow. "The fact that the building has a catering license gives a glimmer of hope," says Valenkamp. She hopes that a restaurant will present itself to run the old coffee shop. "We prefer to see a fine quality restaurant here. We don't have it on Vijzelgracht yet. "

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