January 22, 2024 · Culinary Journalist
For 48 years, the grand café has been a household name in the city of Groningen. The establishment of Mirjam Jager and her brother Dick is situated in a prominent spot on Poeleplein. In 2004, they took over the business from their parents, who had already been running it for 28 years. They passed on a thriving business to their children, and it remains so to this day.
Time Out is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. until around 3 a.m. You can drop by right away for a cup of coffee, a sandwich, or even a beer. The terrace has over 80 seats and, according to Jager, is generally well-filled. "That is mainly thanks to the large awnings with heaters," she adds. "Many people know us specifically because of our terrace."
The clientele at Time Out is very diverse. ‘All kinds of people come here,’ says Jager. ‘Students, older people, young families with children. Also regulars who have been coming with us since roughly their first year.’ But also companies that have something to celebrate or political parties looking for a space to hold meetings. Everyone knows how to find the attraction in the ‘Poele’.
The atmosphere at Time Out is familiar. That is also due to the people who work there. ‘We have many people working here whose parents met each other here at Time Out, or who worked here themselves. Even grandchildren. That is really very nice. It is certainly a household name in the city; you can't ignore us,’ says Jager.
Time out naturally means stopping time for a moment. Jager continues: ‘So much has happened here in those 48 years. It was a discotheek for the first 9 years, then it became a grand café. My parents haven’t been sitting still during all that time and have always moved with the times. My brother and I too. We are always busy adjusting all sorts of things regarding the interior.’
Time Out has been selling beer towers for a few years now. ‘That is a tower from which 12 beers can be dispensed. Very popular among students. They have them on the table and then tap their own beer. Since last year, we have also had cocktail trees. These contain 8 cocktails, with a small firework inside. They get ordered a lot when people have something to celebrate.’
‘What we often hear is that we aren’t very expensive. I do try to keep the price as competitive as possible,’ explains Jager. ‘Our snacks too. It has to be a fair price, and apparently that’s why people know where to find us.’
‘Our menu has recently changed slightly. We used to have starters, main courses, and desserts. Now we have made the dishes a bit smaller so that they fit better with drinks, which is what many guests come here to do. Dining has become a bit secondary to having drinks. The satay and spareribs are still on the menu, however, according to my father’s recipe.’
Grand Café Time Out is open seven days a week from 11:00 AM to 3:00 AM.
For more information, see Grand Café Time Out.
