Pop-up initiative to take over vacant shops in Antwerp
Fourteen start-ups have found temporary home on Bredabaan street in Antwerp’s Merksem district, with the hope some will stay for longer
From food to fashion
The services vary from children’s clothing and street food, to upcycled second-hand furniture and handmade designs.
“There’s been a lot of interest among the entrepreneurs involved in this project,” said its leader Dette van Zeeland. “Pop-up Bredabaan has created a lot of new collaborations.”
WoRkpalace, formerly a Chinese restaurant known as Wokpalace, is a co-working project, renting out work space with all professional facilities. The five women behind Droom (pictured), run creative workshops, as well as sell individually designed children’s toys and clothing, gift articles and bags made of recycled leather.
Eveline Van Oystaeyen will bring old furniture back to life, while the restDen 2170 will provide a self-serve salad bar, soups, fresh yoghurt and granola. Nearby Café De Ziel is to resemble a living room bar, run by Femke De Cnodder, whose parents used to have a tearoom on Bredabaan.
Van Zeeland hopes some of the entrepreneurs will find a permanent spot in the area, “be it in their pop-up location, or elsewhere on the Bredabaan,” she says.
Photo courtesy Droom
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