At the heart of the Upoffiz site, people can visit Bar Amelia. Before its opening, the two inspirers of this brand new hospitality concept get to talk about the origins and meaning of this innovative meeting place.
Jo, you are 25, have two degrees and are passionate about hospitality. How did you end up at Upgrade Estate?
JO:I spent five years in student rooms in three different Upkot buildings and became very familiar with that brand as a young adult and tenant. After that period, I found myself in a tumultuous application period. I had also done a number of vacation jobs at Upgrade Estate. I always found that fascinating. That’s how it started gradually. Before I knew it, I had secured a temporary job at Upgrade Estate. Meanwhile, I continued applying for jobs.
NELE: Her interim jobs were an added value both for her, as a job seeker, and for us. She is at home in all markets. But it was important to me that she also kept applying to chase the job of her dreams. Every time I inquired about how her application had been, she replied that people weren’t responding. Then when she did get to go, she felt the culture wasn’t right.
JO:I became familiar with the sales team at Upgrade Estate and suggested a traineeship. That way I really started at Upgrade Estate. Afterwards, that vacancy came up to operate Bar Amelia and so it happened.
Your family name rings a bell. How do you experience working with your aunt?
JO: It did cause extra stress. I’ve been following it from the sidelines for twenty years, so I do know what’s expected. You also support it, but you want to do it even better because of that, I think. So in the beginning it was quite exciting for that reason. Nele and I understand each other at a glance or with one sentence. Sometimes we have to laugh about it or we just see the seriousness of things. Nele knows me so well by now that we sense each other very quickly and correctly.
NELE: I have more than one hundred percent confidence in Jo. She is tremendously independent.
Jo, you applied for this job like many others. Can you tell something about the application process?
JO: Through my traineeship in the sales department, I was involved in the Upoffiz project. So I knew what was going on, where was still being sought in the project and where not. One day, as part of market research for Upoffiz, Nele and I went to visit a bar in Mechelen where we liked the vibe. It was there that I first dropped that I thought it would also be wise to keep the bar open at Upoffiz. That’s where the first balloon went up.
As an application, I had delivered a package to the HR department myself. As they opened it, they learned more and more about me and my motivation for the job. I knew they would appreciate my creativity and found that very enjoyable to do. Finally, I ended up at the assessment with accompanying presentation and preparation. There were 4 other candidates.
On the evening after my presentation, I was standing at the newspaper stand in my street when I received a phone call with the news that they had decided to go ahead with me. The adventure could begin.
Nele, it may not be easy to remain neutral when your niece is applying for a job.
NELE: From the beginning, it was clear to both, me and HR, that everyone would go through all the stages of the application process. Even someone we know has to go through all the steps. Our HR Happiness Officer, Sofie, knew I would join the assessments, but when we had to decide, I would stay out of it. So I did that. Jo stood out. Her assessment was really good. There were other good candidates with lots of experience, but Jo had worked on the Upoffiz concept as a trainee. She had also been an Upkotter. That definitely helped. She breathes the vibe and values of the company. On that front, she had an advantage. The fact that she is family rather makes you a little more rigorous I think. Jo also helped liaise with the site’s tenants during her traineeship.
How did that go, Jo?
JO: I was involved in the research around Upoffiz including hiring. I went along with CCO Nils to potential tenants. First eyes and ears wide open, got impressed and learned a lot. That also ensured that I have actually met many people who will soon become customers at Bar Amelia, sometimes even remembering their names and knowing their needs. Having that information is really an added value.
Amelia was a woman with balls and so is Jo.
- Nele
Jo, what is the meaning behind the name “Bar Amelia”?
JO: Loop5 now used to be an airport. Some streets here are named after famous aviation pioneers, including Amelia Earheart. She was the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo. We thought that was a powerful story. On the one hand that pioneering aspect, on the other hand a woman who didn’t mince words and was fairly progressive for the time. That’s what Bar Amelia wants to stand for too. Pioneering, surprising, adventurous, that toughness. During my assessment, I suggested ten names, including Bar Amelia. That was my favorite, along with one other. Coming up with the name was one of the assignments during the assessment.
NELE: Amelia was a woman with balls and so is Jo. Therefore, the name just fits with the intention behind Bar Amelia. Because of that decision, we immediately saw what that bar could look like and came up with the image of a cool airport hangar. Our Look & Feel Team was also able to fully indulge in it, along with Jo.
JO: Because I did a big chunk of the business development myself for a year, I was able to do my homework very well. I’ve been fortunate to have been very closely involved in the design.
Why is Bar Amelia different from your average company restaurant?
NELE: It’s not a company restaurant. We want to attract a wide audience anyway; other companies are also welcome, but also people from outside the site.
JO: Connection is at the heart of the Upoffiz - Loop5 site. With Bar Amelia, we want to encourage that extra anyway. It’s a place where you can come home and at the same time meet lots of people while drinking or eating something delicious. We don’t want to create a corporate feel, but let people escape to get to know other people or just be at ease for a moment. It could be a hip coffee and food bar in downtown Ghent. We want to bring that vibe to the city outskirts.
NELE: The fact that we partner with local partners makes this concept completely different. Sustainability, creativity and originality are also at the forefront here, in terms of design, offerings and customer friendliness. For example, there will be Bar Amelia gift certificates in the shape of an airplane. If you fold that paper kite and manage to throw it from a certain line into a pennant, you get a free coffee with your lunch.
You were given just under a year to get the whole concept up and running. How do you look back on that trajectory?
JO: That year gave me all the time and space I needed to implement everything properly and not just make quick decisions that I then had to revise afterwards. Preparing, reading up on and doing market research is a must. A year goes by in no time once you commit to something. It was no different here. On the other hand, the desire to finally get started is great. During that year, I also took leadership training and some training on what hospitality management entails.
Suppose someone wants to do a lunch meeting in Bar Amelia, is that possible?
NELE: There are two ways you can do a lunch meeting in Bar Amelia. Either you come with your other team members or guests and have a casual meal while you discuss things. Or you can rent a private dining room where you will have an enclosed space at your disposal with a large projection screen, flip chart and a culinary offer à la carte or customised by our preferred partners. You overlook the greenery and the garden experience. You can reserve that private dining space through the Campus app for tenants and through the website for non-tenants.
Jo, you will immediately lead a team of regular people and job students. What type of leader are you?
JO: Nele might be able to say that better. I work very enthusiastically and try to approach people positively to get them to do something. On the other hand, I like to give people a lot of trust because I think that way I can achieve the best results. If people feel appreciated and allowed to take responsibility, it can only work to Bar Amelia’s advantage. It is the combination between valuing the autonomy of your team with the necessary ambiance and humor.
NELE: Jo is at the beginning of her leadership career. We have a habit of giving opportunities to young people. She will also take an internal leadership course during the fall. Jo knows
very well what she wants and is very focused on quality. She sets the bar high for herself and will probably do the same to some extent for the people on her team. For Bar Amelia, that’s really important as the site’s hot spot. It has to be booming. Jo knows that very well. She’s not on her own. I’m convinced she’s going to be a wise leader.
It is the combination between valuing the autonomy of your team with the necessary ambiance and humor.
- Jo
Nele, how many days a week do you think you will be a guest at Bar Amelia yourself?
NELE: I think I will be there every day. Either for a coffee or just to start the day. The bar is not open yet, but there are already at least five appointments with people to come here for lunch. It’s the perfect place for when you feel like a nice healthy lunch if you have an hour to spare. So we’re going to be there a lot.
You guys have chosen to run Bar Amelia yourselves. Why that choice?
NELE: Usually, numerous parties are hired by companies to work out a food concept that belongs to an office building or business site. We ourselves did our homework very well by visiting many businesses long in advance, from the classic formulas to Google in London. This was accompanied by lots of tastings. We always got stuck on two things. Sustainability is non-negotiable for us when it comes to sustainable and reusable packaging, local partners, and the origin of the products. Most of the bigger players are making strides in this, but it didn’t go far enough for us. The second aspect is that Bar Amelia will play such a big role in the success of the site as a whole and in connecting people here, that we quickly realized we can’t leave this to a third party. We need to be able to respond to the needs of the businesses present as we always listen to our stakeholders. That’s not going to be any different here.
One of our tenants is Proef!, a food lab. Maxim, the founder, would love to work with Jo to test certain innovative products with mostly plant-based foods and have them tasting at Bar Amelia. That’s again the innovative nature that we could never achieve with an outside party. Upoffiz Loop5 is an integral sustainable story where it is difficult to outsource crucial parts.