Elandsgracht Amsterdam

Ask a random Amsterdammer about Edison and eight out of ten will say” Isn’t that the carpet place?” That is one of the first things current owner Henriette says when asked about her business. It is a bold statement, but anecdotes abound that support its accuracy. Like the one where a previous owner in the 1980s did some DIY product placement by displaying the company logo for all to see during the filming of the Dutch cult classic “Amsterdamned”. Several trams also carried life size logo’s of the business as they cruised through the entire capital for weeks on end. Despite Henriette not knowing exactly how long Edison has been in business, she herself is considered one of the guiding forces behind the scenes. Of course, as an owner for the past six years, but she was an employee for no less than two decades prior to that. A conservative estimate by Henriette indicates Edison was
already around in the early 1970s, although back then it conducted its business on the Rozengracht. The diversity in its inventory of home furnishings, and the ability to adapt to changing trends and changing customer behaviour have set Edison apart all these years and have built its enduring reputation. The Elandsgracht would not be the same without Edison. Enough said.

Engels Verf is another prime example of an  entrepreneur who has staked his claim on the Elandsgracht almost fourty years ago and has weathered recessions, extensive road works, and more discerning customers. This business focuses strictly on paint and its direct accessories – a rarity in the industry as owner Rolf points out. Especially in these days were businesses are often forced to diversify. Rolf, sole remaining  member of his family in the business after his father handed over the reins, regularly attends workshops and courses to keep his knowledge up to date. His personnel is strongly encouraged to do likewise. Seeing as how each and everyone of them has been with the company for seven years or longer, that is not considered a downside. Quite to the contrary – Engels Verf is a business known as an expert and a specialist. To earn that is one thing. To hold on to those credentials is quite another. The store has been refurbished, to see the business through the next 40 years.

Key Color is the kind of shop you might walk past without a second glance. Which is perfectly understandable, considering its non-flashy exterior. That is not to say however, that what is on the inside is not impressive. Quite the contrary. This fifteen year old business is the result of a man who, having learned the tricks of the photography trade at Kodak, decided to set up shop himself. That way he could put into practice his own ideas about service and customer interaction. Can you call such a thing a gamble when you know this is bound to be a success? People from Belgium and Gemany find their way to Frits’s shop, so the answer to that question seems obvious.  Frits does it all, whether you need quick passport pictures done, or looking for a floor-to-ceiling print of an image you found somewhere, Frits is your man. His clients range from the elderly lady down the street to big multinationals. You can come in here to print off images from a memory card, but Frits won’t let you leave until he’s made sure the images look the best they can – manually correcting them where necessary or desired. Service as it was meant to be.

Smit-Cruyff is the sportswear store of Amsterdam. First of all there is the obvious connection to one of the world’s legends of football (Johan Cruyff’s brother was a co-founder). This store opened its doors in 1940 and, as a result, has beaten a world war, recessions, depressions, you name it, only to come out victorious. What’s in a name, as a famous bard once wrote. Besides this, or maybe because of its spreading reputation, global sports brands like Puma and Nike were launched in The Netherlands via this very store. Yes, you read that right. The two current owners, Guno Reingoud and Robbie van der Straeten are now both in their fifties, and took over the business in 1998. These guys know every nook and cranny of the store, since they were working here  as assistants when they were teens, admiring the action photo’s and newspaper clippings that decorate the wall when they were teenagers. Needless to say this store holds a special place in their hearts, as does the gracht they are located on. For many Amsterdammers, Elandsgracht is synonymous with Smit-Cruyff. Here is to the next 70 years.

Unlike some of the tanning salon’s most avid visitors, this place is rather inconspicuous and that works just fine for owner Coby. For a solid 25 years, this tanning place, has built its reputation, slowly expanding its services over the years, becoming more and more of a full blown beauty salon. The salon moved to a great new place on nr. 101, where it uses every square centimeter for its impressive array of sunbeds, wood panelled cabins and reclining massage chairs. The place offers handy frequent visitor cards at special rates. Not that it really needs to lure customers in. Once you’ve been once, odds are considerable that you will be back for more.

You have your restaurants, your clothing stores, your dry cleaning businesses, you name it, it is all to be found on the Elandsgracht. And then there is Baobab. A shop that is truly in a league of its own. An oasis in the lively gracht that hasn’t been a “gracht” since about a century. Step inside this place and it’s like you stepped into a Bedouin’s tent in a sandy place that still knows the meaning of summer. Owner Thea started her business in the 1960s, as a hobby. She and Baobab have grown up together on the Elandsgracht, as have her customers who first walked in as twenty somethings and have kept coming back as they became parents or even grandparents. Handmade jewellery, crafted ornaments, decorations, pieces of art, pottery, this store carries it all, from all the different continents. And there’s even more in the basement, which one imagines is what Ali Baba’s treasure cove may have looked like. By all means come in for a visit. Just make sure to take your time to marvel at all the amazing artifacts on offer.

Balthazar’s Keuken is located in an old smithy. The atmosphere inside is decidely French. The inviting interior is humble and modest, but belies a very good cuisine indeed. Catering for two shifts each evening, the chef decides the menu, leaving the customer to choose between meat or fish for a main course. With the advent of the internet as a public forum, amateur critics were given an arena to vent their often not-too-subtle opinions from the safe, anonymous confines of their own living room. In that regard, it could be considered no small miracle that any negative notes about this place are very, very hard to come by indeed. Then again, it should not be considered a miracle at all if you execute a restaurant concept as well as owners Alain Parry and Karin Gaasterland did here. The success of Balthazar’s Keuken can, and should therefore be considered purely the result of fresh ingredients such as originality, hard work, attention to detail and caring about their customers.  Add to that the consistenly very high standard of food that is produced in this kitchen, and, as many other businesses along the Elandsgracht demonstrate every day: quality always prevails. Opened only on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, reserving your table in time is highly recommended –  more often than not, this place is fully booked.

Antique center Amsterdam, formerly known as ‘the Looier’ in an old garage. The space is enormous though it is packed to the rafters with antiques,  knickknacks, collectible items and rarities. Display cabinets guide you through a maze stalls and more displays, each owned by another dealer, collector or enthusiast. The center underwent a transformation “to dust it off and bring it into the 21^st century”, as the owner put it. Arnout and his wife Emrys ter Haak took over the business and decided to  overhaul the place, but keep it accessible to tourists, students and serious art lovers and collectors alike. Whether you come in looking to spend 5000 Euro or 5, there’s something here for everyone. The vast collection of items ranges from the bizarre to the funny and from the delicate to the breathtakingly beautiful. It is absolutely fascinating walking through this place and will make you wonder why you didn’t comer here sooner – or more often.

Owner Stef Comman is a third generation bicycle repairman. Both his grandfather and his father were in the business before him. As a teenager, Stef never really fancied a career fixing bikes. Until he started lending a hand in the shop on busy days.  His dad, not about to have his own son as his apprentice, sent Stef to some of the biggest names in the business to learn the trade. Once he was qualified, Stef went to work for his dad, and now, nearly twenty years on, Stef runs the place, with a passion and interest he’d not imagined possible as a young lad. He welcomes his customers with a joke and friendly banter, but as everyone who steps into his shop soon finds out, the advice he offers is never less than sound, honest and professional. Talk to him for more than five minutes and it becomes clear this man loves what he does. And as he witnessed the biggest brands in the business starting to use inferior materials on their bikes in a desparate attempt to survive the economic downturn, he grew frustrated but also determined not to go along with that. So he started a brand in his own name: superior materials, amazing design, and best of all: manufactured locally, Stef Comman has virtually guaranteed his name and survival. He will not bike gently into the night, that much is certain.

This bio-butcher’s has barely reached middle age, a respectable fourty six years old in 2012, but in a bustling city, specialising in what is still a niche market, that is quite an achievement. The bio-market may still be niche, but owner Niek does see the demand for biological meat grow. Niek inherited the artisanal approach to this profession from his dad Siem, the name that still adorns the front of the shop.  Siem was the co-founder of the ISC ( International Free range meat Control organisation). The traditional approach and work methods is also reflected in the pleasant interior. It is of course, spotless, but it has a hint of authenticity about it, with decorated woodwork, and some stained glass details. The customer truly is king here, as Niek says. Interaction with his customers, and their satisfaction with his productts, is all inherentin Niek’s dedication to his profession. And there is not a  recession or an out-of -commission bridge that will change that.