Inspired by the vegan shift at his workplace De Groene Afslag, a sustainable hub in Laren, Max Mol started thinking about setting up his own vegan restaurant. Through common friends, he met Joost van Hout, who was working as a strategic consultant at the time, but thinking of the same idea. They opened Kool Food July 2023. Initially as a pop-up, to allow for some testing of the concept. But they are here for long-term.

Their aim is to make vegan food more accessible for a wider audience, including non-vegans. They are offering plant-based comfortfood, but don’t advertise with the fact they are fully vegan.

The name is a reference to cool, as well as the Dutch word for cabbage (‘kool’), to refer to the fact their dishes are made starting from local vegetables, rather than using meat alternatives. The menu is created by Bastiaan van der Staak, who is also the chef at De Groene Afslag. Read more