In 2018 entrepreneur Mathijs Huis in ‘t Veld and chef Pepijn Schmeink started vegan restaurant Jack Bean in Rotterdam. They found eachother in a shared mission to make the food industry more sustainable, and to show people a different way of eating. Fully plant-based, with ingredients sourced locally as much as possible. “Plant-based food can be just as tasty, and is much more sustainable,” tells Pepijn. “You really show people an alternative, not just for a niche group but for everybody. There are so many discussions going on, these are concrete solutions.”

Fastforward to 2022, when they open up a new location in Amsterdam but decide to slightly change the concept. Less about fastfood, more like a neighbourhood bistro and with an even bigger focus on sustainability. Nowadays about 70% of their produce comes from regenerative farming. An approach of agriculture which takes more care of the soil, for example by not tilling and by rotating crops. They decide to change the name to Lokol. They open September 2022. Read more