Laurens Jasperse

Eppo, Antwerp, Belgium

Tell us about the changes made to Eppo, and the effects this have had on the team.

– Eppo is a new version of an old restaurant—we remodeled it and took this time to work closely with the team to implement the new ideas. Internal promotions played a part as well—we focus on lifting the team and listening to everyone’s voice. For example, one of our sous chef was promoted to restaurant manager. We grow from internal strenght.

How do you approach minimizing food waste?

– We make sure everyone on the staff feels responsible for reducing waste. The full team works together with the shared goal of minimizing waste. When everyone understands the product and feels a sense of responsibility toward it, there’s a big difference—very little ends up going to waste.

Supporting the local is important to Eppo; how does this philosophy influence decisions beyond just food sourcing?

– Our commitment to local thinking goes far beyond sourcing produce. For example, our plates and cutlery are locally made and handcrafted. The artwork in the restaurant comes from a guy right here in Antwerp. Our menus are printed by a small printer company down the street. Even the music we play is created by someone from Antwerp. As for our uniforms, they’re from a smaller company with sustainable practices.