Starting your own café sounds like a childhood dream. That is the way it started four years ago for four former Radboud students, back then still in their SSH& rooms on the Jacob Canisstraat. That dream has now come true: together they opened GLITCH, a new bar in the city centre of Nijmegen.

Decorated nooks to sit in, stained glass on the walls, a bar with an industrial look, a life-size fake tree in the middle of the room, Japanese ceiling decorations and so on: the interior of GLITCH is an eyecatcher. The bar opened a few weeks ago, run by four former Radboud students.

GLITCH is located in a monumental building on the Grotestraat, which used to house Café Lenthe and before that Café Marks. The interior is a mix of different styles and colours, that together form a harmonious whole. ‘For years it was a typical pub, but we wanted to get rid of that. A lot needed to happen. That is why we chose to go all-in at the start’, says Antal van Beijsterveldt (29), one of the owners.

Jacob Canisstraat

Co-owner Karl Kouki (32) adds to that: ‘Business wise it’s an exciting investment indeed. But if you can make your dream come true, you need to go for it. And the result is great: we created something unique.’

Their own bar, of which Kouki and Van Beijsterveldt, together with Roelof Nuesink (32) and Robert Klumpenaar (29), are the owners. The four know each other from their college days in Nijmegen, from the SSH& buildings on the Jacob Canisstraat where they lived. During one of the many hallway parties in the building, the idea to start their own bar was born.

‘Everyone has had a drunk moment and told their friends they should start a pub together’

‘Everyone has had a drunk moment as a student and told their friends they should start a pub together’, says Kouki. He starts laughing. ‘Most of them don’t follow up on it, very sensibly. But we did it.’

It took a couple of necessary years before the dream became reality. The four finished their studies long ago and all have their own jobs. The bar is a project on the side. Manager Anne Kuip, Kouki’s girlfriend, is responsible for the day-to-day management. The four men do help out every now and then, but only when really necessary.

Own drink

The world of bars, pubs and restaurants is not new to Kouki. He became famous a few years ago with KOEKIE, his own drink. It became successful in just a short time: the drink is available throughout the country. At GLITCH they – obviously – have a bottle at hand.

‘We won’t become a party pub’

‘We mainly aim for the people who just want to enjoy a drink, but not go out in the city until late at night. So pretty much age 25 and up’, says Van Beijsterveldt. ‘Think of people who just started working, or students near the end of their studies. We close at 1 am, we won’t become a party pub.’

Kouki: ‘The menu is not aimed at just beer. We do have different types of beer, but also cocktails and wine. Truly a place to just enjoy some drinks.’

The owners are enthusiastic about the first few weeks. Kouki: ‘Last weekend we even had to reject people, because we were completely full. And with the nice weather approaching we can set up our outside area, so people can sit outside in the sun.’

GLITCH is open from Wednesday to Sunday. The opening hours differ per day. More information can be found on the bar’s Instagram page.