Our Story
Created by EPO staff
The story of Restaurant de la Tour
The boycott of 1977
It was 1977. An exasperated staff takes matters into its own hands with a total boycott of the former poor quality restaurant. They created an unofficial canteen on the 25th floor of the old main building. Partners vie with one another in ingenuity: 120 cous-cous & 110 saumon en papillotes were delivered at lunchtime.
Restour was created
After a few weeks, the former caterer gives up and withdraws. The IIB management then agrees to create a non-profit organisation under Dutch law. In order to get the ball rolling, the IIB and Octrooiraad advance a returnable working capital of 60,000 guilders.
This was the start of Restaurant de la Tour (Restour). From now on this organisation was responsible for the quality of catering, hygiene, Restour staff salaries, insurance, etc. These matters were laid down in the Cahier des Charges on 23 December 1977.
A non-profit Organisation
Our goal: fit & happy EPO employees
We are a non-profit organisation. Our main goal is not to make a profit, but to prepare quality food and contribute to fit and happy employees at the EPO. Restour´s income solely derives from the sale of its products.
Restour Committee & Users’ Committee
Restour is a foundation run by a committee, of which one-third is a member of the EPO Staff Committee and the other members are nominated by the EPO Staff Committee. In addition to the Restour Committee (that deals with financial decisions, salaries, investments and directives on the day-to-day running) there is a Restaurant Users’ Committee. This Users’ Committee is nominated by the EPO management and the EPO Staff Committee. They advise the EPO regarding service, quality, price and hygiene. On a daily basis Restour is managed by our management team.
EPO & Restour
The EPO provides the infra structure, equipment, furniture and utilities.
“I can’t imagine how much preparation it must have taken. But believe me: it was all worth it! I have seen (and talked to) so many staff and family members being impressed by what you and your team have done.”
What we stand for
Quality
ISO & HACCP
One of our main principles is: quality. A major event in the history of Restour is therefore obtaining the ISO 9001 & ISO 22000 certification.
What is ISO 9001?
The ISO 9001 certification means that a company works with a quality assurance system. An independent auditor verifies annually that Restour meets the official standards. Basically we say what we do and we do what we say. This makes Restour trustworhty and verifiable.
What is ISO 22000?
ISO 22000 is the international standard which specifies the requirements for a food safety management system that involves the following elements:
- interactive communication
- system management
- prerequisite programs
- HACCP principles
HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points. This has to do with controlling food safety. Restour has implemented a predefined HACCP based food safety system that meets the requirements of the ISO 22000 standard. This ISO 22000 system is also verified annually by an independent auditor.
Vitality
Fresh and healthy
Oh so fresh!
Restour believes that fresh food will keep you vital throughout the day. That’s why we work with fresh products. Everyday our passionate kitchen team comes in at 7 o’clock and starts preparing fresh sandwiches, starters, main dishes, streetfood dishes & desserts.
It’s all about balance
Balanced healthy food contributes to the wellbeing of all the staff working at the EPO. When we compose our menu’s we take the guidelines of healthy food of the Netherlands Nutrition Centre into account.
Fresh and healthy: the perfect combination
We make sure that enough fresh bread, sandwiches, salads, fruits, soups and vegetables are available on a daily basis at all our locations. Every Tuesday and Thursday you can even enjoy fresh sushi in the Hinge Restaurant.
Sustainability
We are on a mission!
The organic pursuit
Annually the percentage organic products available for our customers increases with at least 2%. This year 20% of the assortment will be organic.
Most of the basic ingredients we use in large quantities (coffee, milk, rice, etc.) are already organic. This year we also launched an organic counter in the Hinge which serves organic food only.
Go veggie!
The days when vegetarian food was boring are definitely over. This food trend has set us in motion to contribute to beneficial awareness of vegetarian food.
Are you a veggie, vegan, flexi or just interested in plant-based food? At least one of the warm meals, one of the cold appetizers and one of the streetfood dishes is vegetarian. We have started offering vegan options as well.
Variety
A varied international assortment
Restour offers a varied international assortment. In the Hinge Restaurant & Streetfood Area we change our menu’s daily.
Event week, tasting or extra dish
Restour loves variety and improvement. That’s why we offer tastings or special extra dishes on a regular basis from the middle of the Hinge Restaurant. During an event week we offer dishes according to a theme or country (in the past for instance we had a vegan week, an Italian week, a German week etc.). Keep an eye on our news page & event agenda and don’t miss out.
Something to celebrate?
And there is more… If you have something to celebrate or you want to impress guests with a special lunch, check out our VIP-menu or cocktail sheet.
Flexibility
Endless possibilities
Special requests?
If you have any questions or special requests, like an afternoon tea party, a club dinner or a special event, don’t hesitate to ask. Please send us an email or drop by our office (near the Hinge Restaurant). We will always try to find a solution that will suit the occasion.
Recommendations
Brilliant ideas? Please share them with us! Restour is always looking for improvements. If you have any recommendations about the assortment, dishes or events, please let us know what you think. Check the Restour Poll or send us an email. Your opinion counts!