Modernising and more overnight stays at event venue De Casteleer
De Casteleer is an event venue in Kasterlee. We spoke to co-owner Bieke about how the business developed and how they plan their events.
From B&B to party venue
De Casteleer started out modestly as a Bed & Breakfast with one small hall. “We soon realised it could grow, and eventually take a different shape too,” says Bieke. “In the beginning I was the chef myself, and I trained specially for that at the time. These days we have a permanent chef and I focus on other parts of the business.”
Today De Casteleer hosts parties, dinners and business gatherings. There is a large function room, a terrace and enough parking.
A pitch that stuck
The introduction to Catermonkey came through someone they knew in the trade. “We already knew Maty (co-founder of Catermonkey) from the catering world,” says Bieke. “He once gave a pitch about his idea, back when it was still in its early stages. During the pandemic we finally had a bit more time to really look into it.”
A nudge from fellow caterer Martje of Fingerfoodtruck tipped the scales. “We dove in and quickly found that Catermonkey really does bring a lot of benefits.”
Fewer evenings full of quotes
Since then, Catermonkey has become indispensable to how they work. “Bruun used to come home late in the evening and we'd still sit down together to put together seven quotes,” Bieke remembers. “Those kinds of evenings are over.”
The benefits are tangible. “We use the software for quotes, follow-up, pricing and the request widgets on the website. It's hard to measure exactly, but I think Catermonkey saves us at least two full-time staff a week.”
Partners in hospitality
The partnership between Catermonkey and De Casteleer is about more than just software. In late February we met Bruun at a customer event and had a great chat about his experience. You can see that in the video below.
Want to know more about De Casteleer? Be sure to visit their website, and discover how they turn every party into a special memory.