The Shore

The Shore is located at Strand Noord 2a in Scheveningen, The Hague. The organization describes itself as a sustainable surf school and meeting place. Central to their self-description is the image of a living room on the beach. This space is designed for surfers, nature lovers, and people interested in conscious living.

Hans van den Broek is named in public profiles as the founder of The Shore. He started Surfles.nl in 2005 while working as a physical education teacher. He later developed the plan for The Shore after obtaining municipal permits. Geert Verhoeff, who was previously involved with the surf village F.A.S.T., also became part of the picture.

The start of The Shore is linked to 2017 in available sources. It is also mentioned that Van den Broek continued with the broader concept after obtaining a hospitality permit in 2016. The LinkedIn profile lists 2005 as the founding year of the organization. This difference is due to the earlier start of Surfles.nl and the later development of The Shore as a location.

The Shore combines multiple functions in one place. The business is described as a surf school, organic café, surf-culture hub, and festival venue. Additionally, the organization is described as steward-owned. In this model, ownership plays a different role than in a classic enterprise. The available material primarily indicates that this structure is part of how The Shore organizes itself.

According to a public profile, the financing of the initiative came from the local surf community. This was done via a self-organized website, not through an external crowdfunding platform. This background fits the broader role the place in Scheveningen aims to fulfill. The location is not only set up as a hospitality point but also as a place for lessons, gatherings, and culture.

For coffee drinkers, the origin of the coffee is particularly relevant. The menu lists a single-origin Typica from Peru. The coffee is roasted locally by Roast Factory from The Hague. The menu also states that the coffee is packaged without waste in reusable containers. Delivery is done by bicycle.

The menu includes, among others, espresso, double espresso, filter coffee, cappuccino, latte, and flat white. Additionally, dirty chai, iced latte, and Apekopi are on the list. Bambu is used for decaffeinated coffee. Oat milk is mentioned as a substitute for cow’s milk. A public coffee profile also mentions a two-group Mirage espresso machine by Kees van der Westen.

According to the menu, coffee is also available for home use. The available materials do not list specific coffee prices or independent coffee pricing for The Shore. As a result, the factual information focuses primarily on origin, branding, packaging, and the menu offerings.

Sustainability is a recurring theme throughout the available information about The Shore. The dedicated sustainability page states that all products are organic and often biodynamic. It also mentions that the location works with local suppliers and aims to build long-term relationships. The menu highlights a choice of ingredients with minimal negative impact on the environment and climate.

In addition to Roast Factory, Wilderland and Hoeve Biesland are also mentioned. Wilderland supplies herbal tea. Hoeve Biesland is cited for bread, milk, eggs, and yogurt. This supplier information clearly shows how the café publicly positions its procurement.

Construction and energy supply also feature in the documentation. Mentioned are solar panels, solar water heaters, and the absence of a gas connection. Furthermore, reused materials are noted. The building is made from recycled shipping containers, with doors from a former primary school. Previous activities around the surf school include beach clean-ups and cleanup days for children, combined with surfing.

The Shore has a cultural function in addition to coffee and surf lessons. The website mentions a community kitchen every Tuesday evening. Club nights and occasional live music are also noted. According to the website, external organizers can also set up events at the location.

Examples of larger events include parties and the annual Scheveningen Surf Festival. The public calendar for 2026 lists, among others, The Velcro Fest, Songwriter Sunday Jubilee, Mulatu, and the Scheveningen Surf Festival. Other profiles describe The Shore as a venue for artists and speakers. This includes surfboard presentations, photo exhibitions, debate evenings, and bands.

The Shore is not a coffee shop in the narrow sense, but a beach location where coffee is part of a broader concept. The coffee information is concrete enough to place the venue within the segment of local branding and conscious procurement. At the same time, the emphasis in the available information remains distributed across surfing, hospitality, sustainability, culture, and community.