Heilige Boontjes x Vermaat – De Rotterdam

Heilige Boontjes x Vermaat in De Rotterdam is a coffee location on the Wilhelminapier in Rotterdam. The branch is located in the Kop van Zuid area, within the De Rotterdam building. According to available information, employees of the Municipality of Rotterdam also work at this location. The location opened in late 2025 and is set up as a collaboration between Heilige Boontjes and Vermaat.

Heilige Boontjes was founded in 2015 by Marco den Dunnen and Rodney van den Hengel. The organization describes Marco as an agent and pedagogue. Rodney is described as a reintegration specialist and social or community worker. These backgrounds play a role in the concept surrounding coffee, work experience, and guidance.

The branch in De Rotterdam follows this broader approach. Heilige Boontjes states that young people and other talent can gain work experience there in a professional environment. Vermaat is involved in the hospitality operations. This gives the location both a coffee and a training function, within a work environment where various users come together daily.

Heilige Boontjes describes itself as an organization that roasts and serves its own coffee. For the location in De Rotterdam, it is noted that Blend 010 is served at Vermaat x Heilige Boontjes on the 22nd floor. This blend consists of coffee from Brazil, Honduras, Peru, and Vietnam.

There is less public information available about the exact menu of this branch. No public menu specific to the location in De Rotterdam has been found. A public list of brewing methods for this branch is also missing. Therefore, based on the available material, it cannot be determined exactly which preparation methods are used there.

The branch aligns with the social profile of Heilige Boontjes. In previous reporting, the organization was described as a Rotterdam coffee bar and roastery where young people with limited opportunities in the labor market receive barista training. For De Rotterdam, the available information emphasizes work experience for young people and other talent.

In addition, Heilige Boontjes organizes public and corporate sessions on themes such as leadership, inclusive entrepreneurship, and work culture. Under the name Boon Voyage, components include conversations with the founders, coffee and discussion time, lunch, and a practical tour. In 2025, the organization spoke to more than 120 groups about its story, according to its LinkedIn page.

On its sustainability page, Heilige Boontjes states that its products are certified. The organization also highlights the Hier en Daar line, for which direct trade routes with Pure Africa Coffee have been established. For every kilogram sold from this line, one euro goes to the Pure Africa Foundation, according to the organization. This amount is intended for microcredit and support for farmers in origin countries.

For the same line, it is noted that the coffee is roasted at the Norgerhaven prison in Veenhuizen, under Koffiebranderij Koffielust. Heilige Boontjes also mentions practices such as recycled furniture, the reuse of coffee grounds, water via the Made Blue Foundation, electric brewing, and discounts for reusable cups. These points are described generally for the organization, not just for the De Rotterdam location.

The location is also linked to the collaboration with Vermaat and Gemeente Rotterdam. A separate public announcement states that Gemeente Rotterdam and Vermaat signed the Manifest Lokaal & Natuurinclusief Inkopen. The planned rollout in municipal restaurants was listed from January 2026. The available information links this to municipal hospitality, but does not provide details for each individual coffee location.

Heilige Boontjes has appeared multiple times in public reporting and awards. De Ondernemer reported in March 2026 that the organization opened a second location in De Rotterdam at the end of 2025. Earlier, Heilige Boontjes won the SME category of the first 010 Inclusief Award together with Unique, for the initiative De Rotterdam Recruitment Agency.

Rodney van den Hengel was also individually recognized in public acknowledgments. He was awarded the Dwarsdenker van het Jaar 2024 prize. These mentions place the organization in a broader context of social entrepreneurship, labor participation, and coffee. For coffee enthusiasts, it is particularly visible that the De Rotterdam location combines coffee with an educational and workplace function.