Anne&Max 20 Years: A Place for First Glances, Coffee, and Dreams
Some places are more than just a café. They become a second home, a living room where you wake up to the aroma of fresh coffee, where plans take shape and stories begin. This is where first encounters happen, books are written, and sometimes—very occasionally—love finds a seat at the table. Anne&Max is one such place. And it has been for twenty years. Anne&Max’s 20th anniversary feels like the perfect moment to pause and reflect.
By Max
2025
Anne & Max 20 Years: A Double Espresso and a Dream
On June 16, 2025, Anne&Max will celebrate its 20th anniversary. What once began in the early hours of the morning with a double espresso for Matthijs at table 2 has grown into a warm living room with 31 restaurants almost 650 Anne's and Max's. Every month, we welcome more than 120,000 guests: to wake up, work, read the newspaper, meet each other, and yes, sometimes even to fall in love. Usually with each other, sometimes a little bit with Anne&Max.
The first day: calm before the storm
On the first day, June 16, 2005, founder Wobbe van Zoelen is largely on his own. His alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m., after working through the night to get everything ready. The sun is shining, Haarlem is still asleep, and the doors of Anne&Max swing open for the first time. It’s quiet during those first few hours. Until Matthijs’s double espresso arrives at table 2. And then… slowly but surely, Haarlem discovers this new spot. “That first Friday, it seemed as though all of Haarlem suddenly knew we were there. We kicked off 1.5 years of running around and long lines out the door,” says Wobbe.
From Haarlem to the whole of the Netherlands
Twenty years later, much has changed, but the essence remains the same: Anne&Max is here to be a part of our guests’ daily lives. To offer a place where you feel at home, where the aroma of freshly brewed coffee greets you, and where moments take on meaning. Anne&Max has grown from a single location in Haarlem into a beloved franchise brand throughout the country. We are proud that, through our Planet Friendly , we contribute to the daily lives of our guests.
As Wobbe so beautifully puts it: "Every day, my goal is for us to be part of our guests' lives in our Planet Friendly . Where they can start over, find comfort, fall in love, get to know each other, relax, forget everything for a while, write a book, or... write a plan for a company that may soon be celebrating its 20th anniversary."
Will you celebrate with us?
That’s why we’re celebrating our anniversary not just with cake and coffee, but above all with gratitude. For all the moments we’ve been able to share together. For those first glances across a cup of cappuccino, for the plan scribbled on a napkin, for the book written at “your” table.
Will you join us for an anniversary coffee soon? To reminisce—or maybe make some new memories. Because sometimes the best stories just start with a cup of coffee. And who knows, maybe we’ll keep writing this story together for many years to come, even after Anne&Max’s 20th anniversary.
