Deciding to start an Anne&Max franchise together is a big step to take. As a couple, you not only work together, but you also share all the risks and successes of being in business. It requires open communication, clear agreements and the ability to maintain both business and personal relationships. Fortunately, our entrepreneurs have found a strong balance in this and the same Planet Friendly vision.

Every day at Anne&Max is different. Entrepreneurs face challenges such as managing staff, maintaining the quality of organic products and ensuring the best possible customer experience. But these challenges also make this work very rewarding. You see immediate results in how our guests enjoy their time in our living room; whether for a quick coffee on the go or an extended brunch with friends.

A lifetime of doing business together

Femke and Marcel have shared their lives together for twenty-eight years. They worked together for a long time at Bakker Bart, but when they no longer saw each other daily on the shop floor, they missed working together enormously. This eventually brought them to Anne&Max Nijmegen. They give each other space to excel; Femke is the face on the floor and manages the team, where Marcel focuses on the kitchen and finances. They understand the importance of giving each other space. Not doing everything together is also a strength. As franchisees, they are very strong communicators, so they have built a large network in Nijmegen. They enthusiastically dedicate themselves to their Anne&Max living room, but it is not always easy to keep work and private life separate.

And although Marcel and Femke also strive to relax, they recognize the difficulty of this. "We don't take our work home with us, but separating work and your social life is very difficult, you know. After all, we don't see much of each other in the busy start-up of the branch," says Femke. Working together always comes with challenges, but by dosing and finding the right balance in this, Femke and Marcel create their own happy moments. Their favorite moment? Enjoying a cup of coffee with cheesecake, or really any cake on the menu, as long as it's deliciously sweet!

From dream to reality

In March, Marc and Iris will celebrate their ten-year relationship, a period during which their shared dream of doing something with guests while building something for themselves became a reality at Anne&Max Eindhoven. Their vision perfectly matched our formula; something they felt was still missing in the city.

Their previous experience as managers at Albert Heijn has strengthened their relationship and work ethic. Marc takes on external communications and interactions with the neighborhood, as well as duties in the kitchen, while Iris focuses on scheduling, staffing, and the bar. "Working together always goes well because of our communication. We are both so different that we complement each other because we focus on our own qualities," Iris says. This clear division of labor allows them to alternate on the job, which also benefits their family life.

Marc and Iris have one rule: at home they do not talk about work to keep their professional and personal lives separate. This clear communication and appreciation for each other's qualities allow them to complement each other perfectly. Iris: "The best thing about running an Anne&Max together is that it's ours together. You share your worries with each other, but also your successes. It's our fourth child."

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Love and entrepreneurship

Fourteen years ago, Prisca and Kevin's love began in the hospitality industry; an adventure that eventually led to the Anne&Max Alkmaar. Their collaboration in business is the perfect balance of love and passion for each other, as well as for their profession. Prisca is mainly on the floor and in direct contact with the guests, where Kevin works his magic behind the scenes in the kitchen. At home, they share the joys and, of course, the challenges of their work.

"Despite the inevitable disagreements you have with each other, we manage to keep the balance," Prisca says. And they do so both in their relationship and in their choice of breakfast. "Every working day starts ideally with an oat cappuccino, and an espresso for Kevin, before we open the store. Getting a quiet start together first before we start work is perhaps the thing I like most about doing business together in the hospitality industry. Not everyone can do that either!" The ability to complement each other, both personally and professionally, is the key to their success at Anne&Max.

The journey our entrepreneurs take as a couple at Anne&Max is an ongoing adventure. As long as you communicate clearly and are willing to grow and learn together, it brings them closer together. We look forward to seeing which entrepreneurial couples join us in the future and spend time together in our living room in the city spend.