La Place
La Place is a Dutch restaurant chain known for fresh-preparation, self-service food outlets and now owned by Jumbo Food Group.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
La Place is a Dutch restaurant-chain brand established in Utrecht in 1987. It developed as the food-service arm associated with V&D, the former Dutch department-store group, and became known for restaurant locations in department stores, shopping areas, transport hubs, offices and other high-footfall sites. Its operating model centers on food prepared or finished visibly in the restaurant, with customers choosing from a broad range of meals, sandwiches, salads, juices, desserts and drinks. This format positioned La Place between a conventional cafeteria, a food hall and a casual restaurant: it offered relatively quick service while emphasizing freshness, variety and preparation in view of the customer. The brand expanded beyond the Netherlands during the 2000s and 2010s. Its first Belgian restaurant opened in Antwerp in October 2007, followed by additional Belgian locations, although the Belgian operation was later closed. La Place also opened restaurants in Germany in 2013, at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport in 2014, and in the New York office of Google in the same year. At its peak before the collapse of V&D, the chain had more than 250 locations worldwide and employed approximately 5,200 people, according to the referenced account. Its international footprint was therefore materially larger than its present core Dutch network. La Place's ownership changed decisively after the bankruptcy of V&D Group Holding on 31 December 2015. V&D's shareholder at the time was Sun European Partners, the European arm of investment firm Sun Capital Partners. La Place continued operating during the bankruptcy period, and on 26 January 2016 Jumbo Food Group announced that it had acquired the brand and selected operating assets from the insolvency estate. The transaction included the headquarters, the La Place name and 61 standalone locations, reportedly for €48 million. These assets were placed in La Place Food B.V. The acquisition made La Place part of the wider Jumbo food ecosystem and created opportunities to combine restaurants with supermarket and convenience formats. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced the chain's estate in 2020 and 2021. Approximately one quarter of its restaurants were closed during that period. In January 2021, Jumbo announced that Vermaat Group would assume operation of 44 La Place locations from 1 April 2021, including associated employees, assets and operations. Jumbo retained ownership of the brand, a smaller group of directly owned restaurants, several station locations and international franchise relationships. This arrangement separated brand ownership from much of the day-to-day restaurant operation. Jumbo also identified smaller La Place Express outlets as a growth vehicle. The concept was designed for high-traffic settings and focused on convenient products such as sandwiches and juices. In 2021, Jumbo chief executive Frits van Eerd described an ambition to expand La Place substantially, with emphasis on the Netherlands and a mixture of company-operated and franchised locations. The brand's current strategic identity is therefore shaped by three elements: a Dutch fresh-food restaurant heritage, a portfolio of partnerships and franchise arrangements, and an attempt to adapt the La Place proposition to smaller convenience-led formats and supermarket distribution. Exact current restaurant counts, executive leadership and the present international footprint are not established by the supplied reference material.
History
La Place opened its first restaurant in Utrecht on 17 September 1987. The brand grew within the V&D department-store group and became associated with fresh-food preparation, self-service dining and broad menus suited to shopping and other high-traffic environments. Rather than operating solely as a conventional table-service restaurant, La Place combined cafeteria-style speed with visible preparation and a varied selection of hot and cold foods. International development began in Belgium, where the first La Place opened in Antwerp on 25 October 2007. Further Belgian locations followed, including a restaurant at the K shopping center in Kortrijk in 2010, but the Belgian restaurants were closed in 2014. The chain entered Germany in 2013 with restaurants in Zweibrücken and Metzingen. In 2014 it opened two locations at Ngurah Rai International Airport on Bali and another in the New York office of Google. For years La Place was owned by V&D Group Holding. From 2010, that holding company was wholly owned by Sun European Partners, an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners. By the time V&D Group Holding became bankrupt on 31 December 2015, La Place reportedly had more than 250 locations worldwide and approximately 5,200 employees. The restaurant chain continued operating during the bankruptcy process. Jumbo Food Group announced on 26 January 2016 that it had acquired La Place from the bankruptcy estate. The acquired package included the headquarters, the brand name and 61 standalone restaurants. The referenced account gives the transaction value as €48 million, and states that the assets were incorporated into La Place Food B.V. The acquisition transferred La Place from a department-store setting into a supermarket-led food group, allowing Jumbo to consider restaurant operations, franchise relationships and supermarket product distribution together. The pandemic caused a major contraction in the restaurant portfolio during 2020 and 2021, with about one quarter of the restaurants closing. In January 2021, Jumbo announced a new operating arrangement under which Vermaat Group would take over 44 locations from 1 April. Vermaat assumed the employees, assets and operations of those sites, while Jumbo remained the brand owner and continued operating a smaller number of restaurants, four station locations and international franchise relationships. Jumbo's post-pandemic strategy included the development of La Place Express, a smaller format intended for busy locations and centered on takeaway products such as sandwiches and juices. In 2021, Frits van Eerd said Jumbo envisioned hundreds of additional La Place locations over time, with particular emphasis on adding at least 100 outlets in the Netherlands. The planned network was expected to combine directly managed restaurants with franchise operations. The supplied sources do not establish whether those ambitions were achieved or provide a verified current location count.
- 2021
Vermaat assumes operation of 44 locations
[1]From 1 April 2021, Vermaat Group took over operations at 44 La Place locations while Jumbo retained ownership of the brand.
- 2016
Jumbo acquires La Place
[1]Jumbo Food Group announced its acquisition of La Place from the bankruptcy estate on 26 January 2016.
- 2015
V&D Group Holding enters bankruptcy
[1]V&D and its La Place subsidiary were declared bankrupt on 31 December 2015.
- 2014
Expansion to Bali and New York
[1]The chain opened two airport restaurants at Ngurah Rai International Airport on Bali and a restaurant in Google's New York office.
- 2013
German expansion
[1]La Place opened restaurants in Zweibrücken and Metzingen, Germany.
- 2010
Kortrijk location opens
[1]A La Place restaurant opened at the K shopping center in Kortrijk, Belgium.
- 2007
First Belgian restaurant opens
[1]The chain opened its first restaurant in Belgium in Antwerp on 25 October 2007.
- 1987
First La Place restaurant opens in Utrecht
[1]La Place opened its first restaurant in Utrecht on 17 September 1987.
Products and positioning
A Dutch fresh-food restaurant and convenience brand emphasizing visible preparation, broad choice and relatively quick service. Under Jumbo ownership, the brand also serves as a platform for smaller takeaway formats and retail products.
Restaurant chain · 1987
La Place restaurants
The core La Place format offers a broad selection of food and beverages through self-service or counter-service restaurant locations. The proposition is associated with meals, sandwiches, salads, soups, juices, desserts and café-style items, with preparation or finishing often visible to customers. Locations have historically appeared in department stores, shopping centers, airports, offices and other high-traffic environments.
Convenience restaurant format · 2021
La Place Express
La Place Express is a smaller format conceived for high-footfall locations. It focuses on convenient takeaway products, particularly sandwiches and juices, and was intended to support expansion through a combination of company-operated and franchised sites.
Retail food products
La Place products in Jumbo supermarkets
Jumbo's post-acquisition plans included distributing La Place products through Jumbo supermarket stores. The supplied material does not specify the individual products, packaging range or current availability.
Brand decisions
2021
Transfer of restaurant operations to VermaatStrategyBackground
The COVID-19 period led to the closure of about one quarter of La Place restaurants and prompted a restructuring of the operating network.
Action taken
Jumbo arranged for Vermaat Group to assume employees, assets and operations at 44 locations from 1 April 2021, while Jumbo retained brand ownership and selected sites.
Aftermath
The arrangement left Jumbo responsible for the brand, six owned restaurants, four station locations and international franchise relationships, while Vermaat operated a substantial portion of the network.
2021
Development of the La Place Express formatStrategyBackground
Jumbo sought to rebuild and expand the brand after the pandemic-related contraction of the restaurant estate.
Action taken
Jumbo identified smaller La Place Express outlets, focused on takeaway sandwiches and juices in high-traffic locations, as a key part of future expansion.
Aftermath
The stated plan was to combine directly managed locations with franchises and pursue substantial growth in the Netherlands and abroad. The supplied sources do not confirm the later outcome.
2016
Acquisition from the V&D bankruptcy estateM&ABackground
La Place became available for sale after V&D Group Holding and its department-store business entered bankruptcy at the end of 2015.
Action taken
Jumbo Food Group acquired the La Place brand, headquarters and 61 standalone locations and placed them in La Place Food B.V.
Aftermath
La Place became part of Jumbo's food group, with potential links to supermarket distribution, franchise development and new restaurant formats.
Reported transaction value. €48 million (2016 acquisition)
Sources1 sources
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