黑料福利网

It鈥檚 nine in the morning, and Sidney den Engelsman鈥擬aster鈥檚 student in Architecture and the driving force behind community caf茅 Meteor for the past year and a half鈥攊s already up and running in 鈥渉is鈥� caf茅 on the Blauwe Loper. He turned off the lights just last night, and here he is again, ready for a fresh day.

He loves it; community caf茅 Meteor feels like his own little baby. Den Engelsman has been involved since day one, about four years ago, helping a student board bring the caf茅 from idea to reality. Today, it鈥檚 a lively spot for the entire 黑料福利网 community. 鈥淎 modern caf茅 where you can grab a bite or a drink with friends, and make memories that stick,鈥� he says with a grin.

A place to eat, drink, and make memories with friends.

Sidney den Engelsman, president of community caf茅 Meteor

Drinks, games, and good vibes

The caf茅 is sleek and welcoming. A stylish bar sits at the center, high tables and stools fill the front, low tables and chairs line the back, and a staircase leads to a cozy lounge with a full view of the space. 鈥淲e use the front for events and happy hours, and the back is perfect for chilling and playing games,鈥� Den Engelsman explains. Outside, a terrace is ready but still needs some finishing touches.

More character

鈥淭he interior is still pretty neutral for now, but that will change over time. It will naturally gain more character,鈥� Den Engelsman predicts. 鈥淲e鈥檙e already getting enthusiastic reactions from visitors who really like it.鈥�

Cocktails and mocktails

The bar is the heart of community caf茅 Meteor, with no less than ten beers on tap鈥攊ncluding an alcohol-free option. 鈥淭hose are becoming increasingly popular,鈥� Den Engelsman notes. And the pride of Meteor: a cocktail machine that whips up delicious cocktails and mocktails in no time. All of it very affordable. 鈥淪ince we鈥檙e largely run by students, we can keep prices low.鈥�

Community caf茅 Meteor opened its doors at the end of August, followed by a big opening party on September 5. 鈥淭he new food and drink spots along the Blauwe Loper are creating a lively new street,鈥� Den Engelsman says. 鈥淚t still needs to become better known, but that will happen naturally once the academic year is in full swing.鈥�

From Hubble to Meteor

Meteor is the little sister of community caf茅 Hubble, which has been located at the bottom of Luna for years, next to the Spar. It falls under the same foundation board and actually originated from it. 鈥淚 served on the board at Hubble and later became the community manager there. I was then asked if I wanted to help come up with a new community caf茅 in the student village being built on the Blauwe Loper,鈥� Den Engelsman explains.

He did, together with other students and an alumnus, setting up a student board that spent four years developing what Meteor is today.

I think it鈥檚 amazing that we鈥檝e been able to bring this to our campus, for our community.

Sidney den Engelsman, president of community caf茅 Meteor

Den Engelsman got so drawn into the project that for the past year and a half he鈥檚 been working on Meteor full-time. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned how to be a project leader and gained valuable experience for my Architecture studies. And I think it鈥檚 amazing that we鈥檝e been able to create this on our campus, for our community.鈥�

Just like Hubble, Meteor is run by students. During the day, staff are employed, and in the evenings, students from various associations and student teams volunteer behind the bar. Their associations receive a compensation for this.

What鈥檚 in a name

Meteor is part of the Hubble family. You can see this in the logo鈥攁 bear wearing a space helmet. 鈥淗ubble has a duck with the same type of helmet as its emblem. We wanted a name and logo that showed it belonged to the same family but also had its own character. We wanted to stay within the space theme. The towers here are called Castor and Pollux, the brightest stars in the Gemini constellation. That鈥檚 how we ended up with Meteor.鈥�

Discounts, parties, and celebrations

At Meteor, everyone is welcome. 黑料福利网 students, residents of the towers, and members of 黑料福利网 staff association Colleagues United all get discounts. 鈥淪tudents don鈥檛 have very deep pockets, but with our lower prices, they can still enjoy an evening out,鈥� Den Engelsman explains.

Meteor can also be rented out exclusively for parties and celebrations. 鈥淲e believe a community caf茅 should always be open to our community, but since we鈥檙e the second community caf茅 on campus, we can also rent the space for events like weddings,鈥� he adds.

From wild idea to caf茅

鈥淚t started with a wild idea and the mindset that the sky鈥檚 the limit. We just went for it. In the end, we set up the caf茅 in nine weeks. When we did two trial nights, I stood at the top of the stairs to take it all in. Seeing everything come together like that filled me with pride鈥攊t reminded me why we did all of this in the first place.

The current board will remain in place until February, after which they鈥檒l hand over to the overarching foundation board. That doesn鈥檛 mean Den Engelsman will disappear. 鈥淚鈥檒l stay involved and available for questions. And of course, I鈥檒l still regularly come by for a drink myself.鈥�

Mounir Toub, manager and founder of Bakkie040 and Happie040 (and cook at ), comes straight over as we enter his restaurant in the Pollux student tower. He eagerly begins to tell us about Bakkie040 and Happie040, and the story behind this social initiative from the Eindhoven-based foundation Springplank040.

Years ago, Toub was what鈥檚 called a 鈥渃ouch surfer,鈥� without a home of his own. 鈥淚 slept wherever I was welcome after losing my home following a bitter divorce and mounting debts,鈥� Toub recalls. 鈥淚 had nothing left, except a strong faith, a strong body, a first circle of family and friends, and a lot of energy.鈥�

Cooking at the day center

Toub ended up at Springplank040, an Eindhoven-based foundation that supports homeless and vulnerably housed people. They do this by offering guidance in areas such as housing, work, and social participation.

By then, he had gotten his life back on track. He was out of debt, remarried, and had a home again. During the COVID-19 lockdown, he was asked if he wanted to cook meals at Springplank for the homeless and vulnerably housed.

Three times 040

Fast forward to 2025: Toub is the proud and highly enthusiastic founder of no less than three food and drink spots, all run on behalf of the Springplank foundation. Two of these are now on our campus, while the third has been operating for four years at Strijp-S.

Housing corporation Woonbedrijf, owner of the new student towers along the Blauwe Loper, asked Toub if he was interested in running a kind of student cafetaria on the 黑料福利网 campus. During a tour of the Blauwe Loper, he became so excited by the low-rise buildings between the towers that he decided he also wanted to open a Bakkie040 there. The rest is history.

At Bakkie040, you can enjoy a good cup of coffee with a treat, or have lunch. Happie040 serves soup and a lunch snack in the afternoon, and a fresh meal for 鈧�7.50 in the evening. The menu changes weekly.

The meals at Happie040鈥攄ifferent each day鈥攁re prepared by people from Springplank.experiencing homelessness They cook the meals at Happie040 for Springplank鈥檚 day center, as well as for visitors of Happie040.

Fresh meals

鈥淚t gives them a daily activity, they gain work experience, and 黑料福利网 students and staff can enjoy a fresh meal at a fair price,鈥� Toub explains enthusiastically. 鈥淲e want to bring back the cafeteria feel鈥攑eople coming together at tables and sharing a meal.鈥�

I believe in giving people鈥攁nd materials鈥攁 second chance. Or a third, or even a fourth. I've been given that chance too.

Mounir Toub, manager of Bakkie040 and Happie040

At the base of the Pollux student tower, Toub and his team have created a cozy restaurant using circular materials. 鈥淛ust like the people who work here, furniture also deserves a second chance, or a third, or a fourth. That's something I鈥檝e experienced myself.鈥�

He points to the vintage Ahrend and Gispen chairs at the tables, arranged in a kind of zigzag pattern to encourage interaction and connection. The tabletops are made from reclaimed wood. The plants come from Pleegplantje, an initiative that gives discarded plants a second life. The floor comes from surplus stock, and the oak bar frame was 鈥渉arvested鈥� from an interior company. Almost everything is made from repurposed materials. And everything has its own story鈥攋ust like the people working at Bakkie040 and Happie040.

Pay-it-forward at Bakkie040 and Happie040

Visitors to Bakkie040 and Happie040 can donate a 鈥減ay-it-forward coffee鈥� or 鈥減ay-it-forward meal鈥� at Toub鈥檚 establishments. 鈥淵ou pay for an extra coffee or meal, and we give it to a person experiencing homelessness who comes by,鈥� Toub explains.

鈥淭hat happens more often at our Strijp-S location because we鈥檙e closer to the shelter. But some people are now brave enough to come here too. Just the other week, I gave a tour to four Fontys students. They spontaneously went to the counter to pay for a pay-it-forward meal. That was really special to me.鈥�

With Happie040, we want to bring back the cafeteria feel: people coming together at tables and sharing a meal.

Mounir Toub, manager of Bakkie040 and Happie040

The wish wall

Toub nods toward the clearing station, its end finished with loosely stacked bricks. Notes peek out from the gaps between the bricks. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 our wish wall,鈥� Toub explains. 鈥淎nyone can write a wish here and leave it in the wall for someone else who needs it.鈥�

鈥淛ust the other week, I saw a student eating alone here. After clearing his table, he took a note from the wish wall, went outside, and read it there. If that brings a smile to someone鈥檚 face, it gives me goosebumps,鈥� he says, a big smile on his own face. 鈥淲e want to bring people together here, to nourish and connect them.鈥�

Happie wall

Toub鈥檚 energetic mind is never at rest, always looking to innovate and improve. 鈥淚 want to create a Happie Wall somewhere on campus so that students can also get a healthy meal outside our opening hours. Chilled, of course. I鈥檓 still discussing this with the university, but it鈥檚 a big wish of mine.鈥�