Banketbakkerij FEBO
In 1941 Johan de Borst laid the foundations for what would later become one of the best-known snack chains in the Netherlands. He started out with a modest bread and pastry bakery on the corner of the Amstelveenseweg and the Karperweg in Amsterdam-Zuid. The name FEBO was originally intended for a bakery he wanted to open on the Ferdinand Bolstraat, where he had learned the baker's trade. Although the plans for that location fell through, De Borst decided to keep the name because the articles of association had already been registered.
From bread to snacks
After the Second World War, Johan de Borst began expanding his range with kroketten (deep-fried ragout croquettes). The kroket proved so popular that demand grew quickly, and in 1960 he took a bold step: he closed his bakery and focused entirely on producing and selling snacks. That same year he also opened the first automatiek on the Karperweg, where customers could pull their favourite snacks straight out of the wall. Grabbing a snack from the wall was catching on around the world, especially in New York. FEBO cleverly jumped on the trend.
To the Ferdinand Bolstraat after all...
De Borst had a kitchen built in his former bakery to streamline the production of the snacks. From this central kitchen, Febo expanded its reach, with new branches in Amsterdam and later in surrounding towns such as Purmerend, Hoorn and Hoofddorp. Remarkably, it was not until 9 June 1993 that the first Febo branch opened on the Ferdinand Bolstraat, the street where it all began.
FEBO has stood the test of time and still sticks to its concept of food from the wall, which has made the company an inseparable part of Dutch food culture. You can read more facts about FEBO and its history here.
