Meet our Franchisees

Thijs & Lex Kaptein — Kvik Heerhugowaard + Kvik Hoorn

Thijs Kaptein always knew that he wanted to go into business with his brother Lex. He had a new house and he was out shopping for a new kitchen himself. He visited one of the Kvik stores in Amsterdam.

He was so impressed with the showroom, the concept and the whole approach taken by the salesman, that when he got back to his car, he did a quick search for Kvik on his phone. He learned that Kvik was looking for franchisees in the Netherlands and filled out the application to be a franchisee, then and there.

His partner was in the car with him and she said he was crazy - he had a good job, as a sales representative for a company selling wedding dresses and formalwear. But, he was determined and he hit "send" on the application.

Then, on the drive home, he called Lex and told him he'd found the business for them.

Say "yes" to the kitchen!

Lex had a background as a carpenter, working for a big firm that put apartments in order when tenants moved out, making them ready for the next resident. Thijs, as we already said, sold wedding dresses and formalwear for a wholesaler. So, the decision was a matter of a shift from saying yes to the dress, to saying yes to the kitchen.

Thijs says his job isn't that different today - then it was about convincing the store to carry his line of formalwear and today, it's about convincing a customer that a Kvik kitchen is right for them. Sales are sales. And both mostly involve women making the final decision.

And Lex is there to make sure the kitchen is measured and mounted perfectly in the customer's home. They make a great team.

Hear their whole story on our podcast

It's about teamwork

For Thijs and Lex, it all started with them as a team. Their skills complement one another. Thijs is the outgoing, fast-moving sales guy who meets the customers when they come into the showroom. Lex, with his experience as a carpenter, makes sure that the kitchens are measured and installed correctly. And he drinks a lot of coffee with customers, making sure they're satisfied.

But a successful store is also about the team you assemble in the store - especially when it's time to open a second store. The Kaptein brothers have a great team - both out front and in their warehouse.

Photo credit: Tazama