Story

How/When/Who

When we, Edward Nijhoff & Daryl Lieuw-On started in the Rotterdam bar scene in 2006, we just wanted to have some fun with some fun people. 

'But the longer we worked in this industry, the more we loved it. After years working in bars and restaurants, having won several cocktail competitions and given tons of trainings to other bartenders we felt the urge for our next step.

We wanted something simple; A classic, easily accessible pub with really good drinks made with Rum (as Rum always been our go to spirit). The idea of The Rumah was born.

Rumah means home in Indonesian and RUM was in the name, so the name couldn't get any better.

Somewhere in 2019 we found an Old Pub on the 'Oude Binnenweg'; One of the few streets in Rotterdam city center from before WW2. 

With a small loan and investment, we started with the construction ourselves and noticed soon that this shit ain't easy yo. So we got the help of an highschool friend to build everything.

When we opened, The Rotterdam crowd seemed to love us as it was busy right from the start. Yet, three months after, the first lockdown shut the bar down. That motivated us to work even harder! So we started our take away program, soon followed by merchandise and all kinds of events (anything possible during a lockdown).

After the 2nd lockdown the bar was still alive and it kept on getting busier. So we expanded the team. Eva Stathaki & Hanna Köhler de Mendoça got into the family and made sure that Rumah got better and better!

With Hanna & Eva on board, the Rumah got the opportunity to expand business. We started with the Rum is Dope tour, where we would collaborate with other bars all over Europe, to take over their bars. Also the Rumah West opened; a container cocktailpub on the site of Weelde. https://www.weelderotterdam.nl/

The team is even bigger now, with Tania Gonçalves, Zieshan Sadiq and Joebert Polders added to the fam! 

The bar is growing but the goal will always be the same; to forever be A Neighbourhood Cocktailpub!'