From poffertjes to a Dutch mess, ice cream of all flavors, to burgers topped with seared gouda cheese, you can really get your fix of all the Dutch food favorites at #DutchFix.
Originally planned to be an ice cream shop, Jason and Valerie Bandstra established the #DutchFix drive-thru in west Pella in April of 2018. Over time, with trying new recipe ideas, their menu grew into a full Dutch-style menu.
Establishing #DutchFix
“When we were going through the process of getting the business up and running, it occurred to us that we have all these amazing, different types of food at Pella’s Tulip Time, and then it disappears,” explains Valerie. “Tourists come year-round, so they’re going to want these things when they come.”
Entrepreneurialism runs through the Bandstra’s veins. Before they were chefs and restaurant owners, the Bandstra’s owned and operated Frisian Farms Cheese House that they established in 2008 while also operating their dairy farm.
The couple continued to work full-time on their dairy farm while the drive-thru remained a hobby. As it grew, they wanted to continue to expand and offer more for their demand.
“A lot of our customers made the comment that they wished they could come in and sit down and eat,” said Valerie. “So, we thought about adding onto the drive-thru to accommodate more room, but we also realized most of the foot traffic was in downtown Pella.”
Surviving COVID
Nearly a year after opening their drive-thru location, the opportunity arose to purchase a building that became their current downtown location in April of 2019. The couple spent the summer renovating the location before their opening in November of 2019.
“We sold the cheese business and dairy cows to Jason’s brother, Mike, who currently owns and operates it with his wife Jill,” said Valerie. “That really gave us more time to focus on the restaurant and not having to milk cows every day.”
Just four months after opening their second location, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down their indoor sales in March of 2020. The governor had prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people indoors as a safety measure of the pandemic.
“Since we had the drive-thru location, we quickly pivoted to allow our business to remain open through the drive-thru,” explains Valerie. “We were able to survive COVID and did what we had to do but we survived because of our loyal customers.”
Creating one of the top 10 best burgers in Iowa
“In January of 2021, I was messing around with menu ideas and came up with our Dominie Burger,” explains Jason. “Which is our biggest and best burger.”
A few months later, Jason was urged to submit his new creation in the competition for Iowa’s Best Burger, a statewide competition to find the best-tasting burger in 2021.
“Since it’s a statewide competition, we really didn’t think much of it until we got a phone call a few weeks later that we made the top 10,” said Jason.“So, we went from low visibility to a really high visibility in a short amount of time. Even locals didn’t know we served burgers!”
Both Valerie and Jason agree, the establishment of #DutchFix has been a learning experience.“Neither of us come from restaurant backgrounds so learning an entirely new industry has been challenging but also very rewarding,” said Valerie.“We love being able to provide the atmosphere and experience. We do this because we love it.”
#DutchFix in 2022
Due to overwhelming demand and the shortage of labor most businesses are currently facing, the#DutchFix drive-thru location will be serving ice cream, coffee, and their famous poffertjes instead of their full food menu. They’ve partnered with Jaarsma Bakery to offer dutch pastries as well for the summer of 2022.
As far as their downtown location, the Bandstra’s will be serving their full menu. However, during the week of Tulip Time, they downsize their menu to their most popular options to streamline their demand.
“We are hiring at both locations for the summer,” said Valerie. “Call us or stop in to get an application anytime!”