Mariela Vreugdenhil supermarket celebrates 90-year-jubilee of her supermarket on Curacao

The oldest supermarket of Curaçao is 90 years old. Vreugdenhil opened its doors in 1931 at the Ruyterkade in Willemstad. It was the first to have a shop without a counter. Frans Vreugdenhil (D IX m) was the founder who arrived on Curaçao by ship in the twenties of the last century as captain of the Royal Dutch Steamboat Company. He met his wife there and decided to stay.

Vreugdenhil Supermarkt Curaçao
During the fifties Frans expanded his shops by opening supermarkets in Marie Pompoen, the Ansinghstreet, Colon, and a self-service shop in Dominguito where the current Vreugdenhil supermarket still stands. The shop in the Ansinghstreet was lost during the uprising of May 30th, 1969.

Vreugdenhil has always been a family company. Karel (D X w) took over the shops from his father Frans, but decided to continue with only one supermarket. Nowadays a third generation Vreugdenhil is in charge. The granddaughter of Captain Frans, Mariela (D X w.2) and her cousin Alan Evertsz, run the supermarket. Vreugdenhil has around a 120 employees.

For years Vreugdenhil has been a mainstay on Curaçao. Daily the supermarket provides the people on Curaçao with fresh produce. So naturally the Vreugdenhil-team is very motivated to do everything in their power to provide you with fresh milk, yoghurt, cheese, bread, and pastry.

‘Everything must be fresh at Vreugdenhil Supermarket’

is the family-company motto. And every day they work hard to stay true to it. With in-house bakers, a traditional butcher, and a very extensive dairy-department, a Vreugdenhil-Supermarket customer is guaranteed fresh produce daily.

The supermarket also contains a widely assorted chemist and cosmetics-department with products ranging from toothpaste to perfume. Customers can also visit the shop for books and magazines, as well as a cafetaria area – where both snacks and entire meals are served – where the coffee and tea are free.