Business & Tech

Hot Dogs and Marketing at W@tercooler

Recently, Patch explored Tarrytown’s communal co-working space, W@tercooler, and its history. Here’s a look at the professionals who call the venue their home—er, their office.

 

__________________________

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

 

John Van Dekker became a member of W@tercooler last November, after he and his brother opened The Village Dog, a hot dog shop, a few months prior. He was looking for a place to do work, since his youngsters at home could be distracting.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

 

Van Dekker is currently running two marketing businesses in addition to The Village Dog, Bright Blue Global and Agency Westchester. He provides services to a slate of small businesses, and professionals like accountants and lawyers.

 

Over the past year, Van Dekker has been highly satisfied with his workspace, he says.

 

“I love it here,” he told Patch. “It’s a great place to work independently, but not alone.”

 

Van Dekker says the best part of the space is joining with others as friends—and as business connections.

 

“Its not just about the desk, its about the environment and the culture,” Van Dekker said. “There’s a lot of really creative, great people interested in doing things on a local level."

 

Another member who lauds the W@tercooler dynamic is Alfons van Heerwaarden, who joined in early 2012. van Heerwaarden runs Lekker Specialty, a food consultancy.

 

van Heerwaarden works as a food broker, helping factories sell their products to retailers. Customers also hire him as a consultant, where he helps them to build a brand.

 

van Heerwaarden is currently working with a popcorn company from Pittsburg, a granola company from Norwalk, CT, and a New England Cranberry company. He works to sell these products to high-end retailers like Whole Foods and Wegmans.

 

van Heerwaarden also works alongside a yogurt company as a full-time employee to expand the business.

 

Before joining W@tercooler, Heerwaarden used to work in a small office space, or at home. But now, he says, he’s able share in the venue’s creative spirit.

 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here