Customer story: Remco & Sigrid from Restaurant Abel
Discover how Restaurant Abel in Poortugaal optimises customer service and reservations with HorecaHub. An inspiring customer story about efficiency and innovation.
16 November 2025 by
HorecaHub
The story of Remco & Sigrid from Restaurant Abel in Poortugaal
In the world of hospitality, you come across two kinds of entrepreneurs:
people who run a restaurant, and people who carry a restaurant.
That latter category is rare.
And Remco and Sigrid from Restaurant Abel undoubtedly belong to it.
Anyone who has ever visited Abel immediately understands what I mean.
It’s the kind of place you walk into and the energy just feels right: warm, well organised, welcoming and professional, without feeling fake or forced.
That doesn’t happen by itself.
It happens because there are entrepreneurs behind it who give everything for their team, their guests and the quality of their business.
And that deserves appreciation.
A restaurant driven by vision, not by chance
What makes Restaurant Abel special is that Remco and Sigrid never stand still.
They have the same mindset you often see among the very best hospitality entrepreneurs:
keep improving, keep innovating, keep looking for what can be better, not because they have to, but because it’s simply who they are.
They look critically at processes.
They dare to invest in their team and in technology.
And they are open to new solutions, as long as these strengthen both the guest experience and the team.
That is exactly the kind of entrepreneur who makes the difference in a competitive market.
How Abel works with AI and why it’s a great example
When Remco and Sigrid chose an AI solution, they didn’t do it from the mindset of ‘we need to do something with AI’.
They approached it very differently:
“How can we ease the pressure on our team while helping our guests even better?”
That idea, giving staff more breathing room while improving service, is exactly the mindset that makes AI valuable.
And the great thing is: they saw results immediately.
Their own words say it all:
"Top system! It takes a huge amount of work off our sales and reservations department by answering the first line and asking questions so that on the second line we immediately know what a request is about and already have the details at hand."
That’s not just a compliment.
It’s the reflection of entrepreneurs who understand how to use technology intelligently:
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The AI handles the first line.
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The AI asks questions.
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The AI collects the information.
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The team only steps in when it’s truly necessary.
That’s exactly how you use automation in a way that strengthens hospitality rather than replacing it.
Four ovens, two gas burners and a capacity of 600 covers per day!
Would you like to have lunch at Restaurant Abel sometime?
It’s a beautiful restaurant, a place where everything feels right: the atmosphere, the service and a kitchen operating at a high level. With four ovens, two gas burners and a capacity of 600 covers per day, it’s impressive how smoothly and efficiently their team works. Definitely worth experiencing for yourself, and you’ll quickly see why so many guests keep coming back.
A team that gets its time back
The biggest gain often isn’t even in revenue or efficiency, but in peace of mind.
Peace of mind for the team.
Clarity in communication.
Calm in the way requests come in.
At Restaurant Abel you feel that immediately.
The staff are no longer half-listening with one ear in the kitchen and the other on the phone.
They can focus on service, because the basics are well organised.
And you feel that as a guest.
That’s where technology should serve its purpose:
supportive, not overpowering.
And Remco and Sigrid show exactly what that looks like in practice.
Why we appreciate entrepreneurs like Remco and Sigrid so much
Not only because they run a fantastic restaurant.
Not only because they fight for quality every single day.
But mainly because they show how hospitality and innovation can go hand in hand.
It’s a privilege to work with entrepreneurs who have such a clear vision of hospitality, service and modernisation.
It doesn’t just make our work easier, it makes it more enjoyable.
Restaurant Abel is an example of what happens when traditional hospitality and modern technology reinforce each other.
And that success is entirely thanks to entrepreneurs like Remco and Sigrid.
Their mindset is gold.
And that’s worth saying out loud once in a while.
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Written by
Martin Jurres
CCO of HorecaHub.ai
Driven by innovation and hospitality, Martin is building the commercial growth of HorecaHub.ai. With experience in sales, partnerships, and product demos, he translates AI technology into real value for hospitality entrepreneurs. His goal: to make every business run smarter, with less hassle and more profit. On this blog he shares hands-on lessons from conversations with hundreds of restaurants, hotels and cafés.
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