Abdelhamid Idrissi
Abdelhamid Idrissi is the founder of Studiezalen and supermarket Fris in Amsterdam. The first free supermarket in the world. His dedication to service and hospitality to improve the lives of inhabitants in vulnerable neighborhoods is admirable.
Instead of a traditional food bank, he created a supermarket experience where visitors don’t have to pay anything and only commit to lifecoaching to build towards a sustainable future. It starts with restoring their dignity and with lifecoaching they gain insights, get familiar with talents and strengths and redefine poverty alleviation. By the child coming to Studiezalen, families gain access and the only requirement is mutual trust to build towards a future for them to become self-sufficient.
This approach is beyond hospitality as it gives people a sense of belonging by restoring their dignity and overcoming their difficulties. The families feel welcome and are seen for who they are. This motivates them to pay it forward to others in need and with this, Abdelhamid has created a chain of goodness in the city of Amsterdam.
Who is your Hicon?
As no other, hospitality is an industry of knowledge, daring and passion. Please tell us who and what should be on the list of most impactful people, products and places in hospitality.