Street food shines! Wolf celebrates 5th anniversary with festive roller party

Since its launch in 2020, Wolf has set the street food scene alight in Belgium. The first food hall in Brussels survived lockdown to succeed in growing its mission to deliver ethical and delicious local and global cuisine.

In addition to opening a second branch in Antwerp, the flagship location in the capital now boasts 17 street food and drink outlets, a micro brewery and a thriving events calendar.

For its 5th anniversary, Wolf Brussels hosted a roller disco party that transformed the 3,000m² food court into a buzzing space with positive vibes and good music.

It reflected the energy of the ‘wolf pack’, the team that delivers a busy programme of activities, from culinary classes to a variety of workshops and even a Wolf street food fight.

Located in an architecturally striking 1940s building, the address in Rue du Fossé aux Loups enjoys a unique atmosphere. Many of the artisan-crafted period design features of the former bank have been preserved, while its renovation was carried out by one of Belgium’s coolest architects and designers, Lionel Jadot.

To mark Wolf’s milestone anniversary, The Bulletin talked to chief executive Sebastiaan Van de Voorde (pictured, above right) about why the business is committed to the short circuit economy and how he see’s the future of the street food scene.

What is your proudest achievement over the past five years ?

It’s being recognised as one of the best food and beverage destinations, not just for the food, but for the entire experience. We’ve built something that combines premium, high-quality street food with an authentic setting, where every detail is designed to highlight what really matters: craftsmanship, passion and quality.

Whether it’s the architecture, the people behind each dish, or the atmosphere you feel when you walk through the doors: everything is about offering a real, meaningful experience. One that’s accessible, but still exceptional.

How important is teamwork to the success of the business?

It has been absolutely essential, it’s the key to everything. At Wolf, we often talk about the pack, and we really mean it. It’s not just our internal team, it’s our restaurants, our partners, our suppliers… all the people who bring this place to life every day.

Success doesn’t happen alone. What we’ve built works because everyone is moving in the same direction, with shared values and real commitment.

For us, the impact of what we do is threefold:

• Economic — of course we need to be sustainable financially, to ensure that everyone gets a fair return on their investment and effort.
• Environmental — we focus on short supply chains, responsible sourcing and reusing as much of the original building materials as possible. We want to have a positive impact on the planet.
• Social — we employ over 100 people, support around 30 restaurant entrepreneurs, and work with many local suppliers. These are real people, with real lives, and real stories. Creating jobs and opportunities is part of our mission.

What is the future of the street food scene in Belgium and how important are global trends? 

Food markets and the street food scene in Belgium are growing because they respond to what today’s consumers are really looking for. People want more than just “fast food”, they’re looking for authenticity, quality, diversity and fair pricing.

Food markets bring all of that together in one place: real chefs, real stories, real food and a unique setting to enjoy it. It’s a concept that’s clearly aligned with global trends, and yes, we’re inspired by what’s happening in other major cities around the world. But we always adapt it to our local reality.

We believe more food markets will open in Belgium, but not everywhere. This model needs critical mass. We won’t open one in a small town, it only works in dense urban areas where there’s a strong mix of residents, office workers and tourists.

What are your ambitions for the next five years ?

Over the next five years, our ambition is to keep innovating, surprising and raising the bar. We want Wolf to remain at the top of the list when people think of food, experiences and culture, not just in Belgium, but in Europe. We want to continue being a place where people come to eat, gather, discover…

Photos: ©Wolf