Bluebirds in the Backyard
Bluebirds in the Backyard is a privately held Dordrecht-based lifestyle operator running a Garden Cafe, a vintage/lifestyle Concept Store, and a Preloved Fashion store, plus a webshop, serving local consumers, families, and tourists with a parallel social-mission foundation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersDordrecht, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bluebirds in the Backyard does
Bluebirds in the Backyard is a privately held Dutch lifestyle retail and hospitality operator founded in 2014 by Claire and headquartered in Dordrecht. The business runs three complementary walk-in locations in Dordrecht city center: a Garden Cafe and lunchroom at Voorstraat 261 serving plant-based breakfasts, lunches, specialty coffees, mocktails, and High Tea experiences (€16.95–€69.90 per person, reservations required); a Concept Store at Voorstraat 230 selling vintage items, gifts, home accessories, paperware, art prints, jewelry, beauty products, and candles; and a Preloved Fashion store at Vriesestraat 32 selling second-hand clothing and accessories. A bilingual Dutch/English webshop extends the assortment online, and physical gift cards (€5–€50, plus themed packages) are sold both in-store and online. The core technology stack is conventional web/ecommerce; no proprietary platform, integrations, or APIs are disclosed.
The business model is direct-to-consumer and omnichannel: transactional unit pricing across cafe, retail, preloved, and gift cards, with no subscription, licensing, or recurring contract layer. Go-to-market is concentrated on organic social (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest) plus a small webshop and word-of-mouth. Approximately 50 staff (including participation placements and interns) support operations across store, cafe, atelier, kitchen, facilities, webshop, graphic design, and marketing. Customer segments are local Dordrecht consumers, families with children (the cafe has a dedicated play area and kids' menu), food & beverage customers seeking Instagram-worthy plant-based dining, and inbound tourists.
In 2024 the company established Stichting Werkleerbedrijf Bluebirds (Bluebirds Foundation for Work and Learning) as a separate foundation to formalize day programs, sheltered work, and reintegration support for people with intellectual disability, mental health, or labor-market distance backgrounds, in collaboration with Municipality of Dordrecht, Sociale Dienst Drechtsteden, MEE Drechtsteden, and Gemiva. The 2023 loss of a court case with the municipality over the terrace permit forced the closure of the larger monumental Wijnstraat venue in June 2024, after which the company relocated the shop to Voorstraat 230 in May 2024 and reopened a new Garden Cafe at Voorstraat 261 in January 2025. Revenue, headcount, and financials are not publicly disclosed; no external institutional investment or parent company has been identified.
Bluebirds in the Backyard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bluebirds in the Backyard
- Legal name
- Bluebirds in the Backyard
- Website
- https://bluebirdsinthebackyard.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Bluebirds in the Backyard is a privately held Dordrecht-based lifestyle operator running a Garden Cafe, a vintage/lifestyle Concept Store, and a Preloved Fashion store, plus a webshop, serving local consumers, families, and tourists with a parallel social-mission foundation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Bluebirds in the Backyard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dordrecht
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Bluebirds in the Backyard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Retail Sales - Vintage & Lifestyle Store: Sale of vintage items, unique gifts, home accessories, beauty products, paperware including cards, art prints, jewelry, candles, home decor, books and more through the physical Concept Store and Preloved Fashion Store
- Garden Cafe / Lunchroom: Foodservice operations including breakfast, lunch, coffee, beverages, and High Tea services at the Garden Cafe. Also includes catering for groups and events.
- Webshop / E-commerce: Online sales of physical products through the website webshop, including gift cards, home accessories, jewelry, and lifestyle items
- Gift Cards: Gift vouchers available in denominations of €5, €10, €20, €50, plus themed gift cards for Coffee & Cake for 2 (€17.95) and High Tea for 2 (€69.90)
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards - Various denominations |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | High Tea Menu |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Garden Cafe Menu - Breakfast & Lunch |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Garden Cafe Menu - Kids |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Garden Cafe Menu - Beverages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Bluebirds in the Backyard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bluebirds in the Backyard is a Dutch lifestyle retail and hospitality business that combines a Garden Cafe lunchroom with a concept store offering vintage and curated home goods, a preloved fashion boutique, an online webshop, and gift cards. The company operates a single physical destination in Dordrecht, Netherlands, while extending its assortment online and supporting a parallel social-mission foundation.
Product overview
Bluebirds in the Backyard is a Dutch lifestyle retail and hospitality business consisting of a Garden Cafe (lunchroom with high tea services and children's playground), a Concept Store (vintage and preloved fashion), and an online Webshop. The company operates physical locations in Dordrecht and sells gift vouchers. The product portfolio combines hospitality services with retail offerings, targeting consumers seeking vintage, preloved, and aesthetically pleasing lifestyle products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Garden Cafe
Companies that use Bluebirds in the Backyard
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Bluebirds in the Backyard technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Bluebirds in the Backyard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Municipality of DordrechtcoreCollaboration with Gemeente Dordrecht for day programs and participation trajectories. Bluebirds Foundation offers participation programs in collaboration with the Municipality of Dordrecht via the social domain.
- Sociale Dienst DrechtstedencoreMatching unit for participation programs. Collaboration for reintegration support and sheltered employment opportunities.
- Stichting MEE / MEE DrechtstedencoreMatching unit for participation programs under the social domain.
- GemivacoreHealthcare organization collaborating for day program and participation opportunities for people with disabilities.
- HMC RotterdamminorEducational institution for student internships and work experience placements.
- Wellant CollegeminorEducational institution for student internships and work experience placements.
- Grafisch Lyceum RotterdamminorEducational institution for student internships and work experience placements.
- Da Vinci CollegeminorEducational institution for student internships and work experience placements.
- Local EntrepreneursminorCollaboration with many local entrepreneurs for sustainable operations and supply chain. Products sourced from local suppliers where possible.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bluebirds in the Backyard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Loods5: Dutch lifestyle/home-furnishings retailer offering furniture, home accessories, gifts, and interior styling across multiple warehouse-style stores. Comparable in home decor and lifestyle product mix, though at larger footprint.
- Theetuin concept (e.g., Theetuin 't Hofje): Dutch garden-café / High Tea concepts operating in similar heritage-town settings with vintage styling, plant-based menus, and daytime operating models. Direct format peers to Bluebirds' Garden Cafe.
- Hutspot: Amsterdam-based lifestyle concept combining retail (interior, fashion, books, gifts), a restaurant/café, and event space in a single large-format venue. Directly comparable multi-concept lifestyle destination model.
- Sissy Boy: Dutch lifestyle retail brand operating multiple physical stores with integrated cafe/lunch concepts, home accessories, fashion, gifts, and a similar vintage-inspired aesthetic. Direct conceptual peer with overlapping customer base of women seeking curated lifestyle shopping combined with dining.
- Kringloopwinkel (De Kringwinkel): Dutch/Belgian thrift-store network selling second-hand clothing, vintage items, and home goods, often with social-employment missions similar to Bluebirds Foundation. Direct peer for the Preloved Fashion store and the broader reuse/upcycling positioning.
- Dille & Kamille: Established Dutch lifestyle/home-goods chain selling gifts, kitchenware, candles, home accessories, and seasonal items across many physical stores. Closest scale comparable to Bluebirds' Concept Store assortment and target customer.
- ReShare Store: Dutch second-hand fashion retail chain by Humana with curated vintage clothing and accessories, also operating with a social-employment mission. Closest scaled peer to Bluebirds' Preloved Fashion Store.
Broad incumbents
- HEMA: Mass-market Dutch variety retailer offering home accessories, gifts, beauty, paperware, and food/beverage products at accessible prices. Broad incumbent competing for the same household gift and home accessory occasions.
- Casa: European home-furnishings and lifestyle retail chain offering candles, tableware, decorative accessories, textiles, and gifts across many physical stores. Broad incumbent competing for home decor and lifestyle spending.
- De Bijenkorf: Iconic Dutch luxury department store offering home accessories, gifts, jewelry, fashion, and in-store dining/cafés. Indirect competitor for gift, home, and lifestyle spend across the broader Dutch customer base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Bluebirds in the Backyard social profiles
Digital presenceBluebirds in the Backyard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bluebirds in the Backyard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Bluebirds in the Backyard subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Bluebirds in the Backyard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bluebirds in the Backyard M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bluebirds in the Backyard
What does Bluebirds in the Backyard do?
Bluebirds in the Backyard is a Dutch lifestyle retail and hospitality business that combines a Garden Cafe lunchroom with a concept store offering vintage and curated home goods, a preloved fashion boutique, an online webshop, and gift cards. The company operates a single physical destination in Dordrecht, Netherlands, while extending its assortment online and supporting a parallel social-mission foundation.
Is Bluebirds in the Backyard a public or private company?
Bluebirds in the Backyard is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Bluebirds in the Backyard founded?
Bluebirds in the Backyard was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Bluebirds in the Backyard based?
Bluebirds in the Backyard is headquartered in Dordrecht, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Bluebirds in the Backyard make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Sales - Vintage & Lifestyle Store is the primary driver. The others are garden Cafe / Lunchroom, webshop / E-commerce and gift Cards.
Who are Bluebirds in the Backyard's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Loods5, Theetuin concept (e.g., Theetuin 't Hofje), Hutspot, Sissy Boy, Kringloopwinkel (De Kringwinkel), Dille & Kamille and ReShare Store. Broad incumbents are HEMA, Casa and De Bijenkorf.
Does Bluebirds in the Backyard have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bluebirds in the Backyard.