Café Owner Returns from Honeymoon to Find Three Tons of Sand in His Establishment
A Belgian café owner returned from his honeymoon to discover that friends and loyal customers had transformed his establishment into an indoor beach—dumping approximately three tons of Rhine sand across the entire venue. Rather than being upset, Lorenzo Jacobs (36) and his new wife Cherilyn Daelman (26) are embracing the prank and planning a beach party to turn the cleanup into a community celebration.
A Honeymoon Surprise
Jacobs and Daelman, owners of Café De Oude Beenhouwerij in Puivelde, Sint-Niklaas, East Flanders, married on 18 July and departed for their honeymoon in Tenerife the following day. When they returned home in the early hours of Monday morning, they found their house decorated with toilet paper, a leaking swimming pool in the living room, two chickens in the bedroom, and several carp in the sink, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.
“We came home around 1 AM and found the whole house decorated with toilet paper,” Jacobs told the outlet. “In the living room they had even built a swimming pool. Only it turned out to be leaking, so all the water had run over the floor.”
The couple spent hours cleaning until 4 AM, only to discover more surprises. “When we thought everything was over, we opened the bedroom door and suddenly there were two chickens,” Jacobs said. “In the sink lay some carp. I suspect a wink from the friends because I’ve hooked a beautiful woman.”
The Real Surprise at the Café
The true shock came Monday morning when the couple opened their café. The entire establishment had been covered in 2.5 cubic meters of Rhine sand—approximately 3,000 kilograms—spread across the venue.
“We already found it strange that so many customers sent messages and asked how it was at the ‘beach,’” Jacobs said. “Now we know why.”
The prank was meticulously planned. Jacobs noted that his friends waited until the couple was on the plane back to Belgium before executing the stunt, giving them about four hours to complete the operation. “Normally I get a notification on my phone as soon as the cameras register movement,” he explained. “But our friends waited until we were on the plane towards Belgium.”
Turning Sand into Celebration
Far from being angry, the couple has embraced the situation with humor and generosity. They plan to leave the sand in place and host a beach party on Wednesday, where anyone who sweeps up a full bag of sand and takes it away receives a free beer.
“We’ll just leave the sand lying for a while and organize a beach party on Wednesday,” Jacobs said. “Everyone who sweeps up a full bag of sand and takes it away gets a free beer from me. That way the cleanup is immediately taken care of.”
According to Jacobs, the friends’ message was clear: “They apparently thought we shouldn’t sit with our feet in the sand too often on holiday. That’s why they made a beach in our café themselves.”
A Family Tradition of Pranks
Café De Oude Beenhouwerij opened in 2019 in the former butcher shop of Jacobs’ parents, who continue to operate the family butcher business, Slagerij-traiteur-versmarkt Jacobs-De Roover, at a new location. The café, described on its official website as a cozy traditional Belgian pub where everyone can feel at home, has become a community hub in Puivelde, hosting events from World Cup viewing parties to Mother’s Day celebrations.
The couple even held their wedding reception at the café for 350 guests. “It’s actually a hobby project that got out of hand,” Jacobs said. “Our customers are mainly people from Puivelde and surroundings. Actually, it’s one big group of friends. That’s why we can appreciate this joke. Nothing is damaged, just a lot of cleaning.”
The prank follows a family tradition. Forty years ago, friends filled Jacobs’ parents’ butcher shop with straw and left a pig inside. “Then I’d rather have a beach,” Jacobs laughed.
The couple also serves on the board of the local cycling club, PVC (Puiveldse Vélo Club) De Oude Beenhouwerij, with Jacobs as sponsor coordinator and webmaster and Daelman as secretary.
What’s Next
The beach party is scheduled for Wednesday, 5 August, and the couple is inviting the community to help clear the sand in exchange for a free pint. The story has resonated widely, becoming the most-read and most-shared article on the HLN Sint-Niklaas regional page, with readers praising the couple’s good-natured response to an elaborate prank that has become the talk of the town.