The concept of a “one-stop-shop” was born forty-some years ago on the island of Curacao, Netherlands Antilles (Dutch Caribbean) when we opened our first retail book and gift store: Mensing’s Strada.
1971
This unique store, located in the fashionable Strada Shopping Center, featured a diversity of items such as books and magazines, school and office supplies, music, toys, and greeting cards. Quality, service, and a first-name-basis personal approach were the key components of a solid foundation, which would guarantee the success of the store in the years to come.
1979
In 1979 a fire destroyed the entire complex leaving everything in ashes. After two years of waiting for the owners to rebuild, we decided to take the initiative and start looking for a location of our own.
1982
In 1982 we proudly reopened on a prime spot with the new name: Mensing’s Caminada. With our successful formula of a ‘one-stop-shop’ and ‘service before everything’ approach still intact, the new store occupied nearly twice as much space while maintaining the warm and personal atmosphere it had always been renowned for.
1993
In 1993 we expanded the store with a revolutionary concept (at the time): a coffee and homemade snacks bar combined with a large greeting card collection. Once again, this idea soon proved to be a huge success.
1999
In 1999, once again sensing a new trend in the market, we added yet another specialty section featuring a great variety of non-fiction books in a warm, yet sophisticated atmosphere, thereby attracting even the most discerning clients. Besides the two major expansions in the nineties, throughout the years we have continued to add a variety of services entirely for the convenience of our clients. These services include a copy-center, the sale of special event tickets, postage stamps, telephone and iTunes cards and the placement of a mailbox and a birthday box among others.
2012
In 2012 we completely renovated the coffee bar with the addition of a new outside terrace which can seat 40 people. We can also seat 40 people inside in a cool, air conditioned environment. We created a new and exciting menu adding fresh made sandwiches, salads and specialty coffees.
Finally, we complemented the patio with an enclosed toddler play area furnished with safe playground equipment. We constantly endeavor to maintain our reputation of high quality and personalized service whilst continuing the search for new areas to develop to accommodate the needs of our customers.
