Jumbo opens its 49th Belgian store with the Thoen family

Jumbo opened a new franchise store at Heirbaan 270 in Dendermonde on Wednesday 30 September 2026. Father and son Eddy and Ruben Thoen are jointly behind the business. The opening brings Jumbo’s Belgian network to 49 stores, including 13 in the province of East Flanders. For Belgium’s franchise community, it is a concrete example of network expansion through local family-run businesses.

Father and son launch a joint venture

The opening in Dendermonde marks the start of a joint business venture for Eddy and Ruben Thoen. They are bringing their family business approach to Jumbo’s supermarket format. This is explicitly a franchise store: the new outlet is therefore not just an addition to the store network, but also a new business for the franchisees involved.

The announcement by Franchising Belgium highlights the combination of Jumbo’s retail format and the operators’ personal, family-led approach. This is how the new store is presenting itself at launch. Father and son aim to combine the supermarket brand’s familiarity with their own hands-on involvement as business owners.

This family partnership gives the opening a distinctly local identity. Behind the new address are two named operators starting the business together. The announcement does not specify how they will divide their responsibilities. The opening should therefore not be confused with an announced handover from father to son: the news concerns their joint launch of Jumbo Dendermonde.

A 1,200-square-metre store

The new supermarket is located at Heirbaan 270 and covers 1,200 square metres. There are 83 parking spaces available at the store. Both the size of the premises and the parking provision were confirmed at the opening.

For customers, the address and parking spaces are practical details. For entrepreneurs comparing supermarket franchise formats, these figures mainly indicate the type of site being opened. Floor area and parking capacity provide an initial picture of the physical set-up, but say nothing on their own about a store’s turnover or profitability.

This distinction matters when reading news about store openings. The Dendermonde figures describe this particular store. They are neither general entry requirements for a Jumbo franchise nor a benchmark that every future site must necessarily meet. Anyone considering running a supermarket should assess each property individually alongside the franchise requirements.

East Flanders now has thirteen Jumbo stores

With the Dendermonde opening, Jumbo’s Belgian network reaches 49 stores. East Flanders now has 13. Based on the published figures, the province therefore accounts for just over a quarter of the chain’s Belgian outlets.

This proportion provides geographical context for the opening. It shows East Flanders’ current share of the Belgian store network. It does not indicate the province’s share of turnover, nor does it amount to an announcement of further openings.

The distinction between the total store network and the number of franchise stores also deserves attention. The announcement refers to the 49 Belgian outlets as Jumbo stores; the franchise model is explicitly confirmed here only for the new Dendermonde store. The total should therefore not automatically be interpreted as a count of Belgian Jumbo franchisees.

For the franchise community, the news lies primarily in this specific combination: an opened store, a confirmed franchise operation and two local entrepreneurs. This is not a growth target or a search for candidates, but a store that has actually opened its doors.

What prospective franchisees can take from this

Eddy and Ruben Thoen’s joint launch offers a relatable example for families looking to go into business together. A shared venture calls for clear agreements on responsibilities, day-to-day management and decision-making. This is a practical consideration for prospective franchisees, not a description of the Thoen family’s arrangements.

Anyone considering a similar move can use discussions with a franchisor to ask specifically how partnerships between multiple franchisees are organised and what requirements apply to a site. Keep the store’s physical characteristics separate from the financial terms.

Practical takeaway: view Jumbo Dendermonde as a concrete example of a family-run franchise business. Use the opening as a prompt to discuss your own division of responsibilities, choice of location and operating terms carefully.