Onkilahti cafe found its entrepreneur

Preparations for the café premises have started quickly and the café will open in early July.

– We will open on 8 July at noon! At that point, at least half of the kiosk will be open, says Märt Reband, the café’s owner.

At least coffee, ice cream, and soft drinks will be on offer initially, but the selection will be refined as the summer progresses.

The café will reflect the influence of the Onkilahti area

The café building’s size is 107.5 m² and it has toilets and a large terrace area. Seating can be found both indoors and outdoors.

The café was built from modules originally used by the Vaasa Central Hospital. The modules were covered with wooden strips. The layout of the café is thus adapted to the green surroundings of Onkilahti Park.

The same theme continues inside the café, with the aim of using as much wood and recycled materials as possible.

– I want the café to be a natural and functional part of Onkilahti Park and to serve all park users well. It would be great, for example, to be able to rent equipment for athletes from the café, says Reband.

The café’s operations will be designed with the development of the area in mind

Onkilahti Park is a very popular outdoor recreational area, and the aim is to develop it into as varied and diverse an area as possible. The area already has walking trails, playground and fitness equipment, a dog park, and a beach volleyball court. Vaasa’s first official skate park and an outdoor gym, completed this summer, have also been opened in the park.

– Märt has a great vision of what the future of the café could look like. Fantastic ideas for developing the café and the whole park area are coming in all the time, so it remains to be seen what’s in store, says Green Area Horticulturist Leila Roininen.