Kahvitupa Laurentius: With a taste for Italian delicacies

Kahvitupa Laurentius offers authentic Italian delicacies, including irresistible pizza, focaccia and award-winning homemade gelato. The family-run business is located in Vantaa, close to Helsinki Airport, so you can drop by on the way to or from your next flight.

For years, Ilona Jantunen and her husband Neal Saponi nurtured a dream of having their own business. When they eventually heard that the owner of Laurentius wanted to sell, they knew it was the right opportunity. In April 2019, Kahvitupa Laurentius opened its doors in the old Hannusas building in Vantaa, not far from Helsinki.

The previous venue was a traditional Finnish café, but the couple intended to transform it into a cosy Italian cafeteria. “It wasn’t easy in the beginning, we had to convince a lot of people about our business plan and ideas, but we did it!” says Ilona.

Upon opening, Laurentius offered lunch, coffee, cakes, focaccias, and Italian gelato. “At first, we bought gelato from a supplier but decided to make it ourselves. So we went to Italy, did a course in ice cream making, and bought the right equipment.”

When the pandemic hit, the couple continued to offer takeaways, including brunch, lunch, cakes and gelato, and had many clients returning every day. In the summer of 2020, they also opened Pizzeria Laurentius, a food truck in the garden with a wood-fired pizza oven.

Passion, pizza and award-winning gelato

The delicious gelato is made daily so it’s always fresh and silky smooth, and has already won awards at the Ice Cream and Chocolate Carnival in Helsinki. “We only use high-quality ingredients and make our gelato with heaps of passion,” smiles Ilona. “In summer, we always sell out. The Finnish people really love their ice cream!”

Every year, Laurentius offers new flavours of gelato and in summertime makes a lot of tasty fruit sorbets, which are refreshing in the hot weather. “This summer, we’re planning to make gelato with rhubarb and raspberry, as we know that Finns love these flavours. Let’s hope it will be a beautiful summer!”

You can only buy the popular gelato at Laurentius, although it will also be available at a few concerts and events this summer.

Web: www.kahvitupalaurentius.fi
Instagram: @kahvitupalaurentius