The area around Kagoda Park in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture is a popular spot where fashionable shops are opening one after another.

In front of such Kagoda Park is the “Nordic coffee shop Atel”, which opened in April 2022. This is a cafe where you can fully enjoy home-roasted coffee and Swedish sweets.
This time, I interviewed the owner, Ms. Kaede Kondo, about the charm of the cafe and the owner's commitment.

To the cafe where the healing space spreads out in front of Kagoda Park

It is located on the third floor of a building in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, directly in front of the "Kagota Koen-mae" bus stop.

The bus stop is right in front of the building, providing excellent access.

Open three days a week from Saturday to Monday, it is a popular place where people who like coffee and Scandinavian culture gather. As I climbed up the stairs, I found myself in a wonderful healing space.

The cafe is filled with lush foliage plants and cute Scandinavian goods. You can feel the commitment of the owner, Ms. Kondo, who is a gardener and has created the cafe under the influence of his parents who love Swedish culture.

Ms. Kaede Kondo, owner of North European coffee shop Atel

I want many people to enjoy Fika,
a cafe that started with such a wish

– Please tell us about the concept of the store.

Ms. Kondo: “Nordic coffee shop Atel” opened in April 2022 as a siter cafe of “Nordic baked confectionery shop Conditori”, which has been in operation for three years in Iwazu-cho, Okazaki city. Thanks to our customers, one year is about to pass.

Both shops are operated by our company Fika Co., Ltd. The company name "Fika" is a Swedish word meaning "coffee time" or "rest". Fika is a time to relax, face yourself, and communicate with others. For Swedish people, it is an important time that they take many times a day.

Therefore, at Nordic Coffee Shop Atel, we hope to enrich your time with coffee and sweets, two essential items for Fika."

Ms. Kondo: "Another keyword that is important to us is "plants". Following in the footsteps of her parents, who were both gardeners, Fika Co., Ltd. operates under the concept of "connecting plants and daily life to create a rich time and space".

With the wish of "living a rich life in an environment with plants", this shop incorporates many plants even though it is indoors. I want people to heal their daily fatigue and spend more fulfilling time.

That's why I set up a cafe in front of Kagoda Park. I really like it because I can see Kagota Park from here. Also, in Sweden, many people live with plants as part of their interiors. We are also working on space creation by learning from the lives of such Swedish people. ”

Traditional Swedish sweets with special coffee

– Please tell us about the coffee you serve at your shop.

Ms. Kondo: "I serve coffee here using home-roasted coffee beans. I use a roasting machine from Dutch manufacturer Giessen, and I roast the coffee so that you can always enjoy the freshest taste.

In Sweden, it is customary to drink a lot of coffee on a daily basis, but we feel that if it is too strong or too bitter, we cannot drink a lot. At this place, I'm trying to follow the Swedish style and aim for a refreshing and easy-to-drink coffee, mainly shallow roasted. I currently have two to three types of coffee, but now that I have a dedicated coffee staff member on board, we plan to expand our coffee lineup in the future. Our original coffee packaging will be ready soon, and we hope to focus on selling coffee beans in the future as well."

– Please tell us about your restaurant’s signboard menu and recommended menus.

Ms. Kondo: “Of all the sweets, the most popular one is the Canerbulla (cinnamon roll). I put a picture of Canerbulla on the sign outside the cafe, so many people come to the store just to see it.

I always have plain cannelbulla on hand, but in addition I have special seasonal flavors. Currently, I have chocolate-covered cannellbulla on the shelves. Last month I baked one with berries, and before that one with apples. In Sweden, coffee and cinnamon rolls are a standard part of Fika time, so I'm trying to recreate that."

Ms. Kondo: “Semla is also very popular at this time of year. It will be a special snack that you can only have before Easter. It looks like a cream puff, but the taste is completely different. Cardamom-infused bread dough with almond paste and light cream on top. It is a traditional sweet that is often made at home in Sweden.

All the sweets I bake here are made with authentic recipes, so I was praised by the staff from Sweden who recently joined us for the nostalgic taste that is well reproduced. The taste of last year's one has been improved, and the taste is closer to what you can eat in Sweden, so please give it a try. ”

I want to actively incorporate things related to Fika and show a new Atel

– Do you have any future prospects or new things you want to work on?

Ms. Kondo: “I have a lot of things I want to work on, so I’m not sure where to start, but first, I’m thinking of enhancing the store’s products.

We will continue to focus on Fika-related products, so I think the product lineup will be enriched each time you visit here. Please look forward to it. ”

– Please let us know if there is any future event information.

Ms. Kondo: "I continue to plan to hold many more events in the future. I'm also planning a Swedish event most recently, where we will enjoy Swedish meatballs and drinks. It has been almost a year since I opened this cafe, and I have been blessed with many customers. These events allow me to communicate more closely with these customers, so I will continue to focus on these events and cherish our connections with people."

The owner, Ms. Kondo, told us with a smile about her future plans, saying that she is considering opening a new cafe in the future. I felt that it is precisely because she puts the cafe first in her daily work that she is able to create such a wonderful space where everyone can feel at home.

I want to drink discerning coffee! I want to enjoy delicious sweets! I want to relax! If you are like that, please visit "Nordic Coffee Shop Atel", which is full of specialties. Also, please check the cafe's Instagram for the latest information such as events.