Setting up her own cafe started from Susanna Lindroth’s passion for baking. An old horse stable in Ala-Särkilahti was chosen as the location.
– The idea was to take advantage of people’s curiosity about differences. We started as a traveling cart cafe in Savonlinna, and more photos of us were taken when we bought anything, says Qvintus.
The idea of owning a cafe came from Lindroth’s passion for baking. At the Restaurant Days in the capital region, the idea of a hobbit cafe was tested with a short friend, but he grew hungry while eating.
A couple of years ago, the couple bought a small farm from Stora Enso, located about 70 kilometers from Savonlinna towards Imatra. The hobbit cafe was founded in a former workhorse stable.
– Whenever possible, we eat! This is Finland’s big hobbit village, Qvintus laughs.
Coincidence is not left to the short stature of the owners alone.
The employees have costumes that match the theme, designed by Lindroth’s mother, who has had a long career in the theater’s costume factory. The interior of the cafe is also colorful and a bit crazy.
The role names are also part of the job: Qvintus’ working name is Tauriel, and Lindroth can be called Sauron in the cafe.
– People like being different and that’s what makes them different, the entrepreneurial couple states.
In addition to the entrepreneurs, the hobbit café has had a couple of employees, one of whom is short and the other \”tall\ as Lindroth and Qvintus say. kuten Lindroth ja Qvintus sanovat. It would be good to have help for the busy cafe next summer as well, and being short is not a requirement.
– Even a particularly tall person could become our owner here, Qvintus thinks.
\”We don’t feel that we demean short people\”
The couple suffers from a very rare growth disorder syndrome that causes short stature, Mulibrey nanism. The disease is of Finnish origin, a very rare disease that affects about 100 Finns. There are only a few cases in the rest of the world.
The couple says that some of the shorter people consider the hobbit cafe a degrading activity, but they don’t see it that way. In their opinion, the cafe located in Lower Särkilahti has only used their own uniqueness in a happy and attractive way.
– We don’t feel that we are demeaning short people or ourselves. Life doesn’t have to be so serious, says Lindroth.
_Corrected 23.8.2022 at 14:45: Changed the incorrect place name Ala-Särkijärvi to the correct form Ala-Särkilahti._
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