They felt there was a need for a wine bar in Skellefteå.
Father and son, Mikael and Oliver Lundmark, are known among many Skellefteå residents as the owners of the restaurant La Cena on Kanalgatan in Skellefteå. Robert, who has run both Paolo's and Mandel, got to know Mikael and Robert shortly before he started working as restaurant manager at La Cena.
Robert says that the trio had the idea of opening a restaurant together pretty much as soon as they met.
– We have tried to get something going for two or three years. But it took a while to find premises, says Robert.
– We were not in a hurry. We had to wait until we found a venue and a concept that we thought was great, adds Mikael.
Robert says that the trio had the idea of opening a restaurant as soon as they met.
The restaurant serves food but ,as the name suggests, the focus is on wine from around the world, says Robert. Mikael agrees.
– It felt like this was a need that was not being met, says Mikael.
The food will consist of dishes from different countries.
– It will be a full menu. There are a lot of small dishes and various main dishes. We want it to be pared down but well prepared, says Oliver Lundmark and continues:
– We don't have any common thread on the flavors but look for inspiration from all over the world.
It has been a tough period for the restaurant industry in recent years. Does that bother you?
– You get anxious, says Oliver with a laugh.
– There's a lot going on in Skellefteå. What we hear from our suppliers is that restaurants in Skellefteå have fared relatively well compared to the rest of Sweden and that is because many people are moving here, says Mikael Lundmark and continues:
–Worrying solves nothing.
The plan is that Mikael and Oliver will help Robert run the restaurant at first, but that he will then become more and more independent. La Cena will be handled to a greater extent by Mikael and Oliver.
La Cena was started two weeks before corona broke out. Mikael and Robert say that it has been easier to get hold of staff before the opening of Kork than it was during the pandemic.
– Now it feels quite okay, touch wood. It hasn't been a huge problem to find people, says Mikael.
Kork is located in the center of Skellefteå.
The wine will come from all over the world.