Marimekko Corporation, Press release 9 June 2011, 9.00 AM
STRINDBERG AND MARIMEKKO OPEN A DESIGN CAFE THAT RADIATES FINNISHNESS
After Midsummer, an entirely new kind of design café will open in connection with the Strindberg restaurant complex and the Marimekko flagship store on Pohjoisesplanadi in Helsinki. Marikahvila – which stands for Mari café – will be a warm, inviting place to meet and enjoy delicacies, in which Finnish café culture is combined with Marimekko’s unique design.
Marikahvila, a collaboration between Strindberg and Marimekko, invites one to enjoy Finnish delicacies in a surrounding of Marimekko’s cherished classics and fascinating new design. The furnishings in the interior draw on Finnish design and its classics in the spirit of the 1950s and ’60s.
“The adjacent premises in the Kämp Galleria shopping centre gave rise to the idea of a new breed of café concepts. In the Marimekko shop the products are beautifully displayed and in the café you can also admire them in their actual applications, like table settings, cushions and workwear,” says Business Group Director Pia Kämppi from Royal Restaurants Ltd.
A genuine and honest Finnish identity is a resource which can be drawn on freely. “Plain coffee bread, cinnamon buns, berry pies and rye bread are fine examples of Finnish favourites over the decades. They are homey and warm-hearted products that we intend to bring to Marikahvila, albeit adapted to the times and with the emphasis on stylishness,” Kämppi adds.
“As Armi Ratia once said – Marimekko could have been expressed in the form of any art. It all springs from the Marimekko philosophy of a happy everyday life, and this can be manifested in many different ways, sometimes even unexpected ones. We also believe in an enriching interaction between different fields of culture, and our partnership with Strindberg in making Marikahvila a reality – a combination of creative design and food culture – is an excellent example. Marikahvila will provide a Finnish-style, honest, genuine and forthright experience, which we believe will appeal broadly to Finns and foreign customers alike. I also hope that Marikahvila will become the most appealing meeting place in 2012, when Helsinki will be the World Design Capital. Marikahvila will be a destination to view Finnish design in an enjoyable and uncomplicated way,” comments Marimekko’s President and CEO Mika Ihamuotila.
Strindberg will open Marikahvila at the end of June in the Kämp Galleria shopping centre, address: Pohjoisesplanadi 33, 00100 Helsinki.
MARIMEKKO CORPORATION
Marketing Communications
Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko
Head of PR
Tel. +358 9 7587 328
Mobile: +358 50 3019 379
tiina.alahuhta-kasko@marimekko.fi
Further information:
ROYAL RESTAURANTS LTD.:
Business Group Director (Casual) Pia Kämppi, tel. +358 50 566 4280, pia.kamppi@royalravintolat.com
Managing Director Kasperi Saari, tel. +358 50 567 7557
MARIMEKKO CORPORATION:
Sales Director Päivi Lonka, tel. +358 9 758 7430, paivi.lonka@marimekko.fi
President and CEO Mika Ihamuotila, tel. +358 9 758 71
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Royal Ravintolat is the largest privately owned corporate entity in its field, which includes the parent company Royal Restaurants Ltd. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Oy Union Hotels Ab. Facilities include Hotel Haven and Hotel Fabian plus a total of 27 restaurants in 21 different locations. Together these employ more than 500 people in Helsinki. The net sales target for 2011 is approximately 67 million euros. www.royalravintolat.com
Marimekko is a Finnish textile and clothing design house renowned for its original prints and colors. The company designs and manufactures high-quality interior decoration items ranging from furnishing fabrics to tableware as well as clothing, bags and other accessories. When Marimekko was founded in 1951, its unparalleled printed fabrics gave it a strong and unique identity. Marimekko products are sold in approximately 40 countries. In 2010, Marimekko's net sales amounted to EUR 73.3 million; the number of Marimekko stores totalled 84 at the year end. The key markets in 2011 are North America, Northern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The Group employs around 390 people. The company's shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. www.marimekko.com