Pancake cafe in Savonlinna draws crowds with record-breaking sales and social media buzz
The scent of freshly made pancakes wafts from the pink lace villa, with a line extending outside the building. In Savonlinna, located in South Savo, there are plenty of summer cafes and restaurants, but Kalliolinna Pancake Cafe sees daily queues throughout July. Established in 2012, this summer café has become a renowned travel destination in the city. Despite its remote location on an island, patrons travel from across Finland to taste its pancakes.
The café’s popularity has soared over the years, breaking sales records each summer, with its highest sales recorded just last Wednesday. The cafe’s owners, Vesa Filppula and Elina Lammassaari, have relied largely on word-of-mouth, not spending much on marketing. “Customers tell other customers, and locals bring their summer guests here,” Filppula explains. The role of social media has increased significantly, aiding visibility and popularity.
Social media influencers have recently visited. While Filppula invites influencers for pancakes when they are in Savonlinna, many have shown up on their own after hearing about the café. One such visitor was journalist and media personality Laura Friman, who, upon asking her Instagram followers for recommendations, chose Kalliolinna, sharing her positive experience with her 21,000 followers without receiving any discounts.
Located in a late 19th-century villa, Kalliolinna has hosted various café operators over the years, but it has been a pancake café since 2012, started by local teacher students seeking summer employment. Both Filppula and Lammassaari began working there as students and, after graduating, chose to continue managing the café. “Kalliolinna is probably the main reason we’ve stayed in Savonlinna,” they shared.