With Bjørn "Bønna" Helberg at the helm, Tromsø has established itself as a coffee capital in the north. A lot has happened since he opened the doors of his first coffee shop 16 years ago.
18 years at Stortorget
- It was really quite a coincidence. In the mid-1990s, the coffee scene in Oslo began to stir, and suddenly coffee shops were popping up all over the city. Christian and I saw the opportunity to do the same here in Tromsø. What's more, it was cheaper to start with coffee than to start with beer and outdoor seating. So in 1998, we opened Kaffebønna on Stortorget in Tromsø, in the same premises where we are located today.
Since then, Kaffebønna on Stortorget has been joined by several other coffee beans, and the stylish coffee shops now make their mark on Tromsø's cityscape. A gathering place for the city's coffee thirsty, and a warming comfort for tourists with a thirst for Northern Lights. In the small city centre, Kaffebønna is currently represented by four coffee shops, while the last one is located in the large Jekta centre outside the city. What they all have in common is shelves filled with coffee from the country's leading roasters.
- When we started out, it was natural to contact the same suppliers that supplied the coffee shops in Oslo. In this way, companies like Solberg & Hansen have helped to shape the city's coffee culture. Sixteen years later, we still have coffee from the Oslo roasters on our shelves, with Tim Wendelboe, Kaffa and Solberg & Hansen represented.
- People demand quality
One person who started his coffee career working at Kaffebønna was Arne Risø. He later worked for several years as a barista at the restaurant De 4 roser, but last summer he decided to follow his dream of doing something of his own. In less than a year, Arne and his brothers have set up a frequently visited food and coffee bar, just a stone's throw away from Kaffebønna at Strandtorget. He tells of curious and enthusiastic customers.
- My ambition was to create a coffee and food place with a consistent focus on quality. With the final touch. I thought it would be more difficult, but it has turned out to exceed all expectations. People demand quality, good ingredients and are open to new flavours. We have old ladies who come back to try new hand brews: "I'll take one of those pots of coffee, try one from Kenya today". That's probably why it works so well - people want quality, but also find it exciting to try something new.
Solberg & Hansen's man in Tromsø, Alexander Scheen Jensen, agrees.
- Tromsø people are usually very open and sociable - they think "everything is cool", and you can see that even when they are introduced to something new, such as hand brewing.
Perhaps that's why a focus on quality and ingredients has become a natural part of the coffee culture in Tromsø. A city where coffee bags from Solberg & Hansens share a shelf with local produce at shops such as Helmersens delikatesser, and where a coffee shop chain such as Kaffebønna is constantly opening new premises. One thing's for sure: the next time you're in Tromsø, the question isn't whether you'll be able to get good coffee, but rather how many coffee places you'll be able to visit on your trip.
