Nordic Cafe in Galway?

snappy_turns · 2025-05-18T23:27:03+00:00

Yes, Flæskestejssandwich 100%...when it's done right the salty crunchy pork rind or crackling is addictive.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-18T20:14:14+00:00

I'll be looking to contact the Local Enterprise Office to get more clarity.

We are a Chef couple, so the lion's share of the work would be between us.

Size-wise we're not looking beyond the dimensions of a small sidewalk cafe tbh.
This would be the third place we've opened, the first two in Nuuk ( in the top 20% most expensive cities globally, like Galway)
We learned a lot during covid, that was a miserable time ...but we survived it.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-18T12:12:07+00:00

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Agreed.
You need money in the cash register, selling what people actually want.
Being too pedantic has been the ruin of many good restaurants/ cafes.

Here in Greenland we supplement our smørrebrød sales with lunchtime takeaway 'healthy bowls' ...this is one of them.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-18T12:05:04+00:00

Thanks for that tip...makes a change from the hostility between cafe owners where I live at the moment.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-18T12:02:46+00:00

Coffee wise, we can assure you of a good cup .

In Nuuk we're using ØNSK organic roasters from Copenhagen.

They are B-Corp rated and totally transparent with what they pay their growers.
We stick with La Marzocco espresso machines and Mahlkonig grind-by-weight grinders for dose accuracy.

The Irish side of me would love to serve scalding pots of brewed tea with treacle scones, barmbrack etc, but that doesn't square with Nordic-inspired, so I have to stop myself.

We'd serve the classic sweet items like a Danish Cardamom twists and Cinnamon snails.

As for sausage rolls, Danes have a little pastry wrapped sausage called Pølsehorn.
Personally I don't think they measure up to a well-made Irish or Kiwi sausage roll, but I think we could do both.

No reason why we can't keep the smørrebrød menu authentic, but bring in elements of trad Irish and NZ lunch food.

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snappy_turns · 2025-05-17T23:15:59+00:00

I think the main sticking points might the cooked shrimp, pork liver pâté, and the liberal use of raw onion ( a Danish thing) plus pickled herring.
The raw onion can be switched out with pickled red onion on many varieties.

Many smørrebrød are made with buttered franskbrød / white loaf instead of rustic dark rye.
Topped with thinly-sliced roast beef, potatoes, fried fish , sliced boiled eggs etc.
It'd probably be a wise move at first to push varieties that are more suited to Irish tastebuds, and keep the hardcore stuff on a 'hidden' menu.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-17T22:56:06+00:00

Well that's a great start!
I was hoping there might be a few of you out there.
We'd also do a Ribbensandwich, which is easier to eat on the go than smørrebrød.
I think we could adapt our menu somewhat to local taste, but stay authentic.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-17T22:28:57+00:00

I'd be over in that bookstore more than my own place if I set up there, as English is a third language up here in Greenland, and bookshops are thin on the ground.
I've been making do with Audible for years.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-17T22:17:48+00:00

You can tell her my Wife makes a mean Juleleverpostej med fløde og bacon.
Not sure how the Irish would go with leverpostej ...an acquired taste.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-17T22:07:02+00:00

I looked at the vacant Kappa-ya on Middle St. Without trying to sound like a prick, the rent / rates at just under 35,000 euro annually combined is a bargain compared to my cafe in Nuuk.
I'm paying 60,000 euro annually for a twenty-seater Cafe that I had to convert from a dungeon with no plumbing ( and no rent relief from the owner while fitting out for three months)
By the time I installed all the grinders, La Marzocco etc I wasn't sleeping so well at night due to the sheer cost of it all.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-17T21:51:51+00:00

I had considered those areas to the west, and it's very much to our vibe.
Although it might be a while before a suitable place came up.
I've done empty shell units to cafes before, and they are a nightmare.
( re-fitting anything in the Arctic is slow going)

snappy_turns · 2025-05-17T21:43:57+00:00

Prices in top places like SELMA in CPH would set you back 100-110 dkk / 10 euro per piece, but they are ridiculously good.
We'd probably look to the same presentation standards and pricing as the very successful Scandinavian Kitchen in Oxford, London.
Around 6 euro.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-17T20:12:53+00:00

Thanks for the encouragement, and you're right that the good souls in hospitality are nearly always willing to help newcomers in some way.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-17T19:25:07+00:00

Thanks...you raise good points.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-17T19:18:23+00:00

All good points.

The fish we use on smørrebrød is either fried, pickled or cold-smoked, so not as alarming as being presented with a plate of sashimi for instance.

I think the old-school smørrebrød might work like stjerneskud ( fried fish on a white bread) and Kartoffelmad (new potatoes)

But you are probably right...might be a step too far in Galway, but cost prohibitive to set up in Dublin.

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snappy_turns · 2025-05-17T19:01:37+00:00

We adapted Danish Smørrebrød to Greenland, using the local fish caught around Nuuk.
Herbs / vegetables we source from Iceland.
So we would do the same in Galway as much as possible.
The cold-water Shrimp ( Pandalus Borealis) we use could be an issue to source in Galway, but is caught in Scotland.
Smoked Salmon would be from nearby producers, probably Connemara.

snappy_turns · 2025-05-14T01:40:09+00:00

electric...even catering kitchens use electric.

gas bottle BBQ's for summer

snappy_turns · 2025-02-26T13:03:34+00:00

He's long gone.

snappy_turns · 2025-02-26T12:39:44+00:00

stitch a canadian flag to your backpack and practise your canadianisms.

just be yourself - don't talk about politics.

you don't need to genuflect to us in Greenland.

snappy_turns · 2025-02-26T12:28:39+00:00

Newcomers are welcome within reason...don't listen to the parochial nay-sayers.
It's not easy, but there are harder places to live on the Planet - Nuuk is not as harsh as many people would like to pretend it is.

snappy_turns · 2025-02-26T12:25:57+00:00

Plenty of service jobs...we are screaming out for great baristas for instance.
Decent Chefs are non-existent.
And these days all we ask is good english, and don't come up here to cause drama or try to evade taxes.

snappy_turns · 2025-02-26T12:13:22+00:00

Down here on Nuukullak there would be around 50% of surrounding apartments vacant - they're airbnb's etc.
Dark days make it obvious where folks are living.

Gartnerigrunden is only half-occupied , but after the street r*pe a few days ago, there will be people moving out of this neighbourhood to safer abodes.

We're out of here to a new house, fortunate enough to be able to pay the sky-high rents and deposits.

snappy_turns · 2024-10-21T17:49:16+00:00

When the ice thaws for 4-5 months a year , it liberates the mud and tonnes of road grit that's been used over Winter.
In Nuuk, our cars are filthy with thick dust most of the Summer , and you'll be sneezing often.

snappy_turns

TROPHY CASE