The energy crisis forces the Turku-based Kallu grill to close its doors. The company founded by the parents of Supercell millionaire Mikko Kodisoja has been a part of Turku’s street scene for 45 years.
A piece of Turku local history is in danger of disappearing from the streetscape due to the energy crisis. Kallu grilli, which has been operating in Turku for almost half a century, announced last week that it will close its doors, at least for the time being.
Second-generation barbecue entrepreneur Mari Kodisoja says that he is faced with an emergency, when even wool socks don’t help anymore. In November, the kiosk building’s electricity bill increased fivefold, even though Kodisoja tried his best to reduce consumption.
“I got a couple of freezers turned off and the radiators haven’t even been turned on yet.”
“These grills of ours consume electricity like an electric sauna. We have three fryers, but so far we’ve tried to get by with one.”
“Some colleagues have also turned off the refrigerators, but I think the drinks should be cold.”
Kodisoja says that on freezing days, hamburgers are fried with wool socks on and shivering from the cold. In the end, however, the tightening December weather became overwhelming.
“When I went to the grill this morning, I felt so bad that I had to raise the heat a little.”
Kallu grill is one of Turku’s most well-known institutions of traditional nakki kiosk culture. Mari Kodisoja’s parents Kalervo and Hannele Kodisoja founded their company near the port of Turku already in 1977. The story now threatens to end at the same place.
At first, Kalervo Kodisoja sold barbecue food from a kiosk, later the current kiosk building was built. However, the majority of people from Turku remember Kallu’s grill especially from Turku’s market square, where it operated until the market’s renovation. At their best, Kodisojas have run four sales points in different parts of the city.
Read more: The center of Turku has been in complete chaos for the fifth year already, and the end result is unknown
Today, Kalervo and Hannele Kodisoja are also known as multimillionaires Mikko Kodisojan as parents. In 2014, the media feasted on the story of the “grill entrepreneur’s son”, when the sale of Supercell made Mikko Kodisoja the highest earner in Finland.
Mikko’s sister Mari Kodisoja took over the kiosk business founded by her parents to run in 2020.
Home parts says that during the corona the company did surprisingly well. Many ordered hamburgers for takeout. That’s why the collapse that suddenly struck this fall was a surprise. The recession took customers away.
“It seems that people don’t move anymore. Now we eat at home and make snacks for work.”
At the same time, raw material costs have skyrocketed and it is even more difficult to maintain quality.
“It seems that even paper napkins are getting thinner all the time, even though the price is going up.”
Grillikioski has so far employed two employees in addition to Kodisoja. Now he says that he had to lay off one of them and that the other will also run out of work when the grill closes its doors. It has taken a toll. At least as heavy, Kodisoja admits that he felt guilty about the fading of his parents’ professional legacy.
“This is absolutely terrible,” Kodisoja bursts out.
You can hear in his voice that the emotions are on the surface.
“Yesterday, I asked father and mother to give their honest opinion about all of this, but they have been very supportive the whole time.”
After the termination announcement, there has also been a lot of grateful and encouraging feedback from customers.
Kallu’s grill represents the traditional nakki kiosk culture. Kallu’s special and double special are perennial favorites on the menu.
Grill kiosk will likely close its doors on December 22. Mari Kodisoja says that she will probably return to continue working in her company in the graphic industry, which she founded before moving into the food industry.
On the other hand, however, I would like to develop some kind of rescue plan for the grill company as well.
“I’ve been thinking about a pop-up solution. Or I’ve even thought about such a junk car,” he spins.
Kodisoja is also saddened by the fact that in connection with the renovation of the market square, the company gave up its business location in the center of Turku. He admits that the Home Guards woke up too late for the fact that they could have also applied for a place for the barbecue in the new market pavilions.
At least as late as autumn, there were still a couple of vacant business premises on the market. Kodisoja admits that the possibility of getting back to the market would be interesting. Before hitting the gloves on the counter, he plans to find out their suitability for restaurant operations.
Do you want to read more news from the Turku region? Subscribe to the HS Turku newsletter from here.
Mari Kodisoja now has to think about what to do with the old kiosk building, which is expensive to heat. He would also be interested in returning to Turku’s renewed market square.
Read more: Veli-Matti Aaltonen’s iconic artisan institution disappeared from the market square – And it won’t come back
#Turku #absolutely #terrible #energy #crisis #threatens #bring #grill #institution #Turku
