Restaurant LaBocca Expands to Telliskivi
Text Timo Raussi Photos LaBocca and Stewart Johnson
The Italian restaurant LaBocca, which has operated for just under a year in the gold-coloured Golden Gate building between the Port of Tallinn and the Rotermann Quarter, is opening a second location. Restaurateur Gert Kerde, who even envisions expanding LaBocca into a chain, has leased premises in the Telliskivi TLN business park, in the I4 building on Reisijate Street near the Balti Jaam Market. The area between the core Telliskivi Creative City and the railway station has undergone significant transformation in recent years, a development that is continuing, as we reported in February.
According to Kerde, interviewed by Postimees, Telliskivi has become a place where people come to spend time and eat. This is indeed the case, as since F-Hoone opened its doors as the first venue in the area 15 years ago, restaurants have been added annually to what is now almost considered a district in its own right: Kivi Paber Käärid, Lendav Taldrik, Fotografiska, Frenchy, and more recent names such as Gläm, KoHo, Literaat, Moon, Nihe, Von Krahl, as well as a wide range of dining spots around the Peatus railway carriage restaurant.
Gert Kerde believes LaBocca’s success will be replicated in Telliskivi. He sees the strengths of the restaurant’s family-oriented, togetherness-focused concept in its simplicity and speed. “At Golden Gate, our pizzas, pastas and salads have taken only three to five minutes to prepare, and our daily production capacity exceeds one thousand pizzas. At the same time, we have kept our pricing affordable for customers.” During the daytime, LaBocca offers lunch dishes based on its regular menu but at lower prices.
Kerde states that nearly one million euros will be invested in the new restaurant, which will have a dining area of approximately 450 square metres, as well as an open kitchen with its equipment. During the summer season, the restaurant will be complemented by a 100-square metre sun terrace built in the promenade-like space between the office buildings, known as Telliskivi Park. The restaurant, which will employ nearly 50 people, is expected to open by mid-summer.
“Today, the Golden Gate LaBocca restaurant serves an average of 700 people per day, and our projected sales for the first 12 months are €3.2 million. The strong community reception and positive customer feedback have given us the confidence to further develop and expand the concept,” Kerde says.
Read our journalist’s experience dining at La Bocca here.
To learn more about this and similar topicsItalian Food La Bocca Pizza Rotermann Tallinn Telliskivi
