A place for inspiration
There were almost no speciality coffee shops in Stavanger when Ole returned from Trondheim, where he’d been studying to become an architect. He originally came back to spend more time climbing and work on a villa project, but had to withdraw from the project after a bouldering accident. Ole has another passion in life, coffee, and thought it would be ideal to find a way to combine these components.He decided to introduce a coffee shop with its very own roastery to his home town, but he also needed room for an architecture studio. Ole found the perfect house, and as an architect he was able to design Kokko exactly the way he wanted. One of the quirky details is a window in the ceiling in the coffee shop, which allows you to see the bright orange roaster upstairs, matching the equally bright orange coffee machine in the coffee shop.
Curious about the origin of the name, Kokko, we asked Ole to tell us the story behind it. Kokko, in Norwegian, is the sound the cuckoo makes, and is also a way to describe something kooky. “I do get a few questions about the name”, Ole laughs. He explains that the idea origins from his university days, as one of his professors often greeted the students with a cheerful “ko-ko” (cuckoo) as he entered the room. It was also the name of the first architects’ office he started with two student friends, and they were happy for him to use it for his new business adventure. It’s this kind of informality and playfulness he wants Kokko to represent, which is why he found the name suitable. Simple as that.
Kokko frequently host events such as coffee tastings and talks about architecture, design, coffee and mountain expeditions. “We want to focus even more on events in the future”, Ole says. He would like the place to be the ultimate meeting place where inspiration and possibilities can grow.
One evidence of how well the concept Kokko works, is how neatly the entire building functions as a showroom for both the web shop and Atelier Kokko, without feeling like a showroom. The architect studio designs everything from houses and rooms to floors, windows, interior and furniture. They also offer photographing services and SoMe solutions for businesses at Kokko – it’s like a one-stop shop for all your architecture and design needs.
Coffee roasting is an art
Their coffee is so renowned on the Stavanger coffee scene that Kokko has started supplying various cafes and restaurants in town – including the popular Michelin-restaurant Re-Naa.
“The coffee bean suppliers are carefully selected”, Ole explains, and only those who can guarantee ethical production, satisfactorily working conditions and of course premium quality are welcome to supply Kokko with beans. The beans are provided from a great variety of places, and Kokko’s aim is to deliver perfect beans so the customers can distinguish the Ethiopian beans from the Columbian beans. “The beans should always be traceable”, he tells us, and underlines that it’s crucial to treat the beans right to achieve that – coffee roasting is an art. Kokko wants specialty coffee to be accessible for everyone –quality is certainly not reserved for the self-declared coffee connoisseurs.
Bring the chair home
Are you admiring the chair you’re currently sitting on drinking your coffee, thinking it would look rather nice next to the bookshelf in your living room? You’re in luck, the furniture in Kokko is for sale. In fact, quite a few objects in the coffee shop are. It’s a showroom for their webshop, called Kokkostore, and the items for sale are all carefully selected, just like their coffee beans. Ole explains that the products must be “durable and of excellent quality, eco-friendly and sustainable, ethically produced and of course aesthetically pleasing”.
In addition to furniture, Kokko can tempt you with a great selection of books, stylish home interior, espresso machines of superb standard, coffee and tea equipment (including outdoor equipment for those who won’t compromise on the great coffee experience when they’re out exploring the majestic fjords of Norway), and of course the coffee and tea itself. Ole is quite the outdoor enthusiast, and since Stavanger can offer some truly astonishing scenery, it’s only natural that Kokko is used to promote the great outdoors.
In fact, Ole and his team have recently opened a new Kokko-branch, where they’re being extra adventurous when it comes to playing with elements from nature. This branch is located in AIR by Bolder, a brand new activity centre in Stavanger which covers no less than 3000 square metres. “I’m very excited about this project”, Ole says, and at AIR by Bolder they’re equally enthusiastic about the collaboration. They describe Kokko’s coffee as the best in town, and the cakes and sandwiches as extraordinary. Kokko has only been around for a few years, but is already a well-established and central part of the food and drink scene in Stavanger.
