Behnam’s new café

Nostalgic retro with a theme of gold paint.

Entering Palladium is like embarking on a time travel. Furniture and décor for the newly opened café has been picked with utmost care in order to match the retro feel of the establishment.

– There were several trips to flea markets in order to find the right items. The entire décor is very thought out, explains site and operations manager Behnam Edgren Ahmadi.

And a lot of gold paint?

– Yes, one can say that the golden thread is a common denominator. The posters have golden frames, golden base moulding and even the light switches are in gold.

Behnam was educated at Kafe De Luxe and in sorts imbued with the essence of the organisation after working there for years. Its also been a major source inspiration.

– Kafe De Luxe has been like a second home and its very dear to me. I love the restaurant and café life. I enjoy environments where you meet people of all kinds and different cultures.

Apart from working within the restaurant and café world the thoughts of having a place of his own to operate have always been there. One day his friend Hampus Persson got in touch, and over a coffee asked Behnam if he was interested to run a café at Palladium, where Hampus works as business developer.

– I answered yes immediately.

Palladium was inaugurated in 1925 and has functioned as a cinema and theatre in various forms ever since. Today the organisation is run by Folkets Bio and among the various activities, in addition to the voluminous cinema program there are stand up shows, concerts and art exhibitions. The café is yet another piece to the puzzle.

– The fact that Palladium lives on is amazing. I work closely with both Hampus Persson and Elisabeth Cederholm from Folkets Bio to further develop the business and this prestigious establishment. We share the same vision.

Café Palladium opened in November and has distinguished itself as a venue with an inviting retro feel.

– There are a lot of cafes in Växjö, however we dont feel like we are competing with any of them. Palladium is a unique building in Växjö and with our retro style we appeal to an older crowd, whom are loving the nostalgic feel. Oh, how cosy, Is a common compliment from our guests.

The café offers pastries, sandwiches and soups during the day, and is often open during the evening events that take place at Palladium, for example during screenings.

Behnam tells us that the uniqueness of the building itself is the cafes trump card, but also a challenge.

– The kitchen area is very limited, there is no space. Although it works, you must be flexible.

The business at Palladium is steadily growing and Behnams outlook on the future is bright.

– Its fun to be part of Palladium. Here I get an outlet for my ideas.