Eeku - the new master at Bistro Heili

Eerik Elavuori aka Eeku works as a Restaurant Manager in Bistro Heili. His aim is to polish Bistro Heili into a gem among the restaurants in Joensuu.

You are coming to Bistro Heili from Alko where you worked as a Service Manager after leaving from restaurant Aittaranta. Is the grass greener on the other side?

The restaurant business offers experiences to customers but as well to the employees. Those experiences you can’t get in other industries. During covid I changed selling alcohol in restaurants to working in retail as the old job I used to do had changed so much during the pandemic. And they say you need to leave in order to come back.

What expectations did you have towards the renovated hotel Kimmel and Bistro Heili?

They were looking for the number one restaurant’s number one man in PKO’s restaurant selection.

I sent in my application and after discussions with the General Manager I gladly got selected. I want to lift Bistro Heili to be the crown jewel of PKO where quality is excellent, and the work is done wholeheartedly. We have an excellent crew here in Kimmel and together we will develop further.

What did the job in Alko taught you?

I gained a lot of product knowledge about wines and other drinks as well as courage to serve new options to customers. In Bistro Heili we are putting in effort to recommend drinks by listening to the wishes of our customers. There is a high demand for local products. Heili has a good selection of North Karelian beers, and we are growing the number of local products in stronger drinks too. I can also promise you more North Karelian ingredients to our menu.

Bistro’s service and food are based on a masterly touch. What kind of manager are you?

I want others to succeed. When the whole team succeeds, I have succeeded. A good team is formed with motivated customer service people who encourage each other and notice when a friend needs a hand. A good and even level of service is the secret to a good restaurant.

Who would you recommend Bistro Heili?

For everyone, from people of Joensuu to our guests in the hotel. Everyone is welcome.

Our restaurant is brand new, but the atmosphere is still warm. As Original Sokos Hotel Kimmel is a versatile event house, our customers vary from festival guests to meeting guests and that brings a nice twist to the function of the restaurant. And also, these customers have very different needs which gives a little bit of a challenge.

How do you spend your free time?

My two dogs keep me busy. If I’m away for too long, I get instant feedback. Maybe one of the dogs have tasted a little bit of a slipper at least. In addition, I love to travel mainly in Finland. I’m from Uusikaupunki so I travel regularly to see my parents. The width of Finland has become very familiar, it is still 580 kilometres. And when it comes to cooking, the shoemaker’s child goes barefoot. That’s why I use a lot of different restaurant services.