A family business with a big heart

Our story begins in 1990, when Anu Pentik, a ceramic artist from Posio, set up a café-restaurant in her home town of Kuusankoski, along the Kymijoki River, with the support of the town of Kuusankoski. Our first name is Kurjenmiekka, after the regional flower of Kymenlaakso. The history is still evoked by the curcuma sculpture in the front yard and the architecture of the building, which is shaped after the same plant.

There will be a competition between two restaurants, after which we will continue our journey as Pentik Pavilion. Anu Pentik's hand is still very much in evidence in the interior and design of our house. In 1991, Finland's only paper art gallery (1991-2009) was opened in our premises as a tribute to the flourishing paper industry in Kuusankoski. Today, art and culture are strongly visible in our building in the form of the Pentik Gallery, artworks in the yard and the Verso Gallery by young artists.

In 1996, our paths crossed with the current entrepreneurial family, the Leskinen family, and the name of the house became Kymen Paviljonki. Matti Leskinen buys the property and the café-restaurant, and the Pentik shop continues under the same roof as a tenant. Matti will continue as an entrepreneur until 2020, after which it will be time to hand over to the next generation, his son Lauri Leskinen. 

Sometimes you can still see Mati visiting behind the counter, and he's not the only one who's stayed in our house for a long time. We are proud that many of our employees have a long-term commitment to the house: a large number of our employees have more than 10 and even 20 years of service with us.

Our journey finally brings us to the present day, when the Kymen Pavilion serves as a versatile resting place, excursion destination and meeting and banqueting facility. Our aim is to stand out from other roadside venues and party services with our welcoming environment, homemade products and flexible customer service. 

We offer a wide range of services, culture and art, as well as products from local producers. In the summer, you will find an herb garden, works of art and farm animals in our courtyard, as well as the idyllic scenery of the Kymijoki River. In addition to our varied lunch and takeaway dishes, our kitchen also prepares the savoury and sweet dishes of the café itself. In keeping with tradition, the house's delicious ear cheeses and doughnuts are baked fresh every morning to serve.

So we welcome you to stop, breathe, relax, enjoy, meet and celebrate along the Kymijoki River at the Kymen Pavilion. Come and leave your mark on the history of the Kymijoki River!