Company of the Month: Café Kûnguak

Café Kûnguak came about by chance. The original dream was to open a coffee roastery, but when the local business development manager pointed Martin toward a vacant premises, it quickly became clear that the location was ideal for something bigger. Today, Café Kûnguak stands as one of Greenland’s most ambitious players in the fields of cafés, dining, and experiences. What started with a single espresso machine and one soft-serve ice cream machine has since grown into four locations, a shuttle bus service in Qaqortoq, sightseeing tours for tourists, tasting experiences for cruise passengers, a hostel in Sisimiut, and concrete plans for a hotel in Qaqortoq.

What makes Café Kûnguak unique is its uncompromising ambition to offer the same quality and technological capabilities in Greenland as anywhere else in the world. The café is a leader in self-service solutions through iPads and its own mobile app, and with nearly 4,000 app downloads, the digital platform has become a significant part of the customer experience. It is an approach that is redefining expectations of what a Greenlandic café can be.

The menu features the dishes Café Kûnguak is particularly known for: smash burgers served on butter-toasted buns and made with a consistent focus on Greenlandic ingredients. Reindeer and musk ox are featured in several burgers, and cruise guests visiting Qaqortoq are offered a Greenlandic tasting experience that introduces them to the local cuisine. Ingredients are sourced extensively and directly from local hunters and fishermen, ensuring freshness, authenticity, and a direct connection to the people who provide the food.

The company’s local roots run deep. Martin is Greenlandic himself and has built a business that is closely integrated into the local community. Café Kûnguak collaborates with a wide range of local suppliers and tradespeople, hires as many local employees as possible, and works closely with other local tourism operators to create shared experiences. It is the kind of local commitment where the growth of the business and the development of the town are closely intertwined.

The hospitality industry in Greenland also comes with its challenges. Maintaining equipment, dealing with long lead times for supplies, and addressing staff shortages are recurring realities that require careful planning, patience, and flexibility in day-to-day operations. These are precisely the conditions that Café Kûnguak has learned to navigate, and they have helped shape the operational strength on which the company stands today.

The ambitions are far-reaching. Café Kûnguak aims to grow into a major hospitality company spanning dining, accommodation, and experiences. With the upcoming airport expansions expected to drive significant growth in tourism, Café Kûnguak sees it as essential that local businesses play a leading role in shaping the development that follows. The goal is not only to expand its own operations, but also to ensure that future growth remains rooted in the local community.

Martin’s advice to others dreaming of starting a business in Greenland is practical and honest: hire a skilled bookkeeper from the very beginning. Be prepared to go through fire and water if the idea is good, because success requires blood, sweat, tears, and tremendous perseverance. Do not be afraid to share your idea with others who have experience running successful businesses, and start small without risking everything. It is advice from a company that has grown from a single location and a single idea into one of the most exciting hospitality success stories in Greenland today.