Viduklė dumpling host still dreams of opening, but believes that as soon as possible, customers

The closed windows of the wooden pub “Viduklės Meatballs” do not allow you to forget: the quarantine is not over. A few years ago, visitors were invited here in March, and maybe this year it would be just that the pandemic shuffled all the cards.

“We would have already thought about the start of the season. Here, two years ago, when we lived in freedom and the quarantine did not stop us, we opened at the end of March. Last year we were already limited when we allowed, then we managed to open, we opened the Day We are looking forward to this year, ”smiles KMGrabinskienė, the inn’s host.

The thought arose during the dumpling festival.

Young businesswoman Viduklė opened the cafe in June 2013:

“It just came to our attention then. That work of ours is seasonal. We had already started to think a few years ago that we could work all year round, but it happened, as it happened, we still can’t do it. The pandemic adjusted. We thought last year to open at the beginning of March and not closing, working constantly. But it was as it was, now it is difficult to predict anything. “

The idea to start preparing and treating guests with dumplings for Karolina Maria was born during the first dumpling festival held in Viduklė in 2012; Then they wanted to remember once again the tradition that goes back to the Soviet era, when dumplings were made in the later canteen.

After the restoration of Independence, the dining room was closed and privatized, so there was nowhere in town where you could buy meatballs.

At that time, he had opened a grocery store. People keep coming back and asking where that ball of dough is. Well, no.

“The body of elders organized a celebration with the entire Raseiniai district, the people went. At that time, he had opened a grocery store. People keep coming back and asking where that ball of dough is. Well, no. There were many travelers and they were asking where to stop for them here, and there is nowhere to stop. Then I thought: it has to be like this!

Over the years, we developed that idea and opened it up. It wasn’t easy at first. Because as I say, the town is small, there is no custom of going out to eat elsewhere, everyone cooks at home, for themselves. The city is a city, he even goes out for breakfast elsewhere. And here it is not. We live only on those travelers. That’s why we only work during the season, “said KMGrabinskienė.

Time had to pass before news of the open dumpling began to spread.

“But word of mouth, and that’s it,” he says.

Dishes are sometimes washed to this day

Karolina Marija started her businesses while studying in her second year; studies in economics and accounting did not stop her.

As she herself says, her entire family is entrepreneurs, which is why she also got a “great base”: “At the beginning I worked for my brother in the company, I saved the initial capital to be able to start my own. This is how it developed afterwards. I no longer have a grocery store, it has been in operation for several years, there is more competition, there are bigger chains that are easier. “

Now the businesswoman remembers with a smile her thoughts when opening the dumpling: she seemed to be able to do everything herself.

“When we started, we found a woman who had also worked in the old Soviet canteen to pass the recipe to us, to teach us how to make it. There wasn’t much demand in the first year, but there were two chefs working, mostly the dumpling hostess, as we called her. And I worked at the bar most of the time.

Somehow I thought it was so utopian that I would bring one here and not have to hire staff. Both from an economic point of view, and you want to participate in it 100%. But then I saw that physically it is impossible. And the number of people increased, that circle of employees expanded. We work 7-8 during the season. Our cafe is small, ”said KMGrabinskienė.

Now he is no longer at the bar every day, but, as he says, you have to wash the dishes and serve the customers.

When we started, we found the woman who had also worked in the old Soviet canteen to pass the recipe to us, to teach us how to cook.

During the first quarantine: an outdoor terrace

The hostess of the inn does not hide the first quarantine after using it very richly: she installed an outdoor terrace, which proved its worth in the first days after opening in May last year.

At that time, it was only possible to receive customers outside, so that everyone could meet on the terrace.

The entire 2020 season was a success – people have been floating since the first days of opening, when only the outdoor terrace was open.

“It just came to our knowledge then. Every year we continue to grow, the situation improves. Last year was a very good year, limitations did not stop people, they were traveling, still on vacation. He felt like he was more on vacation in Lithuania. There was something to do, ”said Karolina Marija.

This year, as the hostess of the dumpling is considering, people will yearn even more for travel and entertainment, so as soon as possible, the flows should be flowing a lot.

However, at the moment, the ones who want and are interested in getting meatballs to go are just each other.

Like local customers, your coffee gets little. It is true that the residents of Raseini come from other parts of the district.

And here the competition arose when the catering establishment reopened in the former Soviet-era dining room. As a result, Carolina Mary often hears that she plagiarized the idea and the meatballs themselves.

“Many people come and say: here you are, copier, etc. That is always the answer: no, no, no, we open before them, just their name. They work there all year round. People become very demanding, they try both there and there, he has a lot of fun when he comes back with us. That we had lost something when they opened, I think not, “said the businesswoman about the competition at Viduklė.

He also said that he couldn’t compete with another famous dumpling: Kavarskas. This is said to be a completely different region of Lithuania, and the tastes of meatballs are very different.

Until now, the length of the season has been regulated by dumpling patrons – the pub, which opened two years ago, initially ran only on weekends and all day only when the warm season was gaining momentum. The same happens in the fall, when we switch to weekend hours in mid-September and close after Afternoon.

Does not plan the network, but does not say a strict NO

Anyway, it is difficult for the cafes in Viduklė: in two decades, many have not succeeded, they had to close.

Carolina Mary admits that even her own brother, who once tried his luck in the field, promised a sad ending that wasn’t worth it. So now all you have to do is marvel and rejoice.

According to KMGrabinskienė, the recipe for success is, first of all, the Viduklė meatball tradition itself: it is the main dish of the cafeteria, there are not many other menus, because there is no need for a large selection.

Since 2019, the inn has a Certificate of Culinary Heritage. Here meatballs with pork, chicken and curd are offered, the latter are loved by children and inedible meat.

There may be news in the future as you hear wishes for other fillings.

I will definitely not lie, there are people who sit in the car and come to us from Vilnius to eat dumplings.

Carolina Mary says she does not think about mass production of meatballs, although she could sell them in stores. Unless cold weather could produce them and ship them to customers, as now they sometimes have to be frozen.

At least for now, he’s not considering creating a network of cafes, although he still hears questions about why he doesn’t open such a dumpling on the beach or in Vilnius.

“I will definitely not lie, there are people who sit in the car and come to us from Vilnius to eat dumplings. They say: why are you so far away, open somewhere closer, at least in Kaunas? Never say what You know. Life sometimes presents such miracles that you can’t say NO, “KMGrabinskienė smiles.