THUNDER BAY – The RFDA, in partnership with the Lakehead Rotary Club and the Finlandia Co-operative of Thunder Bay, held a Hoito pop-up breakfast Saturday morning, where residents were able to stop by the headquarters and pick up a Finnish pancake meal.
"The community has, you know, risen up and really supported the project of reopening the Hoito,” said Paula Haapanen President, Finlandia Co-operative of Thunder Bay. “And so we've had a lot of happy smiles."
This is the first time since the Hoito closed down that the community has been able to receive ready-made Finn pancakes made by a former Hoito cook.
Residents had to pre-order their breakfast online by purchasing 15-dollar tickets, each meal featured two Finnish pancakes with the option of either sausage or bacon, with coffee or tea available to drink. Almost 200 tickets were purchased for the breakfast, and the funds will go towards the rebuilding of the Hoito restaurant.
The support from the community for the rebuilding project has been overwhelming, and organizers say that if this breakfast is successful, they will look into organizing another pop-up event.
"The hope is that this is successful enough for us to organize a second pop-up breakfast in the future, and possibly a third,” said Allan Kozlo, president-elect, Lakehead Rotary Club. “So just stay tuned, and hopefully we'll see more people coming out and enjoying the Hoito pancakes."
