Kultūra bar located in the Kaunas Picture Gallery can certainly be called one of the most popular spots for young people (and not only) in Kaunas. As the weather gets warmer, Kultūra’s spacious terrace comes to life again and you’re greeted with a joyful commotion: groups of friends gather around the tables with a glass of beer or a cup of tea. If you don’t want to meet any friends, you shouldn’t go to Kultūra because it is rare not to bump into at least one old friend here. On an incredibly warm April day, we spoke with the bar’s founder Beta Kondratenkaitė about the beginnings of Kultūra, the tables that are always full in the summer, and the crowded stairs.
Kultūra has been operating for more than ten years. How did the cafe start and how did it grow?
When I opened Kultūra, I had no idea that it would grow to what it is today. I remember when many of my acquaintances told me that I was making a mistake by coming here; they asked why I was leaving the Old Town that was bustling with life (there, in the premises of Kaunas’ Small Theatre, she had a bar called Suflerio būdelė, ed.). I received mostly negative reactions, but one friend, sculptor Simonas Šidlauskas, who also created Kultūra’s sign, drew attention to the great advantage of this place – a huge terrace with a roof. Frankly, I was drawn to this place for another reason: I felt nostalgic about it because while studying at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, I often visited the gallery’s exhibitions. At first, I only thought about an indoor cafe. But I remember when Sim said, “Imagine, there will be people sitting on the stairs here, it will be so many of them, think about putting the tables downstairs as well.”
For the first year, it was only three of us – two of my friends and I – who sat on the terrace with ten tables. But I loved this place and it never felt like it was too difficult, that it wasn’t worth it, that I should close it down and try my luck elsewhere. I had no such thoughts; I just went and did what was necessary, and it was great. I never viewed it as work. All the bars I have (bars Holas and Kamerinis founded by Beta with her sister Nomeda Kondratenkaitė are also currently operating in Kaunas, ed.) are like a way of life for me, an escape, a hobby. Well, five years after the opening of Kultūra, Simas’ vision came true.
Did you have an idea how you wanted Kultūra to look?
I immediately realized that I wouldn’t change anything. The gallery cafe that used to be here was beautiful in its own right, and I love old things. I don’t understand people who tear up and redo everything when they settle in old places. We had to leave the interior of Kultūra unchanged. It has not changed since the opening of the building and is unique: there is no other like it. We only replaced the asbestos ceiling, the internal structure of the bar, and hung light fixtures, and more framed posters.
Kultūra is more than a bar. After all, various cultural activities take place here.
I like various activities and I have been involved in integrating them into the bar’s program since Suflerio būdelė. Quite often we are approached by artists themselves. I remember when a troupe of performance artists from Poland was visiting and everything was covered in flour. In collaboration with the gallery, we exhibited works by Fluxus artists from the collection of Jon Hendricks, the curator of the Yoko Ono exhibition. Kultūra also holds music nights. Last summer we had a great jazz concert by Dalius Naujokaitis.
It is nice to see the rebirth of Kaunas Picture Gallery. This place has woken up along with Kaunas 2022. It used to be that people would come to a bar and find out that a gallery exists here. I don’t think it’s good, it should be the opposite. Of course, it’s nice to be able to bring people. However, I am sincerely glad that today the gallery is well visited, interesting exhibitions are held, and people know that Kultūra is in Kaunas Picture Gallery, and not vice versa.
I understand you wouldn’t want to simplify or stereotype people, but I’m curious how you see the café’s visitors. Who are your customers?
We see our customers as cool and beautiful people. The range is wide: although we mostly attract young people, there are also older people as well as families with children. One elderly man often comes to us with his cup of tea, sits outside at a table, and just watches the hustle and bustle. Sports fans come after various matches in Kaunas Sports Hall. We also see how a new generation grew up: my friends’ children are already coming to work with us. I think that it is our visitors who create a good atmosphere. Without people, there would be no Kultūra. I think that Kaunas lacked such a place, and I was just able to give it a start, the people coming here did the rest by shaping the image of the bar. I am happy that our customers remained so cool throughout the years.
Before our interview, I looked at your social media accounts and noticed that you don’t advertise much. What brings new visitors to the cafe?
I get calls with offers to buy advertising, but I always decline. I’m told that advertising will bring in more people, but we’ve got enough of them as it is. Word of mouth has always seemed to me to be the best form of advertising. In this way, the target audience comes here, and we maintain the cozy atmosphere of the cafe. The very first ones came from Suflerio būdelė, which we opened with Mantas and Danas Stabačinskas right after our university graduation (you can read more about it in the July 2023 issue of Kaunas Full of Culture, ed.).
This place was the starting point for all the bars I later opened, and people still remember how fun it was and how strong the Suflerio būdelė community was. Although at the beginning they were unhappy that we had moved so far from the old town, little by little some came, then others, and they were followed by friends, friends of friends, and the bar’s community formed.
In the summer, even the spacious terrace of the cafe can hardly accommodate all the visitors. When people sit down not only at the tables but also on the steps of the gallery by the fountain, how do you manage to serve everyone? Does this amount of people pose any challenges?
Not anymore. Our customers increased gradually. We were never surprised by hundreds of people who came out of nowhere, so we learned to prepare. We hire about fifteen additional employees for the summer season. Of course, we get a little tired in the summer, but in the middle of the cold period, we start talking about how we have missed the hustle and bustle. By the way, I was one of the first in Kaunas to introduce the procedure for ordering at the bar. I think this helps a lot to deal with the heavy traffic because finding the right table on the terrace with each drink would be a challenge. When people order food, we give them a number and write down in a notebook roughly where they are sitting and what they look like so we can find them later. I have to admit that such old methods probably persist because of me having a hard time accepting new technologies. But it works for us, everything goes smoothly.
What do you personally like about Kultūra the most?
People, unequivocally. Talking to our customers every day is my greatest joy. I think you have to like people and want to spend time with them and talk to them if you want to have a successful bar.
What are the most popular drinks and dishes in Kultūra?
Beer is the most common drink, but cocktails are also becoming popular. It’s also nice that more and more people choose non-alcoholic drinks, so we keep expanding their range, we have lemonades, kombucha, and various non-alcoholic beers. And in terms of food, the most popular choice for a long time was Kultūringas (cultured) sandwich which has been on our menu since the beginning, its recipe hasn’t changed. Of course, we are planning some changes.
What are Kultura’s future plans? Or are you thinking about another bar?
We don’t plan to change much; everything is great here. We already have a fun routine that we want to keep. Although I always have ideas for three more bars, I don’t think it’s worth opening a new place right now. Sometimes it happens that once you enter a space, you just can’t leave, and then you start doing things. Maybe that’s why we’re not going anywhere now. Before the quarantine, I promised myself that we wouldn’t plan anything big for five years, and due to the pandemic, I extended this deadline again, but after that – we’ll see.
Justė Vyšniauskaitė
Photos by Arvydas Čiukšys
