When Tove Eide arrived in Longyearbyen over two decades ago she felt as if there was something missing. Two things to be specific:
Room for women. Both historically and in the society at the time. Longyearbyen had grown in the light of mining and was for a long time a male-dominated society. Svalbard was also frequently referred to as a destination suitable only for trappers and polar heroes.
A meeting point and a shared refuge from the cold. A place where locals could have a coffee outside their apartments without having to freeze to death.
That was how Fruene came to be in 2003.
The main ambition was to fill the gaps that were present in the local community at the time, and with the name Fruene (translated: the ladies), the polar heroines were to be honoured, after decades behind the scenes of the famous trappers.
As the tourism industry caught up with mining, the need for a café that also hosted visitors from all over the world increased. Fruene thus expanded their facilities.
Today, the main focus is on fostering a sense of community by bringing together locals and visitors from around the world. To gather.
With that being said, it is not just people we bring together. We also bring together freshly baked bread and spread. Buns and cinnamon. Coffee and steamed milk. Belgian chocolate and ganache. Carrot cake and cream cheese frosting.
This diverse gathering is our pride.
Luxury is often a word associated with high prices. This connotation does not apply at Fruene.
All food, cakes and chocolates are made from scratch, often even right in front of the customer. The cinnamon buns are taken out from the oven right before opening, the bread is left to rise up until the last second, the chocolates are taken from their moulds and brought directly to the counter and the coffee is brewed continuously with great care.
We have for a long time experimented and tested numerous methods in order to always be able to offer fresh and delicious food - now we can confidently say we found the perfect recipe.
This focus on fresh and flavorous food that does not come at the expense of price makes Fruene an affordable luxury that can be enjoyed in everyday life.
Having big dreams, wishes and plans is easy - making them come through is something completely different.
If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably had some thoughts. The voice in the back of your head tells you “It is too good to be true”.
Well, we want to tell the voice that this idiom does not apply at Fruene.
Because quality and freshness doesn’t have to be complicated. It can actually be quite the opposite - very simple.
We make what YOU want, and we do it right in front of your eyes. Imagine something like a Subway on steroids - with steaming fresh bread, crunchy vegetables and high-quality spreads.
No ready-made sandwiches in a coldly illuminated fridge, and no food waste either.
Additionally, you’ll always find a “lunch-dish of the day” and a “soup of the day”. We like to keep it simple, both for quality and freshness, but also to avoid choice paralysis.
For us less is more, in all aspects of life.
