Café Momochi born out of a love for pastries – New café owners encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to network and ask for help

Café Momochi sells handmade Japanese mochi doughnuts and mochi ice cream. Mochi is a traditional Japanese rice cake used to make various desserts.  

“All Momochi’s pastries are baked on site with premium ingredients. In addition to the high-quality products, we’ve put a great deal of effort into the interior decoration and look of the café,” the business owners say. 

Momochi was founded by a pair of friends, Kelly Guon and Lulu Wang. Lulu baked as a hobby, while Kelly had a sweet tooth. Their love for pastries gave rise to the idea of starting their own café. 

“Before setting up the business, we prepared a detailed and concrete plan for our business idea. Lulu baked and experimented with different mochi recipes. We organized tastings and carried out market research,” Kelly says. 

In the future, Kelly and Lulu plan to grow their business and open more Momochi cafés in Helsinki.  

The women have many entrepreneurs and self-employed people in their circle of friends. Lulu also has restaurant owners in her family, so entrepreneurship wasn’t unfamiliar to them. 

Lulu and Kelly got help with setting up their business from NewCo Helsinki, their friends and the bank.  

They also found it important to network with people in the industry and other entrepreneurs. They have been frequently attending various events for entrepreneurs, such as events organized by Helsingin Yrittäjät’s international HEI Network.  

“Entrepreneurship is the best. As business owners, we get to constantly learn and create new things. We’re so happy that we found the courage to start our own business and were able to make our dream come true,” Lulu says. 

Momochi has had plenty of customers, and business has been growing at a steady pace. The past summer was particularly successful in terms of sales. According to Kelly and Lulu, residents of Helsinki are interested in Japanese food culture. The new café, decorated with pastel colours, has been met with curiosity. In the future, the business owners plan to grow their business and open more Momochi cafés in Helsinki.  

Kelly and Lulu’s tips for aspiring entrepreneurs:

1. Make a plan. A good and comprehensive plan is the basis of everything. Write down your business idea and how you plan to implement it.
2. Ask for help. There are plenty of organizations in Finland that can help you set up a business.
3. Network. Attend different kinds of events for entrepreneurs. Get acquainted with people and tell them about your business.

PHOTO Jaana Tihtonen