‘Let’s do fika’: Relax with cardamom buns and lavender lattes at expanded Puyallup bakery

Fika, the Swedish tradition of taking a moment — or several — out of the day for coffee and conversation, is alive and well in Puyallup.

Farm 12 unveiled its new bakery and cafe Oct. 26 in another converted barn on the Van Lierop farm, across from the Foothills Trail and its Eastern Puyallup trailhead. One week in, on a Wednesday around 9:30 a.m., it was absolutely buzzing with customers sipping vanilla lavender lattes and tearing into warm sticky-bun twists sown with cardamom, a must-have spice for Scandinavian pastries.

Where did all these people go before fika?

Since opening in 2019, Farm 12 has garnered a reputation for its baked goods. I’ve ordered a sugar-dusted morning bun and cappuccino at the counter, but it’s easy to feel like you’re in the way of service staff, especially on a bustling weekend morning.

Those crowds have, of course, been a blessing, said Krista Linden, founder and CEO of the attached nonprofit Step by Step that supports at-risk parents and women. (Proceeds from everything that happens at Farm 12 benefit the nonprofit.) But they have rendered the restaurant a place where guests feel like they must get in and get out, and that simply is not the Swedish way.

Both Linden and her husband hail from Swedish families — his father was born there. “We sing happy birthday in Swedish,” she laughed.

“Initially when I thought about what I wanted to do on this farm, in this place, I thought it would be a coffee shop type place — a place where people would just be able to sit and enjoy the site, and really just be with friends and family and relax,” she said. “The restaurant has gotten really, really busy, and it’s not necessarily a place you feel like you could sit for hours with a book and a cup of coffee.”

Vaulted ceilings, communal tables and leather couches lend a convivial energy that stands out from the hushed nature of many coffee shops. Three walls of glass-and-steel garage doors provide endless natural light, and on temperate days, will rise to create an outdoor-like setting. It feels invariably alive: Everyone, and I mean everyone, is talking to someone.

EXPERIENCE FIKA IN PUYALLUP

“Both a noun and a verb,” explained Linden, “fika is a Swedish word for taking a pause in the day, to have coffee and a bite to eat — usually a sweet — with friends and family.”

To fika, or to partake in fika, has long been a Linden tradition.

“It was just something that I thought fit what I wanted to see happen here,” she said.

The Farm 12 expansion into another repurposed barn on this vast property gives both customers and staff more room to roam: “It’s nice to have so many ovens!” said pastry sous chef Kaitlyn Smith, who joined the team in 2019.

She developed the bakery’s kardemummabullar (cardamom bun), essential to the art of fika. Twisted into a pretty little knot, it’s just the right amount of sweet, and its tearable nature makes it highly shareable.

Treats also include a blackberry-pear galette, the exterior puffed-pastry crust studded with crunchy sugar crystals, farmhouse sugar cookies with icing or rainbow sprinkles, croissants — plain, chocolate, almond — and cinnamon rolls. Take home a loaf of sourdough bread (boules are on the way) and brioche, or focaccia of the “garden variety” with a pretty array of vegetables baked on top or imbued with jalapenos and cheddar.

Smith also highlighted a few vegan and gluten-free options, including zucchini muffins and snickerdoodle cookies. Don’t forget Wednesday, also known as Cake Day!

A grab-and-go case offers sandwiches on house bread and seasonal salads; it will likely grow — the response has far exceeded their expectations. They plan to add more savory items, ranging from breakfast sandwiches and quiche to galettes with egg, ham and brie.

Linden is particularly grateful to have a space for Farm 12 restaurant guests to wait for a table. Here they can relax, find a seat and get their first cup of coffee — served in ceramic mugs from local potter David Montalvo. You would be remiss to skip the cardamom bun.

FIKA BY FARM 12

▪ 3308 8th Ave. SE, Puyallup, 253-697-9486, farm12.org/fika

▪ 6 a.m.-3 p.m. (private event rentals after 4 p.m. for parties of 25-100 people)

▪ Details: bakery and cafe with sweet and savory items; sandwiches and salads $8-$13, bread (by the loaf) $9-$12, pastries $4-$8, coffee $3.50-$7

This story was originally published November 9, 2022 at 6:00 AM.