Pavis & Mr. Bank

“It’s important to us that customers are served in their own language.”

FRANK SUNDQVIST, ENTREPRENEUR, PAVIS

Who would have imagined that the Sundqvist brothers would become entrepreneurs, start not one but two restaurants in the same year, and both in the food service industry? Certainly not them—nor their parents. Today, the brothers stand proudly behind two successful businesses, genuinely happy with their decision to enter entrepreneurship, despite the long days and weighty responsibilities. 

Two brothers, one wife, and a dedicated team of staff form the backbone of two popular restaurants in Pietarsaari: Pavis and Mr. Bank, founded by Kim and Frank Sundqvist along with Frank’s wife, Emma Sundqvist. While a career in hospitality wasn’t the obvious choice for Kim and Emma, Frank’s background and persuasive charm paved the way.

“I’ve been interested in this industry since I was a child. After several trips and a few years working in Vaasa restaurants, I felt it was time to come home,” says Frank.

The brothers’ return home materialized in the form of Mr. Bank, a trendy pizzeria launched in March 2015 in downtown Pietarsaari. A year later, they signed the lease for the waterfront restaurant Pavis.

Mr. Bank serves high-quality pizzas for lunch and dinner, while Pavis—offering a different menu and located in another part of the city—focuses on seasonal cuisine in a scenic, seaside setting. Their shared motto, “Food made from scratch with fresh ingredients,” defines their approach and allows for flexible collaboration between the two establishments, including staff and idea sharing.

“Even though the businesses share the same values, they don’t compete with each other. We serve completely different dishes in completely different parts of town,” explains Kim.

Seasonal fluctuations in the restaurant business affect both staffing and guest numbers. During the summer high season, Pavis serves 400–500 lunch guests daily, while off-season brings the opportunity to host private events—just as Mr. Bank experiences its peak periods. The young entrepreneurial trio has found a winning concept for the Pietarsaari region.

“Many guests are surprised to learn how young we are. Some even doubted whether we could pull this off—but those doubts were quickly laid to rest,” Emma smiles.

Both restaurants have been Herrfors customers since the beginning. In the restaurant business, a stable power supply is crucial, often 24/7, to ensure food quality and safety. Their fixed-rate electricity contract eases budgeting and lifts a burden off the entrepreneurs’ shoulders.

“Herrfors was the natural choice for us. I appreciate having a familiar contact at the company who we can easily reach. Luckily, we rarely need to contact them, which means everything runs as it should,”
— Kim Sundqvist

The trio operates in a service industry where the customer experience is everything and they expect the same high standards from their partners.

“We’ve had calls from other electricity providers asking if we’d like to switch. I’ve told them absolutely not especially not to a company that doesn’t speak our native language. It’s important to us that customers are met in their own language,”
— Frank Sundqvist

“I think we’ve only had one power outage during our time at Pavis. That’s when we truly realized how dependent we are on electricity. Thankfully, it happened late in the evening everyone had already eaten and was full,” said Emma Sundqvist thankfully.

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