A family café with heart in the center of Karlsruhe:
Back in their home town of Kiev, the Gavryliuk family had a dream of opening their own café. They wanted it to be a place where people could leave the stress of everyday life behind, enjoy life, and spend a few cozy hours. In 2022, the family fled to Germany due to the war in Ukraine, where they were able to make their dream come true almost four years later. "We heard the phrase 'Ja, genau!' (Yes, exactly!) very often when we were learning German in the early days, so we thought it was the perfect name for our own café," says Artem, the father of the family and owner of the café. The idea for the logo, on the other hand, came from the youngest member of the family, giving the café that special something: "In Kiev, you could feed giraffes at the zoo, which I always really enjoyed," enthuses eight-year-old Mascha. "It was our daughter who one day said with complete conviction that she had a really great idea for our café logo – and that's how the giraffe was born," says Artem. This exotic animal not only appears in the logo, but also in several other places in the café and even has its own merchandise corner with caps and thermos cups. The exotic theme also runs through the café's interior with jungle-themed cushions and various wooden elements.
With great attention to detail, the family has created a small but exquisite oasis of well-being here on Hirschstraße in Karlsruhe. "Everyone should feel comfortable here and be able to relax," explains Ola, who runs the café together with her husband Artem. In addition to cozy seating that invites you to relax, there is also a table with painting and craft supplies for children. "This gives parents the opportunity to enjoy a coffee and a piece of cake in peace—even if only for a short time," adds the owner.
If you want to enjoy yourself and relax, Café "Ja,genau!" is the place to be. "We bake the cakes ourselves, and we only prepare sweet and savory snacks that we like ourselves," says Ola.
- Plum and nut tart
- banana bread
- apple tart
- Passion fruit cake
are among the sweet options, but savory snacks such as spinach and feta tart, salmon and broccoli tart, and ham and cheese croissants are also on the café's menu. "We also want to offer breakfast in the future, including a Ukrainian dish called syrnyky, which is made from quark," Artem reveals.
In addition, the two owners will soon be offering wines and accompanying small appetizers, and will be expanding the lunch menu to include soups.
Visit "Ja, genau!" (Yes, exactly!), let the Gavryliuk family pamper you, and enjoy a few relaxing moments in downtown Karlsruhe.
