I thought it would be nice to take Joan out for coffee and cake at Sowas, a little outing to enjoy the afternoon together. We headed over with the usual anticipation, only to find that it was still closed for Easter. A bit disappointed but not ready to give up on the idea of our coffee break, I decided, on a whim, to take a detour to a place filled with old memories—our old hangout, where Joan and I used to meet up with our dear friend Zbyszek.
We hadn’t been there in several years. The place had lost its charm for us after a renovation. They’d replaced the cozy, cushioned chairs with stiff, inexpensive wooden ones, making it far less inviting. That was when we stopped going and made Sowas our new go-to spot.
To our surprise, Kandulski’s was open. I found a parking spot nearby, and we decided to go in and take a look.
The moment we walked through the door, we noticed something unexpected: the wooden chairs and plain tables were gone. In their place were comfortable seats and soft, upholstered sofas, very much like the ones they had many years ago, before the renovation. It felt like stepping back in time, in the best possible way. Joan and I exchanged a smile, we were both genuinely pleased.
One of the things we always liked about both Sowas and Kandulski’s was the way they priced their cakes, by weight. It allowed you to choose just how much you wanted, and you paid accordingly. A practical and fair system, we thought.
That changed when Sowa altered its approach. They began cutting the cakes into smaller, fixed-size portions and charging a set price for each piece. While it seemed more straightforward, it also led to higher costs for less cake.
Kandulski, however, still sticks to the original method, pricing by weight, which ends up being more economical, and somehow feels more honest.
After today’s visit, and the pleasant surprise of the old atmosphere returning, we’re seriously considering making Kandulski’s our regular spot again. It felt like reconnecting with a long-lost friend. Sometimes, a spontaneous change in plans brings you right back to where you belong.
