Lakes Fika Cormorant Village
The Swedish tradition of fika (fee-ka) has been filling cups and feeding the soul since the early 20th century. This intentional pause is more than a coffee break or teatime; it's a daily ritual of connection, conversation, and a taste of something sweet. Lakes Fika owners, Emma Mattson and her mom Kristin Osborne, have made this slow-down social tradition their passion, beautifully blending their family's Scandinavian heritage with old-world charm inside a cozy coffee shop, micro-bakery, café, and boutique. Gazing over Lake Ida and tucked into the woods on the edge of Minnesota's Cormorant Village, Lakes Fika hits the sweet spot.
by TRACY NICHOLSON
photos by KRISTEN JYRKAS
TAKE YOUR SWEET TIME
Slow down, not just in the moment, but as you drive through Cormorant Village — you won't want to miss this hidden gem in Minnesota's wooded terrain. Lakes Fika is all about the Swedish tradition of fika, intentionally taking your sweet time to gather, reflect, and indulge. As co-owner Kristin Osborne explained, ""
Lakes Fika entices patrons to sip, savor, and stay awhile. They may lure patrons inside with a robust selection of local and craft-roasted coffee, but it's hard to refuse the sunny invite to brunch, lunch, desserts, cocktails, and Midwest-made shopping. With its location at the top of the Lake Ida public access, savor your coffee on the patio or on a beautiful walk to the water's edge.
“Fika is an institution in Sweden, it’s almost commanded of you every day; to have a fika and spend time with family and friends. It’s something we do often around here in lakes country, without even realizing it.”
WELL-BREWED OPPORTUNITIES
When Emma Mattson was just a teenager in rural Detroit Lakes, she and her mom, Kristin Osborne, dreamed of owning a coffee shop together. Emma even wrote a business plan, but the two ultimately never expected their dream would become a reality. Emma, now 27, had moved on to earn her Business degree from NDSU while working with Kristin and her dad, John, as real estate investors.
After college, Emma returned home, married her high school sweetheart, Corey, and joined her parents in the family business, gaining experience in property management, design, and marketing, as well as a keen eye for promising opportunities, particularly when it came to the sale of Cormorant Village's quaint coffee shop.
When Emma and Kristin took on ownership of the beloved EllaMarie's Café-n-Collectibles in 2021, they had the big mugs of grandmothers Ella and Marie to fill. Ella and Marie were the previous owners’ grandmothers who loved getting together for coffee and chatting. To honor the memory of these ladies, they even kept the original name for nearly two-and-a-half years.
As time passed, the duo refined the vision, feeling drawn to further reflect its setting in the heart of lakes country. Gradually integrating a fresh perspective, thoughtful renovation, and a 2024 rebrand was their recipe for success.
Cormorant Village locals and lakegoers have fallen in love all over again, embracing the language and art of fika. For practice, go ahead and ask your neighbor, "Do you want to fika?" or "Let's have a fika!"
FUN FACT
The community of Cormorant Village is famous for its tradition of electing a dog as its honorary mayor. A Great Pyrenees named Khaleesi was elected in 2024, succeeding another Great Pyrenees named Duke, who served four terms as mayor. On August 16, all are welcome to join the canine mayor at the Cormorant Daze festival, which includes a car show, a pageant, music, crafts, games, and a 5K run that starts at Lakes Fika.
FIKA + FAMILY
Emma and Kristin's interpretation of fika bridges past and present, embracing their Scandinavian heritage, values from Ella and Marie's legacy, and the slower pace of lake life. Within a beautifully renovated coffee shop, cafe, micro-bakery, and boutique, their family carries on the tradition of the shop's founding grandmothers, as well as their own.
"Fika is very much fellowship with food, and that's exactly what Ella and Marie did — it's also who we are to our core," said Mattson. The idea for Lakes Fika recreates what both Emma and Kristin experienced growing up, fond memories of daily Fika or weekend baking with their grandmothers. Since the rebrand to Lakes Fika, Kristin said it's been a lively conversation starter, "It's wonderful to see people introducing themselves as Swedish and telling us stories of their family members and grandmas having Fika every afternoon."
Amid an elegant and vintage backdrop of historical family photos—including the many Scandinavian family members who first settled in Minnesota—Emma and Kristin share their heritage by sharing their lifelong love for fellowship, coffee, and cooking. They envisioned Lakes Fika as a beautiful lakeside destination to slow down, unwind, and make memories — a place where everyone feels like part of the family.
REVIVING HISTORY
With love and by default, Emma's husband, Corey, a local farmer, and Kristin's husband, John, are also invested in the sentiment. The two continually share their time and talents, happy to lend a hand or manage the shop's renovation with local contractors. One of the drivers of this endeavor was, as John said, "If we didn't do this, it looked like there wasn't going to be something like this here. The previous owners were retiring, and we wanted it to stay open for us and the community."
The original coffee shop already had great bones, coffered ceilings, and beautiful windows, so the majority of their work centered on aesthetics. The redesign further reflects their family's heritage and Lake Ida's serene setting, including tongue and groove car siding, a two-sided stone hearth, a charming event space, a refurbished fireplace in the dining room, and white oak flooring installed by Audubon's White Oak Home Solutions.
Lakes Fika patrons are immersed in touches of beachy blues and prairie greens, with elegantly patterned wallcoverings installed by Emma, historical family photos, vintage book collections, and warm sconce lighting. The couples have also enhanced the indoor and outdoor seating with a family-style banquette in the dining room and a hightop coffee bar overlooking Lake Ida. "It's really fun to watch people walk in the door and light up, they're just excited to be here," added Osborne.
In the dining room, longtime patrons will find the original chairs preserved by Emma, now with refinished seats. The new ash wood tabletops are the work of Audubon's Viking Millwork, finished by Painters Plus in Detroit Lakes. "It was fun working with local tradespeople," added Osborne. "We told them what we wanted, and they had a pile of some old lumber with a name on it that Corey recognized. This led us to the exciting discovery that the lumber was likely harvested from one of his family members' land about a mile away."
SPILLING THE BEANS
There are a lot of trade secrets to brewing an exceptional cup of coffee or cold brew, but Emma and Kristin will tell you that the best lake days start with the best beans — flavorful roasts committed to sustainability, community, and quality. Every cup of joy is brewed with care using carbon-negative, organic beans, craft-roasted in Minnesota.
"Our cold brew is extremely popular," said Mattson. "We also have a full espresso bar, seasonal specials, over 20 syrups and sugar free options, and signature drinks named after the Seven Sisters of the lakes area."
Historically, the legend of Minnesota's Seven Sisters refers to seven lakes in the Detroit Lakes area—Ida, Lida, Lizzie, Sallie, Melissa, Maud, and Eunice—each thought to be named after the daughters of a local farmer who settled in the area. One of the most popular is Ida's Delight, a special brew of vanilla, coriander, espresso, and milk topped with Nordic black sea salt. Patrons can also purchase bags of fresh-roasted beans — Lakes Fika will even grind them for you.
Blue Ox Dark Roast is currently the most popular, but their caramel-infused Highlander Grog Medium Roast has a healthy following.
DAILY INDULGENCES
Gracing the baker's case and vintage floral china is an array of fresh-baked pastries and desserts inspired by generations of well-loved family recipes, now shared daily from Lakes Fika's micro-bakery. "In our family, we would make treats on the weekends because we always had company, and we're still doing that, just for a lot more people," said Osborne.
Encased for grazing, we found a delectable menu of fresh-baked caramel rolls, homemade muffins, jelly rolls, scones, mini lemon glazed bundt cakes, and Kladdkaka, a Swedish white chocolate sticky cake topped with fresh berries. While some items are ever-present staples, many of the fresh-baked items change nearly every week, introducing additional family recipes to the delight of their patrons.
Entertaining?
Call ahead to order a pan of Lakes Fika-famous caramel or cinnamon rolls to go, available in six full-size or 20 mini bites. During the holidays, Emma and Kristin also offer custom-order cookie boxes. Place your pre-order and receive seven flavors of cookies — reinforcing the Scandinavian belief that hosts should present no more or less than seven cookies.
SCANDINAVIAN SAVORY
The Lakes Fika menu is a well-crafted fusion of Scandinavian-inspired classics and Minnesota-grown favorites, each brunch and lunch bite serving up fresh, high-quality, and wholesome ingredients. Try out the Wild Rice Egg Bake, Cinnamon Swirl Waffle, or one of many hot and cold sandwiches, wraps, or soups and salads served with a slice of potato dill bread.
Make sure to try one of Emma's favorites, the Cranberry Club, crafted with turkey, ham, bacon, cucumber, mixed greens, and cranberry sauce on cranberry wild rice bread. Or try Kristin's favorite, the Egg Panini, with egg, ham, cheddar cheese, spinach, tomato, chipotle mayo, and grilled sourdough. John and Corey's favorites include the Smoked Turkey sandwich and the Turkey Bacon Ranch wrap.
FIKA ALL DAY
Fika is not just a great start to the day; it's also an ideal ending. Beyond the Swedish coffee culture, patrons will find an array of teas, fruit smoothies, cream sodas, and artisanal cocktails, with Minnesota-made ciders, wines, and craft beers. Prefer coffee with a kick?
Try out the Kaffe Karlsson. Served hot or cold and topped with whipped cream, this twist on the Scandinavian coffee cocktail includes white chocolate country creme wine, espresso, and milk. Cozy up inside or take your sip of choice to the patio, which offers a beautiful glimpse of Lake Ida glory.
SHOP SMALL & SWEDISH
One of the most notable changes at Lakes Fika is the remodeled boutique, offering a delightful selection of Swedish and Minnesota-made goods, cookbooks, self-care, kitchenware, cards, toys, and Sted's award-winning organic chocolates from Fergus Falls, MN. You can also find grilling staples and locally crafted spices, MN Honey, and pure maple syrup from Camp Aquila on Minnesota's Star Lake.
Make sure to shop their popular collection of watercolor sets, local authors, Morris, Minnesota's Inherit Clothing Company, and Lakes Fika clothing by Detroit Lakes' Blue 84. Patrons will also find all-natural BonBon Swedish candy and a Swedish-made collection of Hinza recycled tote bags, which Emma refers to as "the ultimate lake bag."
"We've tried to stay true to what was built here and just add onto it," said Osborne. "The previous boutique had focused more on collectibles and antiques, whereas we've focused more on heritage and Minnesota-made products that relate to the laid-back lake lifestyle." The shop does sell one antique item, actually several pieces and collections of vintage floral dishware curated by Kristin and Emma.
EVENTS & CATERING
Just beyond the boutique, Emma and Kristin renovated and reserved space for an exquisite, daylit venue — cozy and intimate, yet spacious enough to host showers, family celebrations, tea parties, crafting clubs, and really, anything that requires fun and Fika. This private backroom can accommodate up to 30 guests, with full or partial catering by Lakes Fika. Looking for a larger space?
In both spaces, Emma and Kristin set the tone and table with nostalgic charm paired to the occasion, adorned with their own lovingly mismatched collection of vintage floral dishware. Hosts can also coordinate floral arrangements for their events through Lakes Fika.
AFTER HOURS + OFF-SEASON
While Lakes Fika’s event spaces are available year-round, Emma and Kristin typically scale back hours in January, reopening fully in early spring for another bustling season. No matter the time of year, a countryside drive through the winding roads to Lakes Fika offers a peaceful escape—dotted with wildflowers, wildlife, serene lakes and ponds, and come fall, a kaleidoscope of changing leaves.
Outside of Lakes Fika, the four owners are on the move with real estate and other business ventures. Thankfully, when life moves too fast, they know a great place to fika.
READY TO FIKA?
Lakes Fika
14989 County Hwy 4, Lake Park, MN
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HOST AN EVENT
218.532.2399
Summer Hours:
Wed-Sat | 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Sunday | 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Off-Season Hours:
Wed-Sat | 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Closed Sundays