Posten is a new atmospheric and experiential restaurant (and bar) located in the former premises of the Oslo Main Post Office (Dronningens Gate 15). The restaurant will focus on traditional Norwegian dishes and plans to cater to people with moderate to high purchasing power. Posten aims to be a gathering place for people from all over, whether they are local Oslo residents or tourists from around the world. We will attract new and returning customers to the restaurant by offering a unique and historic experience, as well as a menu featuring high-quality Norwegian ingredients. Through a carefully executed and well-thought-out design concept, Posten will positively distinguish itself from its competitors and fill an existing gap in the market in this price range.

Posten is “a love letter” to Norwegian cuisine and the building’s former significance.

Posten serves high-quality Norwegian cuisine, presented in an elegant manner. They accept reservations for both lunch and dinner. For lunch, they offer a smaller menu with coffee and tea. For dinner, they serve a more extensive menu featuring an appetizer, main course, and dessert.

The restaurant’s main focus is not only the food, but also the atmosphere. It’s about bringing the past into the present and delivering an authentic experience that fosters a sense of togetherness.

The menu features regional Norwegian dishes from across the country, based on well-rounded flavors and hearty dishes. Posten takes pride in using fresh ingredients from all over Norway, sourced from small farms. They aim to help put smaller producers on the map and support local workers, because it’s always about the small details.

Posten is not just about a great Norwegian culinary experience, but also about preserving the history of the building that houses the restaurant and reviving the forgotten tradition of sending personal letters. In an increasingly digital world, Posten aims to preserve a part of the analog world, which is why it incorporates letters and mail into the experience.

The hallmarks of other restaurants at this level in the industry are a rich atmosphere rooted in history. They typically fall into a higher price range, rooted in the idea of exclusivity. Posten aims to compete with these prices by delivering a cleaner and more authentic experience, without imposing a significant cost on the customer.

Posten is in the mid- to high-price range, which varies depending on the time of day you dine there. This is due to the dinner menu’s exclusive fresh ingredients, which justify the premium price. But Posten’s true value lies in the atmosphere and the experience of dining in one of Oslo’s most important cultural landmarks. Promotion will take place through various channels, including social media, the restaurant’s own website, restaurant reviews, posters, and word of mouth.

Posten and its competitors are in the mid- to high-price range, with a timeless and historic feel, located in central Oslo. These restaurants draw on the history surrounding them to attract customers and to foster loyalty and authenticity. This is where you’ll want to go if you’re visiting Oslo and want to share an experience with friends, family, colleagues, etc. You go there to experience a sense of status in a class of its own, even if only for a brief moment.

Like its competitors, Posten will also capitalize on nostalgia for an older, more sophisticated Oslo. Theatercaféen, one of Posten’s main competitors in terms of lunch offerings and price range, has a reputation as one of Oslo’s classic dining spots and attracts tourists, celebrities, and other guests year-round. It possesses high cultural value—something Posten aims to compete with. They are confident in their reputation and have fostered a sense of stability and security among both their regulars and new guests. This is the reputation Posten will strive to achieve: creating a sense of security and a memorable experience for its guests.

On the culinary front, Café Engebret will be Posten’s main competitor in terms of food and atmosphere. They have been in operation since the mid-1800s and have built a reputation for themselves, taking pride in having attracted Norway’s most prominent cultural figures over the years. Their tried-and-true menu of good Norwegian food has also made them one of the few places in Oslo that offers the most authentically Norwegian of all Norwegian experiences. When it comes to food, Posten will follow Café Engebret’s example and serve high-quality Norwegian food to the public.

Primary Target Audience

Posten’s primary target audience can be divided into demographic and psychographic segments. The target audience consists of people with medium to high cultural capital, aged 25–50. An example would be a woman aged 25–45 with high cultural capital who lives in Oslo. This group typically lives in their own single-family home with their partner and any children. Annual income can range from 400,000 to 700,000 NOK, and they are often well-established in their professional field and workplace. This group may also include, for example, celebrities and other public figures. Psychographically, people in this target group can be seen as adventurous and eager to spend money on high-quality, unique experiences that stand out from everyday life. Because of these personality traits, they will be drawn to Posten as a new and exclusive opportunity to escape the daily grind with their friends or family.

Secondary Target Group

To expand Posten’s target group, I’ve chosen to include foreign tourists with medium to high cultural capital, or those willing to spend money on their vacation. They’ve typically saved up for their vacation and plan in advance to visit Oslo’s cultural attractions. These will be people in the 40–60 age group.

The restaurant serves both lunch and dinner, but with a focus on dinner service. The lunch menu is brief and written in a warm and formal style in Norwegian or English. The dinner menu is described in the same way but is significantly longer than the lunch menu. There will be a separate beverage menu in addition to the main menu, featuring Norwegian and local beverages. The food served will be “modernized” Norwegian regional cuisine from various parts of the country, prepared using the freshest ingredients from local farms and producers. The food will be presented on colored porcelain plates that match the restaurant’s visual identity, and the dishes will be plated in a sophisticated and luxurious manner, similar to other competitors, such as Theatercaféen. The menu will be fixed, with updates as needed or in response to market changes. The goal of a fixed menu is to allow customers to return and be assured that their favorite dishes remain the same, which builds trust and, in turn, fosters a base of regular and loyal customers.