Tredu Café Renovation Accelerates Customer Flow and Hands-On Learning

Tredu’s Hervanta campus café is a lively hub serving students, staff, and visitors. Learn how Dieta redesigned the concept to boost customer volumes, improve operations, and support teaching.

Tampere Vocational College Tredu ranks among Finland's largest vocational institutions. The campus also houses Tampere Technical Upper Secondary School. When Tredu took over café operations, it was time for renewal. The main challenge involved managing customer flows and ensuring smooth workflows.

“During breaks, students and other shop customers visited the café at the same time. Crossing traffic routes caused congestion and slowed down work. We also wanted to increase loose product sales and make coffee preparation easier, which was impossible with the old service line,” says Tuija Juuri, Service Manager at Tredu.

Tredu invited several operators to tender for the renewal of the café concept. Dieta stood out as a long-term partner and impressed with its customer-centric approach.

Café Renovation Built Around Customer and Staff Needs

The café was already familiar to Dieta from the original construction phase. Thanks to existing documentation and equipment data, the project progressed quickly. The main benefits targeted included better customer flow and payment speed, efficient use of space, increased sales, enhanced support for learning, and improved safety and waste management. Tredu’s vocational instructors and the Service Manager actively participated in the planning.

During the design phase, Dieta’s expert and Tredu’s team met to review expectations and functional requirements. They created and thoroughly evaluated several furniture layout options. The developer, architect, facility services, and maintenance teams also participated, enabling close cooperation throughout the process. The structures, drainage systems, and existing installations of the old building limited equipment and furnishing choices.

The teams executed the renovation as a joint contract. Tredu-Kiinteistöt Oy and Tampereen Palvelukiinteistöt Oy handled HVAC and building services, as well as fixed furniture, in cooperation with the city architect, who defined the color scheme. Tredu procured equipment. Dieta served as an agile partner and took responsibility for spatial and kitchen design, as well as for defining, installing, and commissioning the equipment package in collaboration with all stakeholders.

Dieta's expertise and responsiveness to user needs drove the project’s success.

“We learned how important it is to listen to employees’ perspectives. Thanks to Dieta, the solutions reflect their wishes. The equipment and color scheme also integrate beautifully into the overall look,” Juuri notes.

A Scalable and Practical Café Concept

The renovated café now serves students, staff, and external customers while supporting food-industry education in daily operations. The team gained a key insight: the two-cash-desk model directs retail and café customers to separate registers, positioned close enough to allow natural teaching situations.

As a result, customer flows no longer intersect, payments are faster, and students can practice cashiering in a controlled environment. Clearer zoning of the retail area and lockable furniture provide added benefits: reduced waste and improved safety.

Employees find the space functional, and successful equipment training ensured smooth implementation. Dieta’s expertise, coordination, and planning were key benefits. The project required bold decisions and trust, resulting in a functional and visually impressive café that has received extensive positive feedback from both staff and customers,” Juuri concludes.