You’re in Hattiesburg, Mississippi—an hour north of Biloxi on the Gulf Coast and the northern corner of a triangle with New Orleans, LA to the west and Mobile, AL to the east—and you’re wondering where to get your next fill of Swedishness.

The newest Hattiesburg café, on Buschman Street in the heart of downtown is the recently-opened FIKA, with clear Swedish attributes and distinctly modern Swedish décor. In case you wondered, Dalida, the owner of FIKA, is of course also from Sweden, but locals probably already know that—she’s charming, and first reviews of the café are overwhelmingly positive. The catering service started earlier and immediate comments about the quality of cakes makes us want to take off for the South. It is a great place for breakfast and lunch with food that is beautifully displayed and delicious. FIKA also serves scrumptious baked goods and locally made pour-over coffee that is both smooth and rich. While there, you might even catch up with some Swedes.

Christer Olsson, pictured here with his young son Beau, is originally from Kungsängen just north of Stockholm, Sweden. Like many other renowned Swedish tennis players, he played in Båstad and the Kalle Anka cup (The Donald Duck Cup) as a junior player. Here in the U.S. Christer played singles and doubles for the nationally ranked Belhaven College from 1989-1991. He has coached several top ranked juniors on the state and sectional levels, and he also played on several state championship teams in Mississippi at the 5.0 level. He is currently the club tennis pro and director at the Racquet Club of Hattiesburg, MS.

FIKA - Swedish Cafe
127 Buschman Street suite 50
Hattiesburg, MS 39401
Phone: (601) 336-9071
For more info, see http://fika-cafe-cafe.business.site and to play tennis in Hattiesburg, see www.theracquetclubofhattiesburg.com