The director of the Maona company Dušan Mrdakovič explained that in Cafe Teater he saw an opportunity for giving something more to the city in which he has been active for thirty years already. He promised however that they will steer clear of show business

A new start with the troubadour from Prekmurje
"We intend to introduce a kind of a cultural centre, with various concerts and other events," he explained, and added that they intend to steer clear of show business. At the official opening planned for the next week their guest will be Vlado Kreslin, with whom Mrdakovič had already cooperated in Maona Klub. A string of concerts will follow, starting with the pianist Marko Črnčec, and next the local artist Teo Collori and Špicikuc Orchestra will come as guests.

Secession interior remains
The interior of the cafe is decorated with paintings based on works of the Austrian secession painter Josef Maria Auchentaller , so they tried to find a way to connect the visual image of Caffe Teater and the adjacent Tartini Theatre. "Auchentaller is the link," Mrdakovič believes. The works of the painter who had often visited Piran from the period the cafe was established.

Rent almost 3,000
After being chosen as the tenant at a public tender they signed a contract for the period of ten years, with the option to extend for further ten years, with the owner Avditorij Portorož. They will pay the rent of EUR 2,900 per month, which is not cheap, "but on the other hand it is one of the most beautiful cafes in Slovenia", the director of Maona said.

Mrdakovič warns that the investments is the burden for the tenant only, and has no influence on the rent. Once they started fixing up the cafe they discovered that the roof and the walls were in very poor condition, so they invested a lot of time and money in the renovation.

A. J.
Translated by G. K.