Ülemiste Centre in Tallinn, Estonia, welcomed two major additions on Thursday and Friday: the first standalone Gap store in Scandinavia and the Baltics, and the upcoming DAO Asian buffet restaurant.
Gap opened its 340-square-meter store on the shopping center’s second floor on Oct. 15, offering its women’s, men’s and kids’ collections, including jeans, logo sweatshirts and T-shirts. The launch, coinciding with International Hoodie Day, drew local influencers and featured a morning event hosted by Ženja Fokin with music by DJ Lauri Täht. Kristjan Rajando, CEO of Iconic Brands Nordic, said the opening queue confirmed Estonian demand for the brand’s timeless basics. The store is part of Gap’s strategy to expand in the Baltics and Europe, following its recent online and department store presence in the region .
DAO, Estonia’s first Asian buffet restaurant, will open in early November on the second floor near Apollo Kino, occupying over 800 m². Owned by entrepreneur Ivar Vendelin, DAO will offer more than 100 dishes from Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Thai and Vietnamese cuisines, including sushi, dim sum, curries and teppanyaki, with live cooking stations. Vendelin described the concept as a Las Vegas-style buffet adapted for regular dining, allowing guests to sample diverse Asian flavors at a fixed price. Guido Pärnits, director of Ülemiste Centre, said DAO complements the center’s existing offerings .
