The secret of Neste Matin ja Liisan Asema winning the Best Lunch title

In Lapinlahti, along Kuopiontie, stands a service station that serves as a refreshing stop for many passing travelers, and as a beloved leisure spot for many locals. This is Neste Matin ja Liisan Asema, which made history in Edenred's Finland's Best Lunch competition by winning it twice in a row, in 2024 and 2025.

The service station claimed a clear lead position in the lunch competition for two consecutive years. This makes many wonder what they did to secure victory in a contest where over 5,500 different restaurants received votes in 2025. We visited Neste Matin ja Liisan Asema to interview owner Jouni Majala and uncover their secret to success in Edenred's competition

The competition's visibility was secured throughout the restaurant

The popularity and customer numbers of Neste Matin ja Liisan Asema have rapidly increased following their victory in the Best Lunch 2024 competition, with the station now serving an average of 300 lunches a day.

To ensure that all potential voters among these lunch diners were aware of Edenred's competition this year, the staff at Neste Matin ja Liisan Asema devised various strategies for information sharing. They created a large digital billboard about the competition above the cash register, making every customer aware of the competition and voting. Additionally, every lunch purchaser received a discount coupon for their meal as a thank you for voting. Observant customers also noticed stickers with QR codes on lunch tables and the buffet line, reminding them to vote.

To ensure that no passerby forgot about the competition, the restroom facilities were also equipped with stickers containing QR codes, thus securing visibility throughout the restaurant.

The campaign extended beyond the restaurant premises

The 2025 competition came at an excellent moment for Neste Matin ja Liisan Asema, as on 6.9.2025, Lapinlahti was taken over by the annual Kruisinki, a gathering of hobby vehicles that attracted over 700 vehicles. Neste Matin ja Liisan Asema participated in the event, providing attendees from outside Lapinlahti the opportunity to experience the restaurant's food offerings. This also allowed the restaurant to engage visitors from outside the area and encourage them to support them in Edenred's competition.

A small community can rise to national awareness

The victory of Neste Matin ja Liisan Asema demonstrates the significant impact that a restaurant's own efforts and creative solutions can have on achieving success in Edenred's competition. Even small communities can gain national recognition, when they first activate their own staff and effectively engage their customer base. The restaurant from Lapinlahti has garnered impressive support from the entire village, which helps it succeed against larger competitors.

This article was written based on an interview conducted with Neste Matin ja Liisan Asema's restaurateur Jouni Majala on 22.9.2025.

What Finland's Best Lunch competition?

Every autumn, Edenred organizes the Finland's Best Lunch competition, seeking to identify the best lunch restaurant of the year. This popular lunch competition gathers tens of thousands of consumer votes annually and raises awareness of Finland's lunch offerings among the public.