There is one unwritten rule that applies almost every time a group of people tries to agree on where to go for lunch or dinner.
The bigger the group, the harder it is to decide.
Someone will immediately say they feel like pizza. Someone else will reply that they had pizza last time and would rather have a burger. A third person will suggest grilled food, a fourth will mention a salad, and there is always that one person who says:
“I don’t mind.”
Of course, in the end, it turns out they do.
And so, instead of enjoying each other’s company, you spend the first twenty minutes discussing what everyone wants to eat.
When the menu becomes a reason to come back
These days, it is not difficult to find a place that serves good pizza.
It is not difficult to find a place known for its burgers either.
Grilled food is no longer hard to come by.
But how many places do you know where everyone in the group can order something completely different without feeling as though they have had to compromise?
That is what makes the biggest difference.
A good menu is not one that offers a hundred dishes simply for the sake of variety. A good menu is one where every group can find something that makes them want to come back.
Sometimes you feel like pizza. And not just any pizza—the real thing.
We have all said it at least once:
“I’m really craving a good pizza today.”
Not the kind you grab on the go.
But a pizza with dough that is light, crispy around the edges and soft on the inside. A pizza baked in a proper Italian oven, the kind that makes you eat every last piece of crust.
When homemade dough is used and the pizza is prepared without rushing, you can taste the difference from the very first bite.
So it is no surprise that someone at the table will always choose pizza.
And someone will always order a burger
And that is perfectly fine.
Some people prefer the classics.
Some want as much meat as possible.
Some will choose a single patty, others a double, while for some, even three patties are not too much.
What is interesting is that today, a burger does not necessarily have to come in a bun.
More and more people choose the same combination of flavours, but wrapped in a tortilla. Some find it easier to eat, while others simply prefer it that way.
It is nice when you do not have to change what you want to eat just because the menu offers only one version.
And then there is always that one friend who says:
“I’d like something from the grill.”
And you immediately know the conversation is about to start all over again.
Or perhaps it will not.
Because when gourmet burgers, ćevapi, BBQ ribs, generous sharing platters and other grilled dishes are all available in one place, no one feels they have to persuade the rest of the group.
Especially when six or eight people are sitting around the table.
That is exactly why sharing platters have become one of the best ways to enjoy a meal together.
You spend less time deciding what to order and more time talking.
And what if you simply do not feel like eating meat today?
That is a question people rarely used to ask.
Today, almost every group has at least one person who would rather choose a vegetarian meal or something lighter.
And that is no longer the exception.
Meal salads, vegetarian burgers, pizzas, wok dishes and poke bowls are now just as natural a choice as a burger or something from the grill.
That is why it is much more enjoyable when no one at the table feels they have to choose between just two options simply because “there is nothing else available.”
Then there are those who always turn straight to the last page of the menu
You know the type.
While everyone else is choosing their main course, they are already thinking about dessert.
And honestly, it is hard to blame them.
After a good meal, it is difficult to resist XL pancakes, churros or a slice of cake with coffee.
Especially when you are in no hurry.
Food is important. But it is not the only thing you remember.
How many times have you had an excellent lunch and still said you would not return?
Maybe because the place felt cramped.
Maybe because you could barely find a table.
Maybe because parking was a bigger problem than choosing what to eat.
Or perhaps because half the group was still driving around the city centre while everyone else was already seated.
Small details like these stay with us much longer than we realise.
That is exactly why I find myself returning to the same place more and more often.
Not because I want the same dish every time.
Quite the opposite.
Sometimes I choose pizza.
Sometimes a burger.
Sometimes a daily lunch special.
Sometimes a sharing platter.
And sometimes I simply sit on the terrace with a Paulaner and something light to eat.
And every time, I know one thing.
I will not have to think about where to park.
I will not have to wonder whether there will be a table.
I will not have to check whether the kitchen is open, because I know it serves food all day, seven days a week.
That is why Kooglana Food&Fun, located inside Tower Center Rijeka, has increasingly become part of the conversation whenever people discuss where to go for lunch, dinner or a casual meal.
Many people still think of bowling first.
But those who have sat down for a meal know that the story has long since grown beyond entertainment alone.
It is a place where the group no longer has to decide who will compromise.
Because almost everyone can find exactly what they feel like eating that day.
The best feeling after someone asks, “Where should we eat?”, is when no one at the table has to say:
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll just go along with everyone else.”
Instead, everyone orders exactly what they wanted.
M.
