From the very first cart at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall to the white pop-up store at Macedonia Palace and the black-tie elegance of special events, the sweet story of Konstantinos Liapis continues its delicious journey!

On Thessaloniki’s New Waterfront, opposite Macedonia Palace, an elegant white mobile store draws queues of people every day from April to October, establishing Red Cap as one of the city’s most distinctive—and certainly sweetest—projects. The reason is simple and deeply emotional: by serving its syrup-soaked, imaginative, and irresistibly tasty loukoumades, Red Cap offers a joyful pause, a return to memory, and an experience that blends tradition with contemporary aesthetics. For 13 years now, steadily and patiently, it has been discovered by more and more people, expanded and evolved—always with surprises in store!

Behind the project is Konstantinos Liapis, a pastry professional by family tradition and later by choice. Born in Melissochori, Thessaloniki, he grew up in an environment that proved decisive for his future: his parents’ café, where they served vanilla and chocolate ice cream and loukoumades based on their own original recipe. It was there that Konstantinos received daily “sweet” stimuli for years. His father, Ioannis, a pastry chef, began in the late 1990s to make cakes and pastries as well, gradually setting up a small pastry workshop that would later become today’s family chocolate company, Liapis S.A.

Growing up in this sugar-filled environment—playing with wrappers and packaging (and even once falling into the loukoumades syrup pot as a child!)—Konstantinos learned early the value of patience, craftsmanship, and love for detail. He soon realized that pastry-making and cooking were his calling. He studied baking, pastry, culinary arts, and marketing, combining technical expertise with a modern business mindset. While his sisters, Stavroula and Christina, now run the family business, he has dedicated himself to sweetening our everyday life to the fullest—making his loukoumades famous first along the New Waterfront and then throughout Thessaloniki.

The story of Red Cap

The story of Red Cap began in 2012, when Konstantinos Liapis, in the midst of the economic crisis, decided to take loukoumades—and his family recipe—out onto the street. A small cart with a red-and-white awning appeared next to the Thessaloniki Concert Hall. Above all stood out the pastry chef’s red cap, which ultimately gave the venture its name. An elderly customer once told him, “When you wear the cap, we know the loukoumades are ready.” And so the name remained, marking every step of what was then a brand-new project.

From then until today, Red Cap has grown without losing its character. A recent rebranding introduced the modern, eco-friendly white pop-up store that operates for half the year—from spring to autumn—on the New Waterfront, keeping just one red element: Konstantinos’s cap. The philosophy remains unchanged: handmade products, human connection, and a smile generously shared with every customer.

The richest loukoumades!

The flavor palette at Red Cap covers every version of this beloved traditional dessert. From classic loukoumades with syrup and cinnamon or blossom honey, to tempting bites with handmade pralines, dark chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. Filled loukoumades with Ferrero, butter biscuit, Aegina pistachio, or caramelized hazelnut croquant have already gained a devoted following. The menu also includes cookies made with cultured butter and salted caramel, finished with aromatic coarse salt.

Today’s “fleet” and catering services

Over the past three years, Red Cap has dynamically developed its catering services, offering pop-up concepts for weddings, christenings, and corporate events, aiming to cover every need—from mouthwatering loukoumades and savory finger food to furniture, tableware, and complete bar services.

The project’s “fleet” includes two premium white vehicles, two standard pop-up mobile units (the classic red-and-white striped design), and one black-tie vehicle designed in black tones for the most elegant and minimal occasions.

A journey of heartfelt dedication

In other words, a steady and well-structured path of success—exactly as this unique venture deserves, having come to sweeten our lives! Its secret? A daily “offering of the soul.” Red Cap measures success not only in queues and sales, but in smiles, in friendships born at the counter, and in the emotion of those who say, “It reminds me of my childhood.”

It proves every day that a simple dessert can become a source of joy. Because, in the end, a good loukoumas needs many ingredients—just like a good story, which begins with father Ioannis and Melissochori and reaches the streets of Thessaloniki, with loukoumades as a much-loved street food treat.

Tip: Red Cap products are also available via e-food and Wolt.