On the 15^th of March, the launch of the Urban Space 500 public restaurant — a social enterprise co-owned by 500 social investors, who will irrevocably invest USD 1,000 in the project — was announced in Kyiv.

Yurii Fyliuk, Teple Misto Platform Head: “One of the basic values of the Teplie Misto Platform is its openness. We always share our experience if it may be useful to anyone. Urban Space 100 proved to be a cool social innovation positively affecting the city. We received more than 200 applications for the opening of similar spaces in other cities. Therefore, we decided to develop a social franchise for the project of transferring experience to public platforms in other cities, where, according to our model, they will try to unite the required number of social investors, choose a local restaurant management company, and launch a space with its further administration.”

Svitlana Musii, Druzi Management Company: “Our company fully supports the philosophy of sustainable development. We believe that by combining our efforts we will be able to start real changes in our society. Participation in this project for us is an opportunity to make a real, long-term contribution to a good case and realize our potential within a socially-responsible business. After five years of successful operation in the restaurant business, we have something to share.”

Those who want to become Urban Space 500 co-founders are encouraged to file an application to the
e-mail address urbanspace500@gmail.com.

Find out more information about the project on the Urban Space 500’s website (the Franchise section).

Yana Ibrahimova, co-founder of Urban Space 500: “In my opinion, Urban Space as an ideology is a part of the reform of Ukrainian set of mind — from paternalism to passionarity, where only we are responsible for our thoughts, deeds, and lives; from expectations to actions; from privileges to responsibility. This social innovation mounted into a simple, clear, and effective mechanism of interaction is what should become a part of the country’s cultural, social, and entrepreneurial progress.”

Sviatoslav Popov, Urban Space 500 Project Coordinator, Insha Osvita NGO: Insha Osvita’s mission is in the creation of an education space and new educational opportunities for Kyiv supporting them at Urban Space 500. This project will become a sample space where you can study or work, meet with friends, and develop. It is an ideological continuation of our passion for innovative models at the intersection of various sectors of society for the sake of its sustainable development.”

The facility will open in Kyiv in 2017. The restaurant’s 80 % of profit will be spent on public non-profit projects in Kyiv. Urban Space 500 will be inexpensive and convenient for people with mobility impairment, friendly for a variety of educational and cultural events, and open to different using styles—from lunch to business meetings or just reading alone.

In addition to the restaurant and venue for events, Urban Space 500 will have a radio studio — Urban Space Radio, which will professionally broadcast urban and social projects. Urban Space 500 will be the first space opened by the prototype and under the social franchise of the already successful Urban Space 100 in Ivano-Frankivsk.