Entrepreneurial Wroclaw: Wroclaw gastronomy is a unique brand

Entrepreneurial Wroclaw events include three days of lectures, workshops, meetings, talks and panel discussions on entrepreneurship.

The second edition of the conference was inaugurated by Jakub Mazur. The Deputy Mayor of Wroclaw spoke about the city's solutions to foster entrepreneurship and institutions whose task is to support and promote entrepreneurs who have chosen Wroclaw as a place to operate. He pointed out that in many business rankings the capital of Lower Silesia ranks high.

Wroclaw is a great place to live for creative and ambitious people. We have many solutions that promote creative, committed people, including the very young. Among them are scholarship programs and projects implemented by the Wrocław Academic Center.

Jakub Mazur, Deputy Mayor of Wroclaw

Wroclaw Gastronomy Council: a platform for cooperation

The series of meetings as part of Entrepreneurial Wroclaw began with a panel on the Wroclaw catering industry. It was attended by:

• Izabela Pieniazczak, Office of the Mayor of Wroclaw, vice-chairman of the Wroclaw Gastronomy Council;
• Robert Rosolek, Okami restaurant;
• Marcin Chmielewski, Przystan&Marina restaurant,
• Maciej Kola, Gastro City gastronomic festivals,
• Janusz Bujko from the research company Beeline Research&Consulting.

The meeting was an opportunity to talk about the most important challenges of running a restaurant, difficulties and forms of support from the magistrate for this part of the economy.

Marcin Chmielewski, owner of the Przystan&Marina restaurant, mentioned that the first experience that provoked him to think about running his own restaurant was a reflection: why is there nowhere in Wroclaw to drink good coffee? Such as in Italy or even Austria.

Robert Rosolek: - When deciding to run a restaurant, you have to take into account that it is a very demanding business. You have to know how to manage people, be ready for the most unexpected situations.

Maciej Kola, organizer of Gastro City events, pointed out the unique relationships in the restaurant industry. - Here there is no competition between individual restaurateurs in its bad context. It's a kind of inspiration for development and continuous improvement of service quality.

Izabela Pieniazczak emphasized that from the beginning of his term of office, Mayor Jacek Sutryk appreciated the city-forming nature of the catering industry. Hence the initiative to establish the Wroclaw Catering Council, which aims to support restaurateurs in Wroclaw in solving problems, promoting initiatives and events conducive to its development. One of them is the Gastro Academy, which is a series of workshops and trainings during which it was possible, among other things, to gain knowledge about the principles of running a restaurant.

- The Wroclaw Catering Council is also a platform for contacts between entrepreneurs, which facilitates the exchange of opinions, ideas and new solutions, and integrates the community. It also serves to build Wroclaw's catering brand," added the council's vice chairwoman.

The city authorities actively supported the catering industry, among other things, during the pandemic, when, as a result of a government decision, establishments had to close overnight. The city mayor decided then, among other things, to reduce rents.

Wroclaw restaurants: the city's showpieces

A study on how to use Wroclaw restaurants in promoting the city was prepared at the request of the Wroclaw authorities. The study was carried out by Beeline Research&Consulting.

Janusz Bujko pointed out that in Wroclaw we do not have a centuries-old culinary tradition, typical of Tuscany or Provence, for example. However, he pointed to a number of phenomena that form Wroclaw's gastronomic brand. These foundations are:

• multiculturalism;
• restaurateurs' passion;
• creativity;
• inspiration from travel;
• openness;
• development;
• authenticity (here understood also as attention to product quality).

Janusz Bujko: - From these foundations comes the character of Wrocław gastronomy, which is inventive, exploratory and slightly rebellious.

The program of further events of the second edition of Entrepreneurial Wroclaw on the organizers' website.

The organizers of the event are: Wroclaw University of Economics and the Young for Wroclaw foundation. The hosts of the meetings are Vivien Rydz and Sergio Pisano from the Young for Wroclaw foundation.