The medieval Polish city of Torun is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a tourist attraction. However, an important part of the population struggles to get by. 16% of inhabitants living in the old town is on community-based social assistance due to poverty and unemployment. There is a lack of business models promoting city revitalization, eco-sustainability, zero waste and circular economy.

Studio M6 Foundation is committed to revitalising Torun’s community by launching business initiatives and organising local festivals and concerts, fundraising, and social campaigns. That way, it creates quality job opportunities for vulnerable groups in the historic city centre and surrounding areas.

One of Studio M6 Foundation’s lines of business is the PERS social café. This vegan cafe hires aspiring workers grappling with long-term unemployment, including people with disabilities, migrants, refugees, women, people at risk of poverty or homelessness, and youth.

The PERS café offers vegan food delicatessen, a bistro and a catering service. By making its products from scratch, it does not rely on external suppliers and is able to keep its prices low for visitors and tourists. The café follows zero-waste policies, donating surplus food to Torun residents in need and packaging its food products in recyclable containers.

The Studio M6 Foundation reinvests its profits to provide more resources for its employees, including training programs, ranging from bartending to management, so they can advance their careers.

When PERS café saw sales go down during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Studio M6 Foundation reacted quickly and launched a repair and maintenance service to diversify its lines of business. Targeting local housing associations, the maintenance service grew rapidly in its first year. By participating in the Poland and Romania accelerator, the Studio M6 Foundation will expand its service capacity. The social enterprise will invest in equipment and hire more employees from vulnerable groups to keep pace with rising demand.

As PERS café recovers from the impacts of the pandemic, the programme will also support Studio M6 Foundation to strengthen the café’s position in the vegan food market and introduce new vegan products. In addition, the social enterprise will develop online sales and expand to new markets.

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We are especially pleased with the participation in the NESsT IKEA Social Entrepreneurship accelerator because it will make it possible for us to develop the necessary infrastructure and professionalization of our team even more. That way, we can expand the support and activation opportunities we offer to people at risk of poverty and social exclusion. 

Artur Kaniecki - President of the Board, Studio M6 Foundation.