Grupa Warszawa

In 2008, Grupa Warszawa won a call for bids for the development of a modernist building of the suburban railway station Warszawa Powiśle. At a cost of PLN 750,000 (US$190,000), in the former ticket office rented from the Polish State Railways, and renovated by the design group Centrala, the company opened a café-bar with homemade food and beer.[6][7] On June 26, 2009, over 2,000 people appeared at the grand opening.[8]

As the organizer of several thousand cultural events, the bar has become one of the most popular venues in Warsaw.[9][10][11] It has promoted young culture and art – so far, the interiors have been decorated with wall decal by artists Edward Dwurnik, Jan Dziaczkowski,[12] and Jan Kallwejt.[13] In 2013, Gazeta Wyborcza called the Warszawa Powiśle one of the “10 Pubs That Changed Warsaw.”[14]

Although from the very launch of the bar, its popularity that attracted crowds was the reason for numerous complaints and city guard interventions.[15][16] In September 2012, the guards filed withdrawing the license to sell alcohol.[17][18] After artists and celebrities stood up to defend the bar,[19] the application was ultimately rejected by the district mayor.[20]

On New Year's Eve 2011, Redkie and Kraciuk, together with the new partner Hubert Karsz, opened a whiskey bar Syreni Śpiew [The Mermaid Song], in another modernist pavilion of the former hotel restaurant-and-cafe.[21] For the needs of the venue with live music, the Grupa Warszawa creators have restored the building, along with original mosaics, maintaining as much original decor as possible.[22][23] Fashion shows, conventions, photo shoots, and professional conferences were regularly held in the bar.[24]

It was located in its original location until 2016,[25] as the poor condition of the building prevented further operation of the premises.[26] A new, multi-level restaurant headquarters, with a club and bar, was opened in September 2019, at the complex Praga Koneser Center.[27]

In 2012, Grupa Warszawa opened a small confectionery Lody na Patyku [The Ice Lolly], that served dessert wines and organized art workshops and animations for children.[7][28] Between 2015–2019, in a socialist-realist building at Warsaw's Żurawia Street, the bistro Zorza [The Dawn] was opened, with interiors in the Art Deco style.[29]

From June 2016, in a modernist Biała Willa [The White Villa] with a garden, in Saska Kępa, the company ran a restaurant Biała – Zjedz i wypij [Eat and Drink], based on contemporary Polish cuisine.[30][31] Until April 2020,[32] the restaurant was a place of regular art exhibitions and design galleries.[33][34][35]

Further venues included the cafe Moderna in the Museum of Modern Art,[7] an intimate cocktail bar Weles,[36] a grill bar Ruszt [The Grate] – and an Asian garden restaurant Fokim[37] (later renamed Granda [The Rumpus]), with live music, karaoke, and gua bao rolls.[38]

In addition to running clubs and restaurants, Grupa Warszawa also runs an art foundation Fundacja Więcej Sztuki,[39] and a convention center Szarotka [The Edelweiss].[40][41] It also provides marketing consulting services,[42] and implements commissioned gastronomic projects.[43][44] Between 2013–2015, it ran a seasonal cultural pavilion Stacja Mercedes (with the local branch of Mercedes-Benz).[45][46]

From January 2020, Grupa Warszawa ran a program of cheap dinners for students and seniors. In April 2020, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program evolved to a crowd-funded charity Posiłek dla Seniora (Meals for Seniors), where the Syreni Śpiew cooks prepare and deliver lunches for the elderly.[32]