Poland: new store concepts with bistro

Poland’s biggest wholefood retailer, the Organic Farma Zdrowia Group, increased turnover in 2014 by 25 %, which equates to a 25 % rise in value from 52 million zloty (12.5 million euros) to over 65 million zloty (15.1 million euros). By implementing a franchise system, the company’s aim is to be operating 100 specialist wholefood stores avross the whole of Poland by the end of 2017. Organic Farma Zdrowia (Health from Organic Farms) owns the online shops Ekosfera24 and Organic24, and it also has a share in the subsidiaries Eco-Vital (28 %), the wholefood wholesaler Bio Planet (100 %) and the restaurant chain Green Way (30 %). Bio Planet, founded in 2005, increased net profit significantly in 2014 to PLN 1.5 million (348,000 euros) from PLN 1.1 million (232,000 euros) in the preceding year.

Picture: "Organic" is a concept of the Organic Farma Zdrowia Group, the biggest wholefood retailer of Poland. But also the wholesaler Bio Planet is part of the group.

Bio Planet is one of the best known trademarks

The Bio Planet brand logo is one of the best known trademarks for organic products in Poland. The wholesaler supplies its brand to the specialist wholefood trade, conventional food stores and the catering sector, known as HORECA (Hotels, Restaurants, Catering). Organic Farma assumes that the most important market for its products and services lies in Poland in the years ahead. So the company strategy for 2015-2017 is dynamic expansion of the network of wholefood stores and the search for more franchise partners. Organic Farma Zdrowia is planning to open more stores in the best shopping centres and shopping streets in cities with more than 300,000 inhabitants. Under this name, it currently operates 24 stores in Warsaw, Krakow, Posnan, Danzig, Breslau and some other locations. On Portalspozywczy.pl, we are told that the company’s intention is also to launch outlets with a new convenience concept in prime locations in big and medium-size cities. Another eleven traditional food stores with wholefood departments are also operated by the company, so that the total number of their stores in Poland is currently around 35.

Picture: the concept was launched in 2010

Organic Green Eye - new retail concept in Warsaw

Organic Green Eye is the name of a new retail concept in Warsaw. The first store was opened on 10 September 2014 in the Saska Kepa district (ul. Zwycięzców 32), that lies to the south-west of downtown Warsaw. The concept incorporates a wholefood outlet, a bistro and a bakery. “We’re going a stage further and offer customers near where they live a fantastic selection of fresh organic products, including warm bread and an Italian-style bistro, with all products coming from organic agriculture,” says Sławomir Chłoń, the president of the firm Organic Farma Zdrowia in conversation with the specialist Polish magazine Bio-Kurier .

On offer in the bistro are sandwiches, smoothies, fruit and vegetable juices, tea and coffee. In a little show bakery, customers can see bread, such as French baguettes, being baked.
Customers with a notebook or smartphone who want to surf the net are delighted with the free WiFi. As representatives of Organic Farma Zdrowia, the firm that has developed the Organic Green Eye concept (in Polish: Organic Zielone Oko), pointed out, the convenience store model has proved to be a success in the United States and a number of Asian countries.

Picture: Organic Green Eye is the name of a fresh and convenience concept of Organic Farma

Totomato - the first real organic supermarket

The first real organic supermarket (500 m²) Totomato opened its doors recently at 28-34 Piękna Street. On one of the major thoroughfares about 500 m to the south-east of the main railway station, the store’s location is ideal for vehicle access. Totomato, as the new store is called, has also adopted the combi-concept with a bistro similar to Organic Green Eye and Organic Corner (see our earlier report). As we can see from the report of Karol Przybyllak from Bio-Kurier, the launch was in February 2014.
Incorporated in the new store is an events room. Totomato is run by a group of people with a passion for health, cooking and tasty food, all based on natural principles. They came from different industries, such as the advertising and fitness sectors or with experience gained in large-scale companies, says Amelia Romanik, one of the founders. The team focuses above all on regional products and environmental education in their new eco centre, and they hold cookery workshops, conferences, events for children, lectures and panel discussions in the training facility.

Picture: Totomato is the first organic supermarket with 500 m²

Organic Coffee is an organic restaurant

Not far from the new Totomato, an organic café named Organic Coffee has opened  in the same road at Piękna 19. They only serve organic products, which is very rare in Poland. But they don't only serve hot and cold drinks, cake, cocktails and smoothies - you can also order a meal at lunchtime. The initiator and owner of the new restaurant is Ewelina Blaszczyk. She established the business together with her partner James Hancock. She is especially proud of the locally roasted top-quality organic fairtrade coffee. The new café is on two levels: in the basement is a bar; on the first floor families with children are most welcome, with a lot of playing opportunities for kids. Ewelina and James want to show that organic is available for everybody at an affordable price.

Picture: more than only coffee - you can  have a complete meal at Organic Coffee.

Photos Kai Kreuzer and described companies Tatomato, Organic Green Eye, Bioplnet.