misto.cafe, a café of social impact in Lutsk
- Publication date
misto.cafe is an entirely new establishment type in Lutsk. It has 100 co-founders and commits 80% of its net profit to support projects for Lutsk's development.
The café opened in September 2024 and is situated on Bohdana Khmelnyts'koho St., 26 in the city centre.
misto.cafe aims to be a project that unites proactive citizens with a shared desire to develop the region they live in and to make everyone in the community become changemakers.
What the “café of social impact” concept is?
80% of its net profit is directed towards supporting initiatives to implement positive changes in Lutsk, and 20% covers the café’s operation activities.
“Different people, one city. Different people, one place” is the slogan of the new café. And everyone here participates in city development. The guests contribute to future grants by paying their bills, while activists propose ideas and receive funding for their implementation.
Who are the co-founders of misto.café?
100 socially active people who are interested in Lutsk’s development. They all made an equal one-time non-refundable contribution to the project's start. An important point is that, according to the project's terms, a co-founder cannot be anonymous, a legal entity, or a political figure.
Co-founders are not involved with the operational activities of misto.cafe and don’t claim any share of the financial profits. However, they determine the themes of grant seasons at quarterly general meetings. They also choose projects to receive funding through voting.
Considering the times we live in, we added a priority component to the program this grant season - support for veterans and military personnel into projects. It means that initiatives with this focus will have a preference in the case of a tie during the final voting stage”
A well-known café enthusiast, with over 19 years of experience in restaurant management, Serhii Kapatsyna manages the café.
“We aim to be not only a bright point on the Ukrainian gastronomic map but to unite people with the same values and provide positive changes in Lutsk”
The interior was designed by balbek bureau, a Ukrainian award-winning architecture and interior design studio.
In January 2025, misto.cafe unveiled its inaugural grant season, with a successful first quarter since its inception. Read the full story via link.
misto.cafe was initiated by Algorytm NGO, drawing inspiration from Urban Space 100, the project of Teple Misto NGO in Ivano-Frankivsk. It is the first Ukrainian social restaurant, directing 80% of its profit toward implementing civic projects. It has supported 163 initiatives during 10 years of successful operation.
