One of Poland’s first and most successful vegan burger chains is about to close its doors for the final time.
Krowarzywa – a pun on the Polish words for ‘cow’ and ‘vegetables’ – was an award-winning pioneer of Poland’s plant-based food boom, becoming one of the sector’s best-loved restaurants.
At its height in 2022, the cult brand had 22 branches in 10 cities, but it is set to shut its last eatery, located on ul. Chmielna in Warsaw, at the end of March.
The firm’s co-founder and co-owner, Krzysztof Bożek, said that increased costs and more competition had contributed to the chain’s demise.
“Costs went up: products, energy, rents, salaries,” Bożek told the Puls Biznesu website.
“Customer numbers fell sharply as well. Last year sales dropped by half.
“It may be that interest in plant-based food has decreased, it may be the complete opposite. In a sense we have become victims of our own success.”
At its height in 2022, the cult brand had 22 branches in 10 cities, but it is set to shut its last eatery, located on ul. Chmielna in Warsaw, at the end of March.
The firm’s co-founder and co-owner, Krzysztof Bożek, said that increased costs and more competition had contributed to the chain’s demise.
“Costs went up: products, energy, rents, salaries,” Bożek told the Puls Biznesu website.
“Customer numbers fell sharply as well. Last year sales dropped by half.
“It may be that interest in plant-based food has decreased, it may be the complete opposite. In a sense we have become victims of our own success.”
Vegan pioneers of Poland’s burger boom
Founded in 2012 by Bożek and his friend Hubert Denis, Krowarzywa rode on a wave of interest in both vegan food and burger joints that swept through the Polish capital and beyond in the early 2010s.
Speaking to the Forbes.pl website in 2020, Bożek said that, in the early days, they had managed “to gather a large group of very committed customers,” eventually expanding from their tiny Warsaw premises to another part of the city, and later to Kraków.
It became a benchmark for Polish vegan cuisine – and helped build Warsaw’s glowing reputation as a foodie destination for non-meat-eaters. It was crowned the world’s best city for vegans by National Geographic magazine in 2022.
But with Krowarzywa shutting down – and others doing the same – some are asking whether the boom for specialist vegan and vegetarian eateries is over.
In an interview with Wirtualna Polska, the economist Dr Robert Orpych said that more mainstream restaurants had expanded their menus to offer vegan options, providing fresh competition for specialist joints. Rising costs is another major factor, he added.
Krowarzywa co-founder Bożak said the company had tried to decrease costs, had changed its marketing strategy to attract new customers, and had been in talks with potential investors. But the gastronomy sector is in a “tough” situation, he said.
“We are ending our operation in its current form,” he told Puls Biznesu.
“We might come back if economic conditions improve, and if someone wants to take our brand and give it a new life, we are open. We believe it still has potential.”
Speaking to the Forbes.pl website in 2020, Bożek said that, in the early days, they had managed “to gather a large group of very committed customers,” eventually expanding from their tiny Warsaw premises to another part of the city, and later to Kraków.
It became a benchmark for Polish vegan cuisine – and helped build Warsaw’s glowing reputation as a foodie destination for non-meat-eaters. It was crowned the world’s best city for vegans by National Geographic magazine in 2022.
But with Krowarzywa shutting down – and others doing the same – some are asking whether the boom for specialist vegan and vegetarian eateries is over.
‘Tough conditions’ for the food sector
In an interview with Wirtualna Polska, the economist Dr Robert Orpych said that more mainstream restaurants had expanded their menus to offer vegan options, providing fresh competition for specialist joints. Rising costs is another major factor, he added.
Krowarzywa co-founder Bożak said the company had tried to decrease costs, had changed its marketing strategy to attract new customers, and had been in talks with potential investors. But the gastronomy sector is in a “tough” situation, he said.
“We are ending our operation in its current form,” he told Puls Biznesu.
“We might come back if economic conditions improve, and if someone wants to take our brand and give it a new life, we are open. We believe it still has potential.”
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