Passion breeds the most beautiful memories. And #memories give birth to experiences. Dorota Zdanowska, owner of the Tam i z Powrotem café in Warsaw's Mokotów district, shares her passion for travel and international flavours with her guests in a place that was born out of her greatest passion, nearly 9 years ago. It has survived storms and pandemics, allowing it to make us happy with the best. This year, we have joined this extraordinary journey by supporting the brand with marketing. We want to tell you a little more about her.
MelonBlanc: Let's start from the beginning. Where did you get the idea for the travel cafe concept?
D.Z: Firstly, I think it's simply a combination of the two activities that have always made me happy and most engaged - hosting and meeting people and travelling. Secondly, I wanted and needed to create a place for myself and people like me, you could call it an asylum, where the world slows down and gets softer and where we can feel at ease, just be more ourselves; support each other and of course plan further expeditions big and small. I dreamt of a place that would attract people like me.
Cafe is not only about delicious coffee and snacks, but also selected wines and exquisite desserts prepared by Dorota's loved ones. What is more, thanks to the travel lectures held once in a while in the small space There and Back Again, we can delve into the memories of people who love freedom and travel on a different scale. Guests include Krzysiek Pruszyński, historian and documentary filmmaker, Ewa Stachura & Marta Vargas Pinzon, with stories straight from Spitzbergen, or Radek Kucharski, author of many guidebooks, with stories straight from trekking under Everest.
MelonBlanc: What is the flagship of the café that sets it apart from others?
D.Z: I'd say the décor because that's something I can influence 24 hours a day :D No one can change that for me ;) A platform with Thai poufs to lie on and chairs, hammocks usually arouse a lot of enthusiasm from Guests who visit for the first time. Definitely also the atmosphere, because I really carefully choose the crew I work with. I try to get the girls behind the bar to pull people out of their anonymous urban world, so that you can sit in our place and feel less lonely, cooler and just plain important.
MelonBlanc: What would you say about Guests who visit the Café?
D.Z: Very different people come to us. The first group are people from the local area who have found us to be a local, friendly café. Some people have been coming to us from the very beginning, which means we have known each other for almost nine years. There are also guests who have met at our place and have become good friends for each other. This group ranges in age from students and primary school teachers from the area, to young people renting flats in the area, to seniors who have been living here for years. The second group are the people from the so-called "Mordor" especially in summer we have a lot of Guests who want to catch a bit of chill and escape the corporate order. Finally, there are the travellers - guests who come from different parts of Warsaw to meet and plan their next trip - the sight of a table covered with a map, or now more with a tablet, with Google maps always makes me smile. There are visitors who come to play games, of which we have several on the shelf.
MelonBlanc: You travel yourself and that's a topic for a completely different, equally interesting conversation :) But I'm curious, which trip has influenced you the most and contributed to the project that is the Café?
D.Z: My first trip was definitely to Thailand, the island of Koh Lippe, which I actually visited twice, and it was there that I wanted a different life - a different environment for myself at work. That's where I got the idea and where I had a dream that showed me what it could be like. You can read this story on the café's website >>>.
Of course, the realisation of this plan was not immediate :) First I had to part with a well-paid and engaging job in events, which I was good at. This was helped by my second journey - hiking the Frances trail to Santiago de Compostella and on to Finistera. This journey gave me the strength to change myself and my professional life. It was during this journey, or rather towards the end of it, that the idea and image of , "There and Back" crystallised.
MelonBlanc: What are travel talks and how can you be part of them?
These are meetings of travellers - simply people who have made some interesting trip, somewhere in the world, and want to share with others their knowledge, experiences, emotions related to this trip. The idea is to make travel easier, embolden and inspire people. In order to do your talk, all you need to do is to have an account of some journey and write to us :) You are welcome!
From here, we invite you to visit the Café, especially to try the lavender LATTE and (if you're lucky) the best lemon tart made by Dorothy's mum.
Kawiarnia Tam i z Powrotem
Antoniego Edwarda Odyńca 71, Warsaw