Untitled success story: How Brovary creates opportunities for entrepreneurs

Brovary, one of the largest cities in the Kiev region, is now known not only for its history, infrastructure and active cultural life, but also for creating comfortable conditions for business development. Thanks to the efforts of local authorities and the support of entrepreneurs, the city confidently occupies a prominent place among the communities with the most favorable business climate in Ukraine. One of the success stories in Brovary was the history of the development of the cafe "Untitled", writes UNN.

Business Support Programs

Brovary has numerous programs aimed at supporting small and medium-sized businesses. According to Brovarsky Mayor Igor Sapozhko, one of the main tasks of the community is to create conditions in which every entrepreneur can realize their potential.

"Our task is to create a city of opportunities. We strive to help entrepreneurs who want to develop their business, invest in society and create new jobs," the mayor told UNN.

Effective initiatives include preferential rental conditions for Communal Property, special programs for entrepreneurs who employ displaced persons, as well as support for businesses in infrastructure modernization.

Thanks to its transparent policy and openness to cooperation, Brovary also attracts international investment. In addition, local entrepreneurs can receive grants to develop their own businesses.

"Untitled"

One example of how to grow from a small cafe to a serious institution is the cafe "Untitled" in Brovary. The owner of the establishment , Mykola Golovaty, told UNNthat after the outbreak of war, he moved from Donetsk in 2015, and immediately went to work as an assistant broker. In 2017, he received the status of an internally displaced person and opened his own logistics business. Later, I decided to open a small cafe in the city with delicious, unusual shawarma, for this I received a microgrant in Brovary. With a grant of 250 thousand UAH, he purchased the necessary equipment.

"The idea came up quite a long time ago, I didn't have enough shawarma in Brovary, I had a shawarma with Dorblu cheese, with four cheeses, so unusual. And I also noticed that young people have nowhere to go, so that it doesn't really hit their pockets - take a walk with a girl somewhere, sit in an institution. So I decided to open a cafe, call it "untitled". One of the reasons why I decided to call it that is  so that a young man, when he took a girl on a date, did not say that it was in shawarma "to Ashot", but said – there is no name there," Golovaty said, adding that each dish is their recipe invention.

However, shawarma with different types of cheese is not the only feature of the establishment.

"I am also a very big fan of art, unfortunately I don't draw myself, but I respect it very much. We didn't have an exhibition of paintings anywhere in Brovary, I went to other cities, and I really missed it in our city. So we decided to help our artists. And it is "untitled" that also means that art has no borders. And our establishment-that's what it goes for. We have paintings by artists on display, and it's free of charge. Not only artists of our city – they also come from Kiev, just hang out their paintings in our institution and everyone comes, buys these paintings and the funds immediately go to the artist. We don't take anything from it. The artist receives funds, " Golovaty shared.

According to him, many people liked this idea of the cafe. Even children can exhibit their works of art in the institution. "One schoolgirl decided to go to art school after studying, because she believed in herself. In two years, we have sold about 80 paintings. That's a lot. And young people buy them, they come, talk about these paintings – and I am very pleased to see it," the owner of the cafe admitted.

He added that he consults about the paintings that artists want to exhibit with art experts who evaluate a particular canvas and then decide whether to take it or not.

Untitled also offers table tennis and board games. "That is, everyone can come with their friends, sit down and play board games, for free.I was very pleased when young people came, took chess and played. I also organized tournaments, and I plan to do it in a new place, with prizes. Participation is free of charge. They play Mafia, I also have a projector, some videos were shown," Golovaty said.

According to him, now the institution is expanding, because it receives a grant to support business.

"Now we have a move, we are expanding a little, because there is not enough space. And we will expand with the help of a grant – my wife is currently receiving a grant, the other day she had a successful interview. We have a lot of grantees," the businessman said.

He added that he also helps other entrepreneurs receive grants for free. Already with its help, two such grants were received. "If people are nice, I will always help and advise them," Golovaty said.

Add

In Brovary, the City Council operates A Business Support Center, where entrepreneurs and people who are just planning to open their right can get free advice on Business Registration, renting premises and receiving grants. This year, about 150 people, mostly representatives of micro and small businesses, applied to the Center.

According to the mayor of Brovary Igor Sapozhko, during the period of martial law in the framework of the implementation of 76 Investment Projects Brovary managed to attract more than UAH 466 million in investment and create almost 600 new jobs. He added that during the period of martial law in the Brovary community, the number of various firms and individual entrepreneurs has increased-currently there are more than 18 thousand of them. 

In addition to foreign funding, Brovary will also receive other Assistance from its Twin Cities. For example, German partners provided generators, medical equipment, special transport and many other assistance to the local community. In order  to determine specific areas of further cooperation with his Ukrainian colleagues, a representative of the municipality of the German twin city of Jena, City Councilor Mathias MIT, arrived in Brovary in October.

In total, within the framework of cooperation with the German cities of Jena and Erlangen, as well as the LAN-Dill District, Brovary received three ambulances, four fire trucks, three public transport units, one school bus, generators, various equipment for educational institutions of the community and a modular town where displaced people live.