First tram cafe to open

 
Krakow will be home to the first cafe tram in Poland. Two bidders, Jordan and the Przewlocki Company, have won the MPK tender for the purchase of a Nuremberg tram and the rights to use the city’s tramlines to initiate a new conceptual coffee shop tram. The cafe tram will commence its inaugural journey on August 13 from pl. Wszystkich Swietych at 11:00 taking its first cafe enthusiastic passengers on a trip around the city. Like its Stockholm or Copenhagen counterparts, the coffee shop tram will serve its passengers with refreshments while taking them on journeys around the city. The tram will function according to a timetable, available within a week, and passengers will be able to hop on and off the tram at its designated tram stops. One of the owners of the concept, Krystian Przewlocki, told The Krakow Post he wants the tram to be another way of showing people the sights of Krakow “in a comfortable setting.” The old 20-meter Nuremberg tram has undergone renovation and refurbishment, complete with new electrical fittings, brake and mechanical improvements and safety checks. The tram will retain a late 19th Century deco with comfortable couches and tables in place of regular tram seats. A ceiling constructed solely of mirrors, as well as table lamps and golden fixtures will add to the unique ambiance. The tram will also have four video monitors informing its passengers of Krakow’s history and a guide presenting information about the city in English and Polish. Of course the tram’s major draw card is its ability to serve coffee and a bite to eat. Przewlocki is excited about the tram being one of a kind in Poland. “The tram will not only be the first coffee shop tram but will also be the first air-conditioned tram in Poland,” he said. The tram is also fitted with water tanks, sinks and espresso coffee machines. Grzegorz Dyrkacz, responsible for tram traffic management at MPK, assures the cafe tram will not cause any congestion problems on its routes. “The tram will not run in peak hours, and will avoid the Karmelicka and Basztowa tramlines,” he told The Krakow Post. He added that the Cichy Kacik and the Wawrzyniec tram stops will be the designated rest stop areas for the cafe. In a signed agreement, the private operator will reimburse the electricity usage of the tram to MPK, which in turn has an agreement signed with the town’s electricity board. The tram will be operated by experienced licensed tram drivers hired by the private company. Dyrkacz emphasized that should the private company require additional help from its pool of operators, MPK would be happy to assist. Aside from its daily routes the tram is available for group hire and private parties. The cafe tram can also be hired for additional tram routes, such as Nowa Huta.