International

examples

A Bary Mleczne public diner in Poland
A Bary Mleczne public diner in Poland. Photo: Anna Chworow

It’s not surprising that there are already examples of public diners working across the world today.

The more we talk about public diners, the more examples we have been hearing about across the world, and the more people we find wanting to make it happen where they are.

This was simply reassuring at first. Now, there are enough parts to form a whole – a whole global movement for public diners. 

So far, we have looked into the following examples of state-supported, universal  restaurants: 

Lessons learned

There is a lot to be learnt from existing public diners. Some important lessons are:

1

State support

There are many options for governance, but state support is always the essential thread.

2

Location is key

Central, well connected locations are important.

3

Low prices

Prices are usually equivalent to a cup of coffee/tea.

4

The right kind of food

Meals need to resonate with the places they operate in.

5

Welcome to all

Open to everyone is what makes them viable – economies of scale + maintained quality.

6

Non-disruptive

They can operate alongside, even complement, other private restaurants