Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
A "Third Place" for Harringay - here's a kinda sorta what a few locals have discussed
Yes it's in the USA. No, it's not exactly what the discussions I've been involved in or heard of have been about. But it's one interesting model:
Crowdsourced innovations are a trend that's taking hold. A new departure on the theme is a crowdsourced restaurant. Enter Elements, an eatery being planned to open next year in Washington. Crafted by a community of some 400 participants, Elements will serve raw and organic locally grown vegetarian food in an environmentally sustainable way.
Although at its heart it will be a restaurant, it clearly sets out to be more too, describing itself as "a third place between home and work for people of all ages, preferences and backgrounds to meet and nourish themselves, the people around them, and the planet....." (Yeah, okay, you gotta forgive the grandiose envirohype)
The Elements project was launched back in February 2007 by Linda Welch, a Washington businesswoman who partnered with local entrepreneur and crowdsourcing proponent Neil Takemoto. Beginning with just 14 members, the community involved in creating the restaurant now includes designers, potential chefs and a local nonprofit called Live Green, which works to help establish environmentally sound businesses, according to the Washington Post.
The concept has expanded dramatically from the original idea for a small cafe to a full-fledged, green-certified restaurant. Members earn points for their participation efforts, such as attending meetings and referring new members; those with at least 1 percent of the total points are eligible to share in the 10 percent of profits allocated to members, the Post reported. Meanwhile Welch, who is funding the project, still has final say on any decisions. Local growers, vintners, brewers, artists, musicians and community groups ultimately will all play a key role in the restaurant, which will also offer classes and lectures and sponsor events.
Elements' crowdsourcing approach has not only provided a way to tap into a broad range of local expertise—one member, for example, is an expert in LEED, the green building certification system—it has also built a loyal base of customers interested in patronising the 3,500-square-foot, community-focused restaurant once it's open.
Crowdsourced innovations are a trend that's taking hold. A new departure on the theme is a crowdsourced restaurant. Enter Elements, an eatery being planned to open next year in Washington. Crafted by a community of some 400 participants, Elements will serve raw and organic locally grown vegetarian food in an environmentally sustainable way.
Although at its heart it will be a restaurant, it clearly sets out to be more too, describing itself as "a third place between home and work for people of all ages, preferences and backgrounds to meet and nourish themselves, the people around them, and the planet....." (Yeah, okay, you gotta forgive the grandiose envirohype)
The Elements project was launched back in February 2007 by Linda Welch, a Washington businesswoman who partnered with local entrepreneur and crowdsourcing proponent Neil Takemoto. Beginning with just 14 members, the community involved in creating the restaurant now includes designers, potential chefs and a local nonprofit called Live Green, which works to help establish environmentally sound businesses, according to the Washington Post.
The concept has expanded dramatically from the original idea for a small cafe to a full-fledged, green-certified restaurant. Members earn points for their participation efforts, such as attending meetings and referring new members; those with at least 1 percent of the total points are eligible to share in the 10 percent of profits allocated to members, the Post reported. Meanwhile Welch, who is funding the project, still has final say on any decisions. Local growers, vintners, brewers, artists, musicians and community groups ultimately will all play a key role in the restaurant, which will also offer classes and lectures and sponsor events.
Elements' crowdsourcing approach has not only provided a way to tap into a broad range of local expertise—one member, for example, is an expert in LEED, the green building certification system—it has also built a loyal base of customers interested in patronising the 3,500-square-foot, community-focused restaurant once it's open.
Tags for Forum Posts: crowdsourcing, local ideas, third space
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Birdy_Too on
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Fruitarian restaurant in Harringay Hugh? Sounds a good concept mind.
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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'Crowdsourcing' in Germany.
The idea of getting together people with various useful skills/experience is essential. Obviously capital is key and a premises. 3500sqft is big!
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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The Inspiral Lounge in Camden Town is a project a bit closer to home combining real world and digital world ideas, blending the two communities. (might be a bit hippy for Harringay but you get the idea)
http://www.inspiralled.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=vi...
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That's an interesting example Liz. When I venture back to Camden with the kidz (been a while) we'll pop in there. Inspiral certainly have an ambitious remit. Something on a smaller scale could work locally I believe ... but I ain't no hippy. :)
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The inSpiral Report
OK, popped in this afternoon with my son. Good excuse to venture a little further. Oliver had a delicious brownie and me a cappuccino; £4:50. Aha, expensive. Food looked good; 3 or 4 vege choices.
Lots of staff (upwards of 20, obviously not all there today) who apparently 'specialize' in a particular area of food or service. Yes, I did speak to one of them. Doesn't sound like profit share happens. The dude who runs it is Dominic of inSpiral festivals apparently.
Customers were staring at their laptops or imaginary mirrors. Seating downstairs is nice as you can sit outside by the canal. 'DJ' was playing ... the Beatles. 'Shop', a few shelves sells music (of course) and herbal remedies (naturally). Several internet portals are available.
That's about it. Not sure there's much we can learn from them but 'the dude' Dominic is contactable by email.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Liz, the Camden the idea as I understand it is a regular concept cafe/restaurant with "ethical" trimmings. Is that right or is there more to it?
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I think their aim is to have more to it than that. They seem to have a bigger project behind them including developing a website (which doesn't seem to operate yet www.ekopia.net into a hotspot for information exchange of "seeking and inspired individuals" .
Yes, they are an 'ethical' business with a 'social change' mission statement 'and they probably want to make some money, but we were talking about creating some kind of social space for Harringay residents and this struck me as an interesting possiblility for a community minded entrepreneur. Being Camden the emphasis is on media and music but I'm sure you would tailor it to something more in keeping with the population. e.g. their idea that if you signed up to them, you could get a card entitling you to reductions in green business could be changed to if you signed up to 'Harringay lounge', you'd get a card getting you 5% off Baldwin's sausages.
See
http://www.idspiral.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&...
for their mission statement.
Like you say Hugh, just chucking ideas into the mix...
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I don't know what this is whether it is a co-op or private ownership but in an ideal Birdy world I would love this in Harringay. I'm dreaming I know, but this punk / hippy / vegan place is the kind of place I love.
This place also hosts art exhibitions, film viewings, supports the community etc etc. Again a bit to punk rock for here mind : )
http://www.pogocafe.co.uk/
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I appreciate that the 'crowdsourcing' element is what makes the two American projects interesting, but the second one was launched by an entrpreneur, I note.
Whereas Inspiral have a profit share scheme for their employees, they are not inviting members as such to help build the business. I found their wish to create a following online interesting and noted their idea for a website (not a social network, I note) but I suggest that they may not have been ambitious enough.
I think its useful to look at British projects though as they seem a little closer and more accessible than American ones, and perhaps make people feel ideas are 'doable' when seen in a British context.
We do have much to learn from the Americans for all that, and both the above ideas have inspiring elements, The 'Elements' ideas of points for participation, for example, with a share of profits for those who contrubute the most is certainly a way of ensuring that people stay focused.
No harm in thinking aloud...
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