Made in a monastery near you
Benedictine monks from the Tyniec monastery in Kraków will begin selling their exclusive wares in stores across the country. Over the next two years, the brothers plan to open close to 110 stores under the Produkty Benedyktyńskie name on the basis of franchising agreements with shopowners that fit the strict standards of the brotherhood.
"We've received a number of proposals since the news about the project broke," says Father Zygmunt Galoch, the director of the monastery's business department. "We are considering each one very carefully, making sure that cooperation will run smoothly with the existing owner, that the computer system is compatible with ours, that the store itself is pleasant and, of course, that it is situated in a prime location in each of the cities where we will operate. It is very important that the store owners we cooperate with believe in our products and the philosophy behind their production," he adds.
The monks signed seven contracts in the first three weeks of operation and plan to open their first store in June. They are focusing on cities with a population of over 200,000. Cities like Warsaw and Kraków will have five or more locations, while cities like Raszyn and Lublin will have one or two. Licenses for store owners that make the grade will cost about zł.25,000.
The stores will sell goods solely derived from the traditional production of monasteries and convents, such as jams, cakes, honey, candy, chocolate, bread, beer, wine and coffee, and these products will be imported from all over Europe, as well as places as far away as Australia, Kenya and Sri Lanka.
