Koliba, which will be the name of the pub, will be unique in its own way, as the two friends plan to make it out of a used ship container. The names of all those who have and will pledge funds for their campaign will be inscribed in the "bar of fame" (idea taken from the Hollywood walk of fame). At the moment they have managed to collect over 2,500 euros. Their goal is to raise 15,000 euros and there are three more weeks until the end of the campaign. An encouraging fact is that the media has shown great interest for their project.
More than the design itself, the pub's concept is what has aroused all the interest. Koliba will be the first pub in Slovenia to ban mobile phones. When guests place their orders they will have to put their phones in specially installed boxes which will then be locked. The staff will then hang the key of the box behind the counter and give it to the guests when they decide to leave. "The first reactions confirm that our idea is interesting and is worth the attention. People agree that there is an excessive use of smartphones today, and they realize that they would be prepared to spend a couple of hours without their "best" friend," the two told MMC.
Want a location by the sea
The exact location for Koliba has not been chosen yet, but Vinkovič and Brdnik would like to set it up along the coast. They say it will be a summer pub with plenty of fresh air. They're not writing off parts of central Slovenia either, especially if they find a location by a lake or river. The two are also open to suggestions from their supporters, as Koliba is intended for them. However, bureaucracy will have the final say, as they expect (as always) certain difficulties. But the two youths remain optimistic and believe that they will find a suitable location.
As students, Vinkovič and Brdnik dreamt about having their own pub, "a simple place, with a soul", even when they organized all kinds of events, from freshman parties to meeting parties and picnics. "We wanted our parties to be well visited, and so we had to make our friends and other student colleagues come. And then the joy of organizing such parties went that far, that we asked ourselves why we don't open our own pub, where people could get together and party? But we didn't want to have a regular pub, as to be honest we already have plenty of those. We wanted something special. We got stuck searching for the right idea for quite some time, but our waiting has finally paid off," they explain.
The two friends only knew that they wanted to have a pub that would be something special and different. "There are many pubs abroad with some kind of additional value, which distinguishes them from the rest. According to our opinion there is no ideal pub, as you simply cannot include everything into the story which is important to you. You can include one or two things which would make your guest come back again, but you can't include all the things because in that case all the pubs would be identical and there would be no competition. In the hospitality industry competition is very welcome, as it always makes you put effort into things and develop, both businesswise and personally."
