Creatively Crowdfunded Win Win Coffee Bar Is Up and Running

Win Win Coffee Bar (stylized as W/N W/N, for "waste not, want not") is slowly but surely unfolding near 10th and Spring Garden. The hybrid coffee shop/cocktail bar has been operating for almost a week now, though hours and offerings are subject to change day-to-day. (They've been providing daily details via Twitter, so take a look before you head over to check it out.)

The shop is owned cooperatively, by a team that includes former employees of Pizza Brain, Elixr coffee, and more. Earlier this year partner Tony Mantagnaro told Zagat, "If we have to open in phases, as we get more funding, we will," and that is more or less the case. There is coffee, beer (they've got six taps), and some cocktails and light food, but the offerings will be expanding as they go.

And they're still gathering funding, via two fairly novel sources. The first is a crowdfunding venture they've launched independently: Would-be investors go through the shop's own site, rather than a third party like Kickstarter, and buy "shares" of the coffee shop that will subsequently be paid back over time in shop discounts. For every $25 you lend now, you'll eventually get back $30 from Win Win in the form of a 25% discount with every purchase.

The second avenue Win Win is taking for funding is micro-lending site Kiva, via their recently launched Kiva Zip program. (Read more about the program's launch in Philly here.) In a nutshell, the site facilitates 0%-interest small business loans. They're funded incrementally by anyone who wants to kick in, like other crowdfunding initiatives, but lenders are paid back over time as with a traditional loan.

As the shop gets its footing and gathers more funds, the eventual vision is to expand to a full food menu and, presumably, more steady hours.