Couple Launches Kickstarter Campaign for Coffee Lounge in Arlington

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An unlikely couple who are now married — one from the Ukraine and one from Russia — are looking to start a new coffee lounge in Arlington via Kickstarter.

Here’s a look at their incredible story, told in their own words, of how they got from there to here:

Vitaliy Hayda from Ukraine and Kseniia Shnyreva from Russia. We met each other in Ocean City, Maryland in the summer of 2012. It all started quickly, but ended up in marriage 1.5 years later, despite extreme unacceptance from our families because of our countries of origin. But almost eight month afterwards, they started to see that one’s country of origin does not make you a bad person by default.

We are in our mid 20s now. We arrived in the USA with $612 and managed in two years to align ourselves with a middleclass income. Now we live in Arlington, VA, about two miles from Washington, D.C.

We used to work 14-16 hours a day and managed to go to the gym in between jobs. We used to earn $1,200 a month each and traveled often. We used to ride bikes 40 minutes one way to work in fast food, while we lived in a room with four other people. We spoke no English, but were still happy and enjoyed every morning.

Now we have a brand new car, great jobs, our own apartment, and the ability to travel for 3-4 days every 2-3 months. We also have time to read books, write a blog, and start The Third Place to be a great success.

Here’s a little bit about the coffee lounge concept they are trying to fund, from the Kickstarter description:

“The first place is your home, the second place is your work and The Third Place is your “great good place.” It’s where you go to relax, have a good time, and surround yourself with friends both old and new.

Our focus is on bringing community together through daily events such as live music performances, speakeasies, movie nights, PlayStation tournaments, Salsa dancing classes, stand-up comedy acts and more.

Whether you’re staying for a few hours or the whole day, you will be able to enjoy bottomless free coffee, tea, milk, juice, and cookies. If you want a bite to eat, you can buy one of our own gourmet sandwiches, order delivery from our nearby restaurant partners at discounted prices, or you can bring your own food and drinks including alcohol. Beer, wine, and cocktails are also available for sale in-house!

Entry for the entire day, including events, is a $25 cover charge online (or $30 at the door). You can also stop in and buy a coffee or tea to go. We want you to keep coming back, so every fifth visit and fifth “to go drink” is on us!

Location: Arlington, VA. Hours of operation: 7am - 2am every day.

What makes us different?

• Unique concept with daily events
• Edible Coffee Cups & Cookie Milks shots
• A place to spend each evening differently with friends both old and new
• Sunken conversation pit, USB charging ports in every outlet, natural wood fireplace and more!”

If you want to donate to get The Third Place off the ground, go to the Kickstarter page here.

PHOTOS of Vitaliy Hayda from Ukraine and Kseniia Shnyreva from Russia; rendering of The Third Place; photos via Kickstarter