The Purovōku Project
ENG
At a time when our ideas surpassed our expectations, we decided to create a bar in the heart of Thessaloniki—a space that truly represents us, where our personalities can shine and our dreams can take shape. With this vision in mind, we began bringing our idea to life, a natural extension of our core philosophy. After working together for many years and sharing countless experiences, we reached a deep understanding of our shared aspirations. The result is a cocktail bar, pure and simple—dedicated to serving drinks, cocktails, and all our offerings in their finest form, just the way we envision them at their very best.
Initially, we began searching for the perfect space to bring our vision to life. It had to be in the center of Thessaloniki, but with a distinct identity—something defined by architectural character and a “neighborhood vibe,” even though we couldn’t fully articulate what that meant at the time. We were looking for a place that truly represented us, and after an extensive search, we found it: a four-story building on the pedestrian street of Karipi (basement, ground floor, first floor, and terrace), with each floor designed to serve and engage the consumer. But what exactly do we mean by that? We envisioned a space that, in every aspect, is rooted in and promotes the principles of the circular economy, sustainability, and zero waste—values that have guided us for years, not only in our work but in our daily lives as well. We wanted a space that would eventually become a definitive destination. Our main goal, both before opening the bar and even now, a year later, has been to create a vibrant street bar in the heart of the city with a playful, fun approach—a place that serves the perfect drink, at least as we define “perfect.” Step by step, we aim to achieve all our goals, including spreading our philosophy far and wide and contributing to the evolution of the hospitality industry in Greece.
We aimed to create a community where everyone could benefit. For instance, by cleaning up the neighborhood, supporting small producers to make the most of raw materials and their sources, and forming partnerships with other businesses to help them reduce their waste, we are gradually building this community.
Purovoku—our name and our identity. After days of brainstorming, Vangelis suddenly said, “Let’s call it Provoke,” reflecting the essence of our “Who made the rules?” philosophy. And that’s where our story begins. In fact, Purovoku is the Japanese pronunciation of the word Provoke.
Our inspiration comes from the 1968 Japanese photography magazine Provoke, which sought to challenge societal norms and question the status quo by addressing taboo subjects of the time—war, nudity, the lgbtq community—encouraging society to see the world through a different lens. The magazine’s founders believed that what couldn’t be expressed in words could be conveyed through photographs. Today, framed images from that magazine adorn the walls of our bar, symbolizing our shared mission. Just as the magazine disrupted convention, we aim to challenge the bar industry in Greece—and specifically in Thessaloniki—not only in the creative aspects of the production process but also in the way we operate. From the very beginning, we prioritized creating a healthy, balanced working environment, both for our staff and ourselves. Departing from the traditional norms of the bar industry, we chose to open only five days a week, serving for just six hours each day, with an additional two hours allocated for preparation and closing. This approach reflects our commitment to rethinking how things are done, pushing boundaries, and staying true to the values that inspired us from the start.
You’ll often hear us describe Purovoku as a low-budget bar, and there are two main reasons for this. First and foremost, when we started this project, we didn’t have substantial capital—at least not enough to fully realize our vision. More importantly, through our carefully crafted business plan, we prioritized allocating the majority of our budget to functional elements, such as a well-equipped bar station and the quality of the drinks, including the glassware and ice. To make this possible, we decided to invest in second-hand equipment, which allowed us to save a significant amount of money while staying true to our values and goals.