Some establishments are likely to be closed

The Gastro Family restaurant chain may close several establishments. This was reported by the owner of the company, Elena Borisova, to Delo.ua.

"This is one of the most difficult, but also one of the most important decisions - to be able to let go of projects that are no longer working. Thus, some establishments will likely have to be closed," she noted, "we are ready for this: as in previous years, the GastroFamily team is working according to an anti-crisis plan."

Borisova did not specify in which cities and when the establishments would be closed.

Currently, the chain includes 60 establishments in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and other cities. GastroFamily includes establishments under the brands MUSHLYA, Oxota na Ovets, "Last Barricade", "Kanapa", BPSH, Dogs&Burgers, and others.

Earlier in the winter season, the GastroFamily chain already ceased operations of four ineffective establishments. This includes three locations of the "Bely Naliv" chain - two in Lviv and one in Lutsk - as well as the "Kanapka-bar" on Andriyivskyy Descent in Kyiv. The main reasons for the closures were a significant increase in operating costs and a drop in traffic.

According to the restaurateur, every enemy shelling or prolonged air raid means lost visitors for the establishments, idle equipment, and additional write-offs of products.

The difficult economic, security, and staffing situation has forced several well-known establishments to cease operations:

• Kyiv: At the end of January, the Greek cafe "Chayka" on Bessarabka (Mimosa Group) closed due to rising costs. The Kharkiv chain of confectioneries Krendel completely withdrew from the capital and closed all three locations in the center (on Volodymyrska, Shota Rustaveli, and Khreshchatyk) in January-February. In early February, the iconic cafe "Druzi" in Podil, which had been operating since 2012, closed. Due to power outages during the frosts and alarms, the restaurant Duck, Please in Smart Plaza Polytech ceased operations. Tbiliso in Rusanova and Konteyner Bar on Bolshaya Vasilykovskaya also ceased operations.
• Lviv: On May 31, the establishment "DRUGIE" of Yevhen Klopotenko and Inna Poperyshnyuk closed. Opened in March 2022 as a free canteen for displaced persons (where 150,000 people were fed), the project has exhausted its potential for development in the current market conditions.
• Dnipro and Odesa: In Dnipro, the Confetti chain completely suspended operations until June 14, closing all five of its restaurants in the city's shopping malls (Appolo, Passazh, Dafi, Vavilon, Slavutych). In Odesa, due to public outcry over the use of the atrium of the historic Passazh building, the Kvitkova Passage project closed.

The main reason putting pressure on the restaurant market this summer is the density of enemy attacks. As Elena Borisova notes, constant shelling has directly impacted the attendance of establishments. Although there are slightly more guests in the summer than in spring, traffic still does not reach the figures of 2025. The average check in the chain has increased, but mainly due to forced price hikes.

The restaurateur is convinced: another difficult autumn and winter lie ahead, but the market is preparing for this.

"The war of attrition continues, and it is quite clear that winter will be difficult - but we are also ready for challenges. The establishments have long been equipped with generators, and the checklists for blackouts include charged batteries, stationary and mobile heaters, flashlights, LED strips," she said. In 2022, working during blackouts was improvisation and a test of ingenuity. Today, it is part of a system with developed standards and instructions.

Another challenge for establishments is broken logistics and constant risks of attacks on supplier convoys, which forces chains to constantly change their menus and review expenses.

"We manage food costs manually: we list the cost of dishes weekly and minimally adjust prices. Positions that are too expensive to prepare are simply removed from the menu. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we must always have plans B, C, and D in case the main supplier suddenly cannot deliver goods," said GastroFamily.

She added that there are products that the company has completely abandoned. For example, lobsters in MUSHLYA were last sold in 2021, as their cost is too high for a democratic format today.

Earlier, restaurant expert Olga Nasonova reported that in recent months, about 400 establishments in Kyiv have ceased operations for various reasons. Almost 300 of them are small formats: coffee shops, street food, shawarma, mini-bakeries. Some are chains, but small in size. A large number of such establishments operated in MAFs - temporary kiosks.

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