What Ukrainians Eat During a Crisis: Types of Eateries That Stay Afloat

Prepared-Food Shops and Canteens

War is war, but lunch must be served on schedule. Canteens and prepared-food shops are popular and profitable formats, especially when located near offices and businesses. The food is familiar, the presentation is simple — just plonk it onto a plate — and they operate only on weekdays. No alcohol, no music and no elaborate interiors. I have seen queues at lunchtime in some of these establishments.

Affordable Georgian Cuisine

The success of the Gaga chain is a good reflection of today’s market: people want hearty food at a low price, but not in a canteen. They want a restaurant, with waiters, music and wine in the evening. Everything is simple and affordable, with nothing unnecessary.

Pizza

Pizza, the most popular dish in Ukraine after shawarma, originated in Italy as food for the poor. A piece of dough, some topping spread over it, three grams of something sprinkled on top — and that’s it. Such a product will never be expensive. And if the pizza also has special dough — fermented and showered with kisses — success is guaranteed. Pizzerias make money both from customers dining in and from deliveries. The main thing is not to overcomplicate the pricing.

Sushi Bars and Sushi in General

Sushi have taken the place of cold appetisers in our food culture. Nowadays, even at festive tables, you can find sushi instead of platters of sliced sausage. They look better, are healthier and go well with both beer and vodka.

Burgers

And here we come to the eternally popular trio: sushi, pizza and burgers. No concept, however wonderful the restaurant, can shake their popularity. I am seeing a new surge in the popularity of burgers, but this time they are craft-made rather than mass-produced — irregularly shaped, juicy and practically dripping.

Bakeries

This format remains popular, but quite a lot of bakeries have already opened — perhaps more than are actually needed. Good bread or an excellent croissant is not a cheap pleasure, and not everyone can afford it every day. That is why bakeries are having to add pizza, burgers, borscht and pâtés to their menus. Bread alone will not keep this business fed.

And a wealthy person today is someone who eats a fresh croissant at a great bakery every morning. That is what the good life looks like these days.

Delivery

Food delivery is a fairly conservative business: pizza, sushi, burgers, home-cooked dishes — just food. The more air raid alerts there are, the more deliveries there are. And during power outages, when many people are forced to stay at home, delivery can replace both restaurants and banquets. House parties are the trend this winter.

Not in Shopping Centres

Restaurants in shopping centres have faced plenty of problems since the COVID era, and now it has become one enormous problem. Shopping centres close during air raid alerts, and even when they remain open, some people are simply afraid to go there. Fewer and fewer people are choosing shopping centres as places to spend their leisure time and go shopping. It is a shame that even very good establishments are losing their customers because of this.

I am not including coffee shops among those doing well at the moment. I do not understand how they survive without pizza, borscht and cutlets, given baristas’ wages and the demolition of small retail kiosks. The lucky one is the sole coffee shop left in an entire residential neighbourhood, offering affordable coffee and treats.

But overall, there is nothing new: during a crisis, everything becomes simpler and cheaper. The restaurant business is no exception.

Olha Nasonova, Director of the Restaurants of Ukraine Analytical Centre