“Only girls remain”: restaurateurs on how the mobilization affected their business

Most of the restaurateurs interviewed by the editors pointed out that the industry has not yet experienced catastrophic consequences after the mobilization. To appreciate the full scale, you need to spend more time.

The mobilization negatively affected three Domino’s Pizza restaurants in Moscow: franchisees Sergei Bukanov He said that in the first days after September 21, his workforce was reduced by 60%.

Due to downsizing, Domino’s Pizza was affected by the speed and quality of delivery. There were few orders in the institution at the time, but they were delivered within two hours, although delivery usually takes 30 minutes. “A courier took two orders at the same time, while taking the first one, the second one was getting cold in the bag. The director called customers in advance and informed about the problem, the choice of “speed or quality” was made by the customers themselves, ”Bukanov added.

Co-founder of the Tine coffee chain (Floo family group) Stanislav Korotetsky He said that among his employees there are no mass riots and dismissals, and the establishments work as usual. Although “the general emotional background is, of course, very disturbing. All employees now have different moods, depending on their attitude to what is happening and their view of the world in general,” added Korotetsky.

The barista of the establishment, for example, flew to Kazakhstan the first day after the announcement of the mobilization. There were those who first bought tickets, but then changed their minds about flying. The older men decided to inform the draft board if they received a citation.

“We try to communicate individually with each employee, provide informational and moral support, and avoid disturbances in the team,” Korotetsky emphasized.

According to Stanislav Korotetsky, October is the busiest month for coffee shops, but after September 21, the company noticed a drop in revenue of 20-25% and a drop in attendance. At the end of September, a decrease in income was observed in all the group’s cafeterias:

• From September 19 to 25, revenue decreased by an average of 10% compared to the previous week;

• September 26 to October 2, another 5% decrease compared to the previous seven-day period;

• From October 3 to 9, revenues were slightly different, down another 1.2%.

The company intends to draw more precise conclusions by the end of October. Korotetsky explains the decline with the first shock of the clients due to the mobilization and the weather, which “at the beginning of this fall did not encourage them to leave the house at all.”

Responsible for the restaurant reservation service “Where When” Ashot Budumian also noted a decrease in revenue in restaurants in Moscow and St. Petersburg to 25-30% compared to the same period in 2021. The decrease is affected by mobilization, emigration and seasonality.

Not all catering establishments suffered the consequences of the mobilization. For example, according to the founder of the chain of restaurants “Meat & Fish” sergei mironovthe mobilization did not affect business and personnel at all, although the company has employees of military age, but “so far no one has been summoned.”

Market participants found it difficult to make long-term forecasts of the impact of the mobilization on their companies. Stanislav Korotetsky suggested that in general the restaurant industry is waiting for a gradual redistribution of demandprimarily associated with economic restructuring.

The Russians have already begun to save, in the coming months, according to Korotetsky, this trend will continue. Therefore, choosing an institution, customers will be guided by the price level. And according to coffee shop co-founder Tine, traffic to everyday coffee shops with a cheap menu will grow, and establishments with a high bill are likely to introduce more democratic menu positions.

Sergei Bukanov expects soon sales decline by another 7-9% year-on-year and assumes that the fall will continue into the summer as it should for the season. Try not to make long-term predictions and limit yourself to one-month plans.

Ashot Budumyan also did not see any positive trends in the short term. In his opinion, the attendance and the number of reservations will not increase in the near future.

Representatives from Yakitoria and Shokoladnitsa refused to comment on the impact of the mobilization on the companies’ businesses. The founder of the Brooklyn Bowl bowling restaurant chain, Artem Rakhmeev, could not assess the situation, since “his company of his has not yet seen any visible changes, so it is difficult to make predictions.” Anderson did not respond to a request from RB.RU.