The number of restaurants and cafes in Ukraine has decreased by almost 4,000 establishments – from 18,600 at the beginning of 2020 to 14,700 in January 2021, General Director of Restaurant Consulting company Olha Nasonova told Interfax-Ukraine.
“According to the negative scenario, in March last year it was predicted that the number of establishments would almost halve. As you can see, our market showed relative stability. In monetary terms, the decrease in the number of establishments gave a decrease in the market volume by almost 30%, to UAH 14.1 billion. This is the result of the closure for several lockdowns, as well as the lack of foreign tourists,” she said.
The expert predicts that the impact of the current lockdown on the market will be minimal. “Only those who planned to close will be closed. Most of them have already worked out the optimal work format,” Nasonova said.
According to her, this year the restaurant market will begin to revive. “Many interesting locations have become vacant, plus their rent has decreased. Hybrid formats – shops-cafes, shops-bars – are in great demand now,” Nasonova said.
