Andrey Matyukha: “The profitability of HoReCa in Kuban has fallen by 50% in 5 years”

In March 2020, a high alert regime was introduced in the Krasnodar Territory due to the CORONAVIRUS pandemic. From March 31 to June 21, quarantine was in effect in the region, during which catering establishments were allowed to work only for take-out or delivery. Then, those restaurants and cafes that had a separate entrance were allowed to open.

From August 1, 2021, all catering facilities, like hotels, are required to receive guests only if they have a vaccination QR code. This requirement throughout the region was canceled on March 4, 2022.

— How will the abolition of QR codes in the Krasnodar Territory affect the work of your restaurants?

“Today, people are more careful about spending money and think about how to increase it. We have been living under restrictions for two years, and restaurants and their guests have adapted to the new conditions. We hope that with the abolition of QR codes, the demand will grow at least a little, but the lifting of restrictions will have a positive impact on the work of our restaurants.

— How did the introduction of QR codes and other restrictive measures, which have been going on for two years, affected your business?

- For the first six months, we recorded a drop in working capital of up to 30%. For the restaurant business, this is a very large figure, given the low profitability of this business. Everyone felt the decline. It was incredibly difficult to get out of this state. In addition, we are still in rather difficult conditions due to the constant change in prices for consumables, products, etc.