"We are struggling." Salateira co-founder on a 30% drop in revenue and business without investment plans

Salateira is a popular restaurant chain among the middle class in the capital. Since 2011, it has been serving Mediterranean cuisine with an emphasis on vegetables and seafood. Currently, Salateira has 15 establishments, and the company operates mainly in shopping malls on food courts. According to YouControl, the beneficiaries of the chain are Iryna Ivanchyk, wife of Viktor Ivanchyk, co-owner of the Astarta agricultural holding, and Pavlo Slobodianuk.LIGA.net I spoke with another co-founder of the chain and its CEO, Oleksandr Savilov, about how his establishments are surviving on generators, why he has no investment plans until the end of the war, and why he is very cautious about using artificial intelligence.We regularly communicate with Ukrainian restaurateurs, but this interview is the most pessimistic. Read another perspective on the events in in conversation with Olena Borisova, the owner of BPSH and Bilyi Nalyv, and the founders Cupid by Fedor Balandin and Bartender's Dictate by Kirill Kislyakov.Market, War, and Resilience What determines Salateira's resilience today?Salateira restaurants are mostly located in shopping malls – this is the first condition for resilience. Shopping malls are like large points of invincibility. They have connections to large generators and heating. In shopping malls, we have the physical ability to operate.We divide the cost of generators among all tenants. We have an additional utility cost payment, mostly in winter. Electricity from a generator costs three times more than from the city's supply. However, it still reduces costs compared to restaurants in separate locations. Our resilience is also determined by our niche – healthy eating.Salateira previously considered bringing in foreign chefs. Is this idea still relevant, and at what stage is it?We considered this story. But due to the war, low wages, and the lack of a regulated legislative framework, it is not relevant. We had foreigners working here, from Africa, before the war, and then they returned home.According to Poster, in the first half of 2025, the revenue of establishments increased by 5-6%, but attendance decreased by 9%. Do these figures confirm your internal statistics?Revenue may have increased due to inflation and price increases. 2024 had much better revenue than last year. 2025 showed a downward trend in attendance.Customers are moving to a cheaper segment. People are saving money: this is evident and understandable, both in the number of orders and in the shopping cart they choose. We are adding cheaper options to the menu and trying to keep prices affordable.The low-end and budget segments are performing better. The premium segment, which is not tied to the price tag, is also stable. The mid-range sector is suffering the most.Read also"At Zhytniy, there's a discussion about it being in decline. We are doing something about it" – an interview with the head of Bessarabka. Food marketSalateira's economics: prices, costs, customersIn its first years of operation, the Caesar salad at Salateira cost 43 hryvnias; today, it costs 300 hryvnias. What portion of this increase is due to inflation, and what portion is due to a change in the business model?Almost everything is real inflation. We didn't get an additional margin from the change in cost. We gradually raised the price of items: the cost of products increased and we raised salaries. If you calculate it in dollar terms, it will be the same price.How much does one visitor spend on average at Salateira today? What is the average check for delivery?The average check at the Salateira restaurant is 480 hryvnias. For delivery, it is higher — about 600 hryvnias. Taking delivery into account, customers order more items than they would if they were physically at the location.Food prices in Ukraine have approached European levels, and imports have increased significantly. Which ingredients have become the most expensive?We try to use as many Ukrainian products as possible to stabilize prices. The biggest price increases are in the imported segment: salmon, tuna, and things we don't have in our country.Previously, you bypassed intermediaries and transported products from Europe using your own trucks. Are you still importing directly?We were involved in this before the war. Also in 2022-2023. We are not importing now. Previously, this really had an economic effect. Today we work directly with suppliers who deliver for us. We also cooperate with some factories and greenhouses that deliver food products to us.Who are your main competitors today?As of today, we have no direct competitors. There are only indirect ones, or those whose restaurant menus partially overlap with ours.Of course, McDonald's can also be a competitor. When people come to eat, it's a matter of mood, but most choose with their wallets. Today, the focus is shifting from "what I want to eat" to "what I can afford."For the first three quarters of 2025, Salateira's revenue was 154 million hryvnias, and its net profit was only 1.1 million hryvnias. Are these figures accurate, and what are your financial results for the entire year of 2025?There is no complete report yet, because it's the beginning of the year. All the results will be available in about a month. Yes, these data reflect what is in reality.According to your data, the chain's restaurant serves over 13,000 guests per month. What is the average revenue of one restaurant today, and how has it changed over the past year?This is confidential information. Since the beginning of the war, the average revenue has dropped by 30%. We are stagnating.Read alsoLawsuits, bankruptcies, and arrests. What's happening with one of the largest drug manufacturers?Scaling, Franchise, and Growth StrategyToday, Salateira has 15 restaurants. You also offer franchise cooperation. Which growth format is a priority for you now — your own establishments or a franchise?We plan to open one restaurant under the franchise this summer. Therefore, this area is key. Before the war, we had several franchised restaurants in Minsk. However, with the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we terminated the agreement and all ties.The Salateira franchise requires an investment of $200,000-300,000 and has a payback period of 36 months. Has investor interest in the franchise changed over the past year?For a business to develop, new shopping centers and locations need to open. This is not happening today. Therefore, there are few interested investors.Your website states an EBITDA of 10-15%. What is the biggest factor "eating up" the restaurant's margin today?The biggest factors eating into the margin are insufficient sales and the low purchasing power of guests. In our segment, increasing sales will only be possible after the war ends.The constant increase in wages and product prices also "eats up" the margin. We cannot adequately raise prices in relation to how the cost of a dish increases. Otherwise, people will simply stop buying.Do you use artificial intelligence in your work?We use AI to create Reels, ads, and creative ideas. The work of artificial intelligence is very noticeable, so we don't use it very intensively to avoid devaluing all content on social media.What are your strategic and investment plans for 2026? We would like to survive this difficult situation, especially with the partial blackout in Kyiv right now. In such conditions, it is difficult to talk about strategic goals. We are focused on maintaining the operational activities of our institutions. We are waiting for the war to end.

"We are struggling." Salateira co-founder on a 30% drop in revenue and business without investment plans

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