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Unpredictable weather conditions have posed challenges to the restaurant's daily offerings.

In the lone warm spell of April, Moscow saw a surge in foot traffic at eating establishments and food courts. This uptick was further bolstered by the unveiling of summer terraces, a move that now has the backing of the mayor's office. This setup allows restaurant owners to rake in additional...

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3 min read

Unpredictable weather conditions have posed challenges to the restaurant's daily offerings.

Life in Russia's Culinary Capital Heats Up: Foot Traffic and Revenue Boom amid Sunny Skies

Welcome, folks! Let's dive into the joyous world of Moscow's culinary scene, where sunny days have brought a roaring revival to the city's eateries and food halls.

Last April, the beautiful warmth began to paint the cityscape, which was reflected veritably in the establishment of outdoor terraces. This change, in turn, facilitated a 9% and 6% increase in foot traffic in central Moscow's cafes and restaurants, and food halls, respectively, according to Focus Technologies' calculations, as reported by Kommersant.

Don't believe me? Well, let's have a chat with TanukiFamily, the network that brought you Tanuki, Ersh, and Your Pizza. They recorded a whopping 7% year-over-year increase in foot traffic between April 14 and 20, attributing their success to good old Mother Nature.

But wait, there's more! Mikhail Vasilyev, head of research and consulting at Focus Technologies, confirms that foot traffic shifted more towards establishments in high-traffic areas when summer hit town.

Moving on to Alexander Muratov, the director of development for the franchising network Yakitoria, offers an interesting perspective: Muscovites are more likely to retreat to their homes when the weather turns chilly or rainy, opting instead for delivery service or dining out at restaurants.

But fear not, for the cold never lasts forever, and when it returned in the week of April 21-27, the foot traffic in Yakitoria increased by 5%, and delivery orders surged by 7%.

Now, let's talk about those magnificent terraces. The Moscow mayor's office reported that over 900 terraces were operating from April 1, with an ambitious plan to open over 4,000 in total, half of them located in the city center. The simplified procedure for placing terraces has made it easy for restaurateurs to set up more summer cafes, Maxim Popov, founder of the food hall StrEAT, notes.

With the return of warm weather, verandas become a hot commodity, adding traffic (and revenue!) to businesses. During the warm season, city dwellers are eager to make the most of the limited window, as Alexander Muratov points out.

As we move forward, the catering market is looking bright, with many new eateries and food halls set to open up across the country. Maxim Popov, the founder of the Zemskiy Group, predicts that his network's turnover will increase by 22% by the end of 2025. NF Group, on the other hand, anticipates a total of 25 food halls with a combined area of 93,000 sq.m. to open in Russia by 2025.

However, 2024 was a quiet year for restaurant openings in Moscow, with only 200 new establishments appearing on central streets, a 26% decrease compared to the previous year. The shortage of available spaces was one of the major factors hindering growth, as noted in a recent Kommersant report.

So there you have it, folks! The correlation between weather and foot traffic in Moscow's culinary scene is as scrumptious as a fresh slice of pizza—a fact that we can undoubtedly sink our teeth into!

  1. Last April, the sunny weather in Moscow led to an increase in foot traffic, with central cafes and restaurants experiencing a 9% increase, and food halls seeing a 6% rise, according to Focus Technologies' calculations as reported by Kommersant.
  2. TanukiFamily, the network behind popular restaurants like Tanuki, Ersh, and Your Pizza, reported a 7% year-over-year increase in foot traffic between April 14 and 20, crediting the warm weather for their success.
  3. Mikhail Vasilyev, head of research and consulting at Focus Technologies, confirmed that foot traffic in high-traffic areas increased when summer arrived in Moscow.
  4. Alexander Muratov, the director of development for the franchising network Yakitoria, observed that Muscovites are more likely to dine out or use delivery services when the weather is unfavorable, but foot traffic and delivery orders still increased by 5% and 7% respectively when the cold weather returned in April.
  5. The restoration of warm weather led to a boom in Moscow's culinary scene, with a high demand for outdoor terraces and a 900-terrace initiative by the Moscow mayor's office, aiming to open over 4,000 terraces in total, half of them in the city center, according to Maxim Popov, founder of the food hall StrEAT.
Warm weather in April brought a rise in patrons visiting restaurants and food markets within Moscow. The opening of summer terraces further boosted attendance, as coordination with the mayor's office became less of an obstacle. This setup enables restaurant owners to earn extra income on nice days.

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