Cheap fast food has become expensive for Russians, they are saving on everything – intelligence

Profits of the largest players in the Russian fast food market significantly decreased by the end of 2025. Simultaneously, a decline is recorded in the coffee shop segment along with a decrease in establishment attendance. This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, according to UNN.

Details

"The profits of the main monopolists of the Russian fast food market plummeted by the end of last year. While in 2024 the 'sandwich makers' confidently increased their fortunes, in 2025 the 'import-substituted' chain 'Vkusno – i Tochka' lost 15.1% of its net profit, Rostic's – 27.5%, and Burger King – 61%, respectively," the post reads.

The material notes that the traditional model, where demand for cheap food grows under economic hardship, no longer works. Cited reasons include labor shortages, logistics disruptions, and rising business costs.

"A family trip to a fast-food restaurant on a weekend has turned into a luxury that the average Russian can no longer afford," the post states.

According to estimates by independent experts, between 30% and 40% of the country's citizens are on the brink of poverty. Household spending on food has reached about 39% of the family budget—a maximum over the last 18 years.

"When almost every fourth ruble goes toward food, the line at Burger King becomes an inappropriate extravagance," the post says.

The situation in the Russian coffee shop market is no better. The Cofix chain—the fourth largest by number of locations—has been put up for sale.

"As of February this year, the number of classic coffee shops in Russia decreased by 13%, and establishment attendance by 20%. Today, the main competitors of coffee shops are supermarkets with coffee machines selling cheap instant drinks. The reason is not only the 20–30% increase in the cost of coffee materials—Russians have simply started saving even on the small things," the post reads.

Recall

The number of discounters in the RF increased by 26.4%, and their revenue by 67.3%. Demand is shifting toward cheap goods due to declining household incomes.