Fast food instead of a coffee shop: the winner of the “Do Your Business with Kurator” competition started a business from scratch after the de-occupation

Stanislav Obukhivskyi, the winner of the Do Your Business with Kurator business idea competition, owned a coffee shop in Borodyanka before the full-scale war. After the city was de-occupied, he had to start from scratch. He told representatives of the MHP-Hromada Charitable Foundation about his journey, the details of launching fast food instead of a coffee shop, and his plans for the future, UNN reports.

Details

Stanislav founded the fast-food outlet on the site of a former coffee shop last year after winning the Do Your Business with Kurator business idea competition.

"After the occupation, the kiosk with the coffee shop suffered significant damage: the equipment was stolen, and the walls and windows were destroyed. I rebuilt the kiosk, but did not restore the coffee business - the market is oversaturated. Then I came up with the idea to start a high-quality fast food business, in particular shawarma.

There are similar establishments in Borodyanka, but they are few. My kiosk is located at the intersection of the largest streets with high traffic. This will attract more customers by offering them convenience, quality and affordable prices," he said.

Winning the competition allowed the man to receive a grant of UAH 100,000.

"With these funds, I bought a hood, professional scales, power inverters and other equipment. Plus the starting raw materials from TM Kurator.

This allowed us to start a business and create 2 new jobs, which is very important for Borodyanka, where the job situation is difficult," he elaborates.

Among the project's features and competitive advantages are its quality and affordability, he says. Among the "features" are the uninterrupted operation and real Turkish göner in the sweat.

"We offer shawarma with a lot of meat, original sauces, as well as lulya kebab, fries, broths, and specialty teas. All ingredients are fresh, and the kitchen is as transparent as possible," he emphasizes.

Stanislav also shared the details of the kiosk's organization.

"We implement technological maps for each dish, control the quality of products and service. We have two cooks working in the kiosk, whom we have trained in all the processes: from customer service to working with equipment," he says.

Stanislav advises the participants of the Do Your Business with Kurator contest not to be afraid to act. The man is convinced that a successful business starts with a clear idea and properly calculated steps.

"Do Your Business provides real support that helps you realize your dreams," he adds.

Stanislav also shared his plans for the future.

"If the business is successful, I plan to open similar kiosks in other localities. I see prospects in the development of high-quality fast food for small towns and villages, where such services are often unavailable," he added.

Help

The Do Your Business with Kurator competition to support HoReCa businesses that have suffered during the war or are being developed by the military was organized by the MHP-Hromada charity fund and the Kurator brand.

Business ideas from HoReCa entrepreneurs (restaurants, hotels, catering) are welcome to participate in the competition. They can be submitted by representatives of Ukrainian small and medium-sized businesses from 13 regions of Ukraine, including Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovs'k, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopil, Khmelnytsky, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions.

Thanks to microgrants, entrepreneurs will be able to start a new business and scale or relocate an existing one. There are important requirements for each idea: they must be innovative, create jobs, and have a socioeconomic impact on the community.

KURATOR is a brand of product solutions for the HoReCa community (restaurants, hotels, catering) developed by MHP. It has a flexible range of products for different types of establishments, business models, staff qualifications and the number of cooks. The KURATOR brand produces more than 100 types of processed products, including chicken, beef, and various culinary solutions. The entire range is created with an understanding of and compliance with the needs of professional kitchens.

MHP-Hromada is a Ukrainian charitable foundation that started its operations in 2015. Its main mission is the comprehensive development of communities.

The geography of the Foundation's activities includes 13 regions of Ukraine: more than 700 towns and villages. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Foundation has been systematically supporting people in the war zone, Ukrainian defenders and rescuers, communities, hospitals and maternity homes, charitable institutions that care for orphans and the elderly, as well as people who have lost their homes and livelihoods due to the war.