Rising catering costs dampen appetite

The market volume of the Russian restaurant industry rose by 21% last year to around 4.3 trillion rubles, equivalent to 46.5 billion euros, compared to the previous year. However, this strong growth should not obscure the difficulties facing the industry: the restaurant industry is currently undergoing a period of market consolidation. Many Russian restaurants are having to close their doors in the face of rising food and operating costs. And those who want to stay in business are charging their customers more.

Sales are boiling over

According to Russian market research company Businesstat, the restaurant industry has more than doubled since the pandemic year of 2021. At that time, the industry generated 1.93 trillion rubles, or 20.8 billion euros. Between 2021 and 2025, it grew by an average of 22% per year. At the same time, restaurateurs point to declining margins: the profitability of restaurants has fallen from 20–25% to 10–12% in recent years. Analysts attribute the

industry's continued strong growth to rising consumer spending. Restaurateurs are passing on the increasing costs of ingredients, rent, equipment, and employee wages to their guests. The VAT increase from 20% to 22% this year is also likely to have an increasing impact.

The bill, please

According to data from the financial service SberAnalitika, part of Russia's largest financial institution Sberbank, Russian restaurant-goers paid 12% more from January to November 2025 than in the same period last year, while the number of visitors rose by only 2%. The average cost was 537 rubles, or €5.80. Fast food outlets enjoyed the highest turnover, accounting for 60% of total revenue, with the average bill in fast food restaurants amounting to 415 rubles, or €4.60. Cafés and restaurants accounted for 34% of sales, with guests paying an average of 1,150 rubles (approx. €12.40) in these establishments. Bars accounted for 6% of sales, with an average bill of 820 rubles (approx. €8.90).

Statistically speaking, one-fifth of Russia's restaurant-goers live in Moscow, one in ten in St. Petersburg, and one in fifteen in the Moscow region. Muscovites pay the highest average bill in restaurants: 2,000 rubles, or €21.60. They are followed by St. Petersburg (1,720 rubles, equivalent to €18.60), the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk (1,400 rubles, approx. €15), the Primorye region on the Pacific Ocean (1,355 rubles, €14.60), and the Republic of Tatarstan (1295 rubles, 14 euros).

German restaurants are the most expensive

Last October, the Russian map service 2GiS analyzed the culinary preferences of Russians over the course of a year. The data source was the number of visits to restaurants in the 2GIS map app. Russian cuisine took first place with 24%. Georgian cuisine was close behind with 20%, followed by Italian and Japanese cuisine with 16% and 10% respectively. Chinese cuisine ranked fifth (6.5%). The remaining shares were accounted for by Uzbek (6.3%), Korean (4.2%), Vietnamese (2.7%), Armenian (2.6%), German (2.4%) and other cuisines with less than one percent.

In terms of average bills, German restaurants were the most expensive last fall at 1,567 rubles (20 euros), followed by Italian (1,553 rubles, 16.80 euros) and Georgian (approx. 1,300 rubles, 14 euros). The cheapest were Vietnamese (around 600 rubles, 6.50 euros) and Uzbek dishes (620 rubles, 6.70 euros).

Wave of closures sweeps across restaurants

According to calculations by the map service Yandex Karti, Russia had a total of 115,000 restaurants in November 2025, a decline of 3.1% compared to the same period last year. The Russian analysis service Kontur.Fokus provides even more dramatic figures: according to its data, 35,400 restaurants closed across Russia in 2025. This affected 27,800 restaurants, 6,250 cafés, and 1,900 bars. Moscow's restaurant industry is also losing its appetite: in January 2026 alone, 45 restaurants in the capital had to close.

The wave of closures has now also spread to large fast-food chains. Since the end of 2025, one of Russia's largest fast-food restaurants, Rostic's, has closed 25 of its outlets. The company took over the Russian business of US fast-food giant KFC in 2022. Schokoladniza, the market leader among Russian coffee houses, closed 20 outlets last month, while the sushi chain Yakitoria closed eight restaurants.

Ready meals are the competition

Nevertheless, many people still have a need for culinary experiences and do not want to give up going to restaurants. After all, there are two types of guests: those who have something to celebrate and are occasional guests, and those who stop by regularly to eat, says Sergei Mironov, ombudsman for the Moscow restaurant market. It is precisely these regulars, who have been the main clientele of the restaurant industry for years, who are now being lost to ready-made meal outlets, the expert continues.

According to him, there used to be a clear division: restaurants served guests with food and shops supplied customers with groceries. Now everything is mixed up and supermarkets are increasingly functioning as cafés – which, of course, significantly reduces the catering industry's revenues, criticizes the ombudsman. Mironov goes on to explain: "A Moscow restaurant in the mid-price segment is better in terms of quality than a Parisian restaurant in the same segment. However, customers are migrating to more affordable niches."

According to forecasts by the Association of Manufacturers and Suppliers of Ready-Made Meals, their market volume will grow to 14 trillion rubles (151.4 billion euros) by 2030, almost quadrupling from the current level.

Comfort food on the rise

Russian restaurateurs agree: there is no single recipe for success in the restaurant industry. As a restaurant operator, you should always keep an eye on trends or, better yet, set the trends yourself. A coherent concept that fits in with the ambience of the restaurant is just as important as a well-thought-out menu. Restaurateurs are predicting a shift towards local specialties this year – away from elaborate "fine dining," where chefs try to outdo each other with extravagance. According to restaurateurs, the demand for cozy and "honest" restaurants serving comfort food, i.e., simple and delicious dishes with a touch of nostalgia, will determine the menus this year.

This article first appeared in the exclusive newsletter of the German-Russian Chamber of Foreign Trade.

This article first appeared in the exclusive newsletter of the German-Russian Chamber of Foreign Trade.