Kyiv's gastronomic and bookstore map is noticeably changing: over recent months, a number of catering establishments and bookstores have ceased operations, gone on seasonal holidays, or announced a reduction in the number of locations. According to RBC-Ukraine, based on the establishments' own statements, this involves both individual outlets of large restaurant chains and independent cafes, bars, confectioneries, and bookstores. Together, this forms a steady trend that market participants attribute to falling traffic, rising costs, and general economic pressure on the HoReCa sector.
Restaurant Chains Are Reducing the Number of Outlets
The most noticeable changes are happening within chains. Tsvetochnaya Mafiya has closed three of its four Kyiv locations—on Sofievskaya, Shota Rustaveli, and Vladimirskaya streets; only the Podil location remains operational, which is planned to be converted into a mulled wine bar this winter. The Sushiya chain is reducing its presence in shopping malls: the Ocean Plaza outlet closed in October, and up to four more chain establishments in other capital shopping centers may suspend operations by the end of the year. The VATRA restaurant at 4B Arkhitektora Horodetskoho Street has temporarily stopped welcoming guests and gone on winter holidays, while the Ministry of Chebureks on Kontraktova Square, 2B has ceased operations, although the team plans to return to this address with a new concept—other chain locations at Bessarabka and KFM continue to operate.
Cafes, Bars, and Confectioneries Wrap Up Operations
The list of closing establishments also includes independent projects. The BarOKO bar at 4 Sofievskaya Street has finished operations, thanking guests on social media; the final party with a 20% discount on the menu and alcohol took place on September 26. The KREMÓVA confectionery at 1/2 Basсейная Street is welcoming guests until October 29, after which production will continue in delivery and pickup formats. The Vstrecha cafe announced its closure—its final days of operation took place on September 27–28 and were dedicated to burgers and cocktails, which became the establishment's signature. Also, operations have ceased at the location on Rusanovsky Boulevard, 1 (the restaurant on Khreshchatyk, 25 went on seasonal holidays until spring), Oishi bā (from July 18, after eight months of operation), the Lenta Ukrainian cuisine restaurant on Brest Prospect, 53 (opened in summer 2024 and operated for about two years), the Volny tea house on Vladimirskaya, 82 (closed on August 28, 2026, offering 54 varieties of Chinese tea), the Tres gastrobar on Lysenko, 4 (closed at the end of August after 12 years of operation), the 3b Cafe on Khoriva, 23 (operating since 2014, ceased operations on August 16, 2026), the Port wine bar in Taras Shevchenko Lane, 8-B (closed in the summer of 2026), and the Pizza di Casa pizzeria on Verkhovna Rada Boulevard, 17 (closed in early August). The Imbir literary cafe on Zhilyanskaya, 7, which operated for over 15 years, announced a break until autumn in the spring.
Bookstores: Early Closures
A separate chapter in this story is written by the Readeat bookstore chain. Locations in the Komfort residential complex on Bereznevaya Street, 12 and Readeat Gorod on Knyazey Ostrozhskikh Street, 5/2A ceased operations earlier than planned: initially, the closure of both points was expected in September. According to the team's statement, the reason for the early cessation of operations was the destruction of inventory as a result of a Russian attack. The final clearance sale, which was planned to be held with a 35% discount on books, board games, puzzles, and other goods, also ended earlier due to changing circumstances.
Causative Context and Prospects
The closures in Kyiv are not isolated: they fit into a broader trend across Ukraine, where bookstores and retail outlets are suffering losses amid falling sales and unprofitability. Market participants point to a combination of factors—declining consumer demand, rising operating costs, and the direct consequences of military actions that can destroy inventory and make continued operation economically unviable. At the same time, some establishments are not closing definitively, but are going on seasonal or winter holidays or transferring production to a delivery format, which indicates an adaptive rather than purely liquidation strategy. Approximately 20% of restaurants in Kyiv, by estimates, may take a "pause" for the winter, making the current wave of closures part of a cyclical and structural restructuring of the capital's food service and retail book market.
