Askar Baitassov, founder and CEO of the ABR restaurant holding, has received international recognition after being named “Restaurateur of the Year” at the WHERETOEAT International 2026 awards. At the same time, his project AUYL was ranked among the world’s top 10 restaurants.

The awards ceremony took place on April 14. WHERETOEAT International is one of Eurasia’s leading gastronomic awards, setting industry benchmarks and highlighting key trends in the restaurant market. Winners are determined through a secret ballot by an expert panel comprising hundreds of industry professionals — including restaurateurs, hoteliers, sommeliers, and leading профиль media representatives from across the region. This methodology ensures both independence and a high level of trust in the results.

Askar Baitassov has led ABR since 2012, transforming a family business into one of Almaty’s largest restaurant holdings. Today, the company’s portfolio includes more than 50 restaurants. Five of the group’s brands are also represented at Dostyk Plaza shopping center: Cafeteria, Del Papa, Coco, Broadway Burger, and Luckee Yu.

ABR places strong emphasis on digitalization. In 2020, the company launched its foodtech direction along with the abr+ app, which now has over 550,000 users. Currently, around 80% of all payments across ABR restaurants are processed through the app — one of the highest levels of digital integration in the industry.

As part of the same awards, the annual international restaurant ranking was unveiled. AUYL, part of the ABR holding, secured 8th place, reinforcing its position as one of the region’s most notable гастрономических projects.

Previously, AUYL has also received global recognition: it was featured in The New York Times’ “52 Places to Go” list and named among the world’s 16 most beautiful restaurants by the Prix Versailles architectural award.