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Today, consumers have several different scenarios when making a choice.
If a person simply needs a quick meal, a restaurant increasingly competes not with the venue next door, but with retail, ready-to-eat food and technology-driven delivery services.
Andrey Chekmarev points to the development of the ready-meal and fast-delivery segment. Such products can arrive faster than a restaurant order, offer predictable quality and still cost less.
As a result, it is becoming harder for a traditional restaurant to justify a higher price if the customer’s only need is to satisfy their hunger quickly.
The market is effectively moving toward two poles.
The first is convenience: fast, affordable, simple and consistent. Here, restaurants compete with delicatessens, production kitchens, dark kitchens, delivery services and ready-to-eat food fr om supermarkets.
The second is experience: atmosphere, social interaction, entertainment, aesthetics, cultural content and a sense of belonging to a particular community.
The most vulnerable position is in between these two poles. Such a restaurant is already too expensive for the “just grab a meal” scenario, but at the same time does not offer a strong enough reason for a guest to specifically plan a visit.
This is why mid-market venues with standard menus and neutral positioning may face particular challenges in the coming years. They risk losing on price while failing to provide a distinctive experience.
Just a few years ago, a restaurant concept was often associated primarily with its visual identity: the name, logo, interior, tableware and a few unusual dishes.
Today, this is no longer enough.
A strong concept should answer at least four questions:
According to Andrey Chekmarev, more and more projects are being built around a particular lifestyle or set of values. These may include an interest in animals, healthy eating, sports, local culture, music, design or conscious consumption.
As a result, the formula “tasty, beautiful and cozy” is gradually becoming a basic expectation rather than a positioning strategy.
Engagement does not necessarily have to be large-scale or expensive. It can take the form of an open kitchen, a meeting with the chef, a themed dinner, a tasting, a master class, a club breakfast, a local collaboration or a community built around a café.
The key condition is that the event should be a natural extension of the concept rather than a random marketing activity.
Marketing sells the first visit. Operations sell the second.
One of the promising directions for Kazakhstan, according to Dmitry Praded, is the restaurant-market format focused on ready-to-eat food.
This model combines several needs at once: customers can buy groceries, choose a ready-made meal, pick up an order to take away or eat on site.
For the customer, this means saving time and having more freedom of choice. For the business, it creates additional revenue streams: dine-in, ready-to-eat food, beverages, semi-finished products and related goods.
A restaurant-market effectively sits at the intersection of foodservice and retail. Its goal is not simply to compete with a store on atmosphere or to replicate a traditional restaurant, but to become part of the consumer’s everyday routine.
The format may be particularly promising in residential areas, business districts and multifunctional complexes.
A single location can serve multiple occasions: breakfast before work, lunch, a family dinner, coffee, food on the go or ready-made meals to take home.
However, this model requires a different operational approach fr om the restaurant operator. Businesses need to manage inventory, shelf life, packaging, demand forecasting and the speed at which displays are replenished.
In practice, a restaurant has to learn to operate like a retailer while maintaining the quality of its food offering.
Another notable trend is the combination of restaurants with other leisure formats.
Possible combinations include a bathhouse and restaurant, ice rink and restaurant, bowling alley and restaurant, gaming club and restaurant, or children’s entertainment center and restaurant.
Consumers increasingly want a complete leisure experience in one place rather than having to choose between entertainment and food.
According to Andrey Chekmarev, projects that combine a restaurant with a gaming club, bowling alley or family entertainment center can deliver strong results.
Dmitry Praded also considers the development of this segment a logical step. In the past, an entertainment venue could get by with a coffee counter, a few snacks and simple pizza. Today, visitors expect a full kitchen virtually anywhere they spend an extended period of time.
But simply placing two functions side by side is not enough.
The restaurant and entertainment component need to be connected by a common concept and a seamless customer journey.
For example, a children’s center needs dishes with short preparation times, family sets and a menu designed for both children and parents. At a gaming club, customers need food that is convenient to eat while playing. At a bathhouse complex, beverages, light meals and a distinctive service experience become important.
When the elements of the project reinforce each other, the restaurant can increase visit duration and average spend, while the leisure component provides an additional reason to come.
Another important direction is the development of food halls and gastronomic spaces.
According to Andrey Chekmarev, the sustainability of such projects directly depends on the quality of venue management.
It is not enough simply to attract operators and lease out space. A food hall needs to develop its own brand and audience, maintain an events calendar, refresh its tenant mix, manage customer traffic and regularly invest in promotion.
In other words, a food hall should be treated as a standalone product.
It needs its own positioning, audience, events calendar, loyalty program and a clear reason for customers to return regularly.
Another important direction may be the further development of modern Kazakh cuisine.
Andrey Chekmarev notes that interest in local gastronomy is being shaped not only by restaurant operators, but also by chefs, researchers and authors who work with recipes, history and traditions and reinterpret them through a modern lens.
At the same time, Dmitry Praded expects interest in Asian cuisines to continue growing.
This is not limited to Japanese cuisine. Consumers are increasingly exploring Korean, Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese flavors, ingredients and cooking techniques.
For Kazakhstan, these trends can develop simultaneously.
Modern local cuisine does not necessarily have to exist only in the format of a large national restaurant. It can be expressed through urban breakfast concepts, baked goods, fast casual venues, small portions and products designed for delivery.
Another promising niche could be the combination of local ingredients with Asian techniques, sauces and presentation styles.
Against the backdrop of rising costs, the growth of delivery and changing consumer behavior, restaurant operators will have to rethink not only their menus, but their entire business models.
The first question when developing a new project should not be “What dishes will we serve?” but rather “In what situation will a customer choose us?”
Phrases such as “modern cuisine with an author’s interpretation and a stylish interior” are no longer particularly helpful to consumers.
Guests should immediately understand who the venue is for, why they should visit and what makes it different from dozens of other establishments.
Dine-in, takeaway, in-house delivery and aggregators represent different business models.
Restaurants need to track the margins of both individual dishes and sales channels separately, taking into account waste, kitchen utilization, labor costs and the impact of promotions.
A delivery menu should not simply be a copy of the restaurant menu.
Delivery requires its own sets, family offers, single-person options and products that customers can conveniently order on a regular basis.
Dependence on aggregators is becoming one of the risks of the restaurant business.
That is why venues need their own communication channels: CRM systems, loyalty programs, direct ordering, personalized offers and mechanisms that encourage repeat visits.
A successful first visit is not enough. A restaurant needs to give customers a reason to come back, whether that reason is product-related, emotional, social or event-driven.
A successful restaurant concept must be capable of consistently reproducing quality.
This requires procurement standards, staff training, quality control, a well-organized kitchen, delivery operations and a system for managing customer feedback.
In 2026–2027, Kazakhstan’s restaurant businesses will have to compete not only for customers’ taste preferences, but also for their time, money and attention.
Restaurants need to give people a clear answer to the question of why they should leave home, spend time traveling, pay a higher bill and come back again.
That is why the shift from menus to experiences is becoming not simply a beautiful marketing metaphor, but a new economics of the restaurant business.
The winners will be projects wh ere product, concept, marketing, team, operating model and customer experience work together as a coherent system.
And a restaurant’s key competitive advantage is gradually becoming not a particular dish or interior, but a clear answer to the question: what role does this place play in the life of its guest.
The New Economics of the Restaurant Business in Central Asia
Good food and a stylish interior are no longer enough to give restaurants in Kazakhstan a competitive advantage. Convenience, customer experience, clear positioning and the ability of a venue to become part of a guest’s everyday life are taking center stage. What formats will be in demand in the coming years, and why will restaurants have to compete not only with each other? We explore these questions together with industry experts.
Restaurant marketing today resembles a complex system in which the product, format, target audience, location, customer experience, team, kitchen speed, delivery, pricing and data must all work together. A mistake in any one element can affect the entire business model.
At the same time, restaurants in Kazakhstan are operating amid rising costs. In June 2026, annual inflation in the country reached 10.3%, while food prices increased by 10.4%. Opportunities to raise prices indefinitely are limited: customers are becoming more price-sensitive and are comparing alternatives more carefully.
Meanwhile, the food delivery market is growing rapidly. In 2025, the volume of online prepared-food delivery services in Kazakhstan reached KZT 169.5 billion, 1.9 times higher than a year earlier. The figure includes orders placed through aggregators, marketplaces, restaurants’ websites and mobile applications.
Against this backdrop, restaurants are no longer simply answering the question of what to cook. They have to address a much more important one: why should a customer choose this particular venue?
The prospects for Kazakhstan’s restaurant market, emerging formats and changing consumer behavior were discussed by Andrey Chekmarev, the creator of a number of restaurant concepts in Almaty, and Dmitry Praded, founder of the international sushi and rolls chain Yobidoyobi.
A Restaurant Is No Longer Competing Only with Other Restaurants
Today, consumers have several different scenarios when making a choice.
If a person simply needs a quick meal, a restaurant increasingly competes not with the venue next door, but with retail, ready-to-eat food and technology-driven delivery services.
Andrey Chekmarev points to the development of the ready-meal and fast-delivery segment. Such products can arrive faster than a restaurant order, offer predictable quality and still cost less.
As a result, it is becoming harder for a traditional restaurant to justify a higher price if the customer’s only need is to satisfy their hunger quickly.
The market is effectively moving toward two poles.
The first is convenience: fast, affordable, simple and consistent. Here, restaurants compete with delicatessens, production kitchens, dark kitchens, delivery services and ready-to-eat food fr om supermarkets.
The second is experience: atmosphere, social interaction, entertainment, aesthetics, cultural content and a sense of belonging to a particular community.
The most vulnerable position is in between these two poles. Such a restaurant is already too expensive for the “just grab a meal” scenario, but at the same time does not offer a strong enough reason for a guest to specifically plan a visit.
This is why mid-market venues with standard menus and neutral positioning may face particular challenges in the coming years. They risk losing on price while failing to provide a distinctive experience.
Why Concept Is Becoming More Important Than Interior Design
Just a few years ago, a restaurant concept was often associated primarily with its visual identity: the name, logo, interior, tableware and a few unusual dishes.
Today, this is no longer enough.
A strong concept should answer at least four questions:
- Who is the restaurant designed for?
- What role does it play in the guest’s life?
- Why does the customer choose this particular location?
- What will make them come back?
According to Andrey Chekmarev, more and more projects are being built around a particular lifestyle or set of values. These may include an interest in animals, healthy eating, sports, local culture, music, design or conscious consumption.
As a result, the formula “tasty, beautiful and cozy” is gradually becoming a basic expectation rather than a positioning strategy.
Engagement does not necessarily have to be large-scale or expensive. It can take the form of an open kitchen, a meeting with the chef, a themed dinner, a tasting, a master class, a club breakfast, a local collaboration or a community built around a café.
The key condition is that the event should be a natural extension of the concept rather than a random marketing activity.
Marketing sells the first visit. Operations sell the second.
Restaurant-Markets: Wh ere Foodservice Meets Retail
One of the promising directions for Kazakhstan, according to Dmitry Praded, is the restaurant-market format focused on ready-to-eat food.
This model combines several needs at once: customers can buy groceries, choose a ready-made meal, pick up an order to take away or eat on site.
For the customer, this means saving time and having more freedom of choice. For the business, it creates additional revenue streams: dine-in, ready-to-eat food, beverages, semi-finished products and related goods.
A restaurant-market effectively sits at the intersection of foodservice and retail. Its goal is not simply to compete with a store on atmosphere or to replicate a traditional restaurant, but to become part of the consumer’s everyday routine.
The format may be particularly promising in residential areas, business districts and multifunctional complexes.
A single location can serve multiple occasions: breakfast before work, lunch, a family dinner, coffee, food on the go or ready-made meals to take home.
However, this model requires a different operational approach fr om the restaurant operator. Businesses need to manage inventory, shelf life, packaging, demand forecasting and the speed at which displays are replenished.
In practice, a restaurant has to learn to operate like a retailer while maintaining the quality of its food offering.
Foodservice Is Becoming Part of Leisure
Another notable trend is the combination of restaurants with other leisure formats.
Possible combinations include a bathhouse and restaurant, ice rink and restaurant, bowling alley and restaurant, gaming club and restaurant, or children’s entertainment center and restaurant.
Consumers increasingly want a complete leisure experience in one place rather than having to choose between entertainment and food.
According to Andrey Chekmarev, projects that combine a restaurant with a gaming club, bowling alley or family entertainment center can deliver strong results.
Dmitry Praded also considers the development of this segment a logical step. In the past, an entertainment venue could get by with a coffee counter, a few snacks and simple pizza. Today, visitors expect a full kitchen virtually anywhere they spend an extended period of time.
But simply placing two functions side by side is not enough.
The restaurant and entertainment component need to be connected by a common concept and a seamless customer journey.
For example, a children’s center needs dishes with short preparation times, family sets and a menu designed for both children and parents. At a gaming club, customers need food that is convenient to eat while playing. At a bathhouse complex, beverages, light meals and a distinctive service experience become important.
When the elements of the project reinforce each other, the restaurant can increase visit duration and average spend, while the leisure component provides an additional reason to come.
A Food Hall Needs More Than Just Occupancy
Another important direction is the development of food halls and gastronomic spaces.
According to Andrey Chekmarev, the sustainability of such projects directly depends on the quality of venue management.
It is not enough simply to attract operators and lease out space. A food hall needs to develop its own brand and audience, maintain an events calendar, refresh its tenant mix, manage customer traffic and regularly invest in promotion.
In other words, a food hall should be treated as a standalone product.
It needs its own positioning, audience, events calendar, loyalty program and a clear reason for customers to return regularly.
Modern Kazakh Cuisine and Growing Interest in Asia
Another important direction may be the further development of modern Kazakh cuisine.
Andrey Chekmarev notes that interest in local gastronomy is being shaped not only by restaurant operators, but also by chefs, researchers and authors who work with recipes, history and traditions and reinterpret them through a modern lens.
At the same time, Dmitry Praded expects interest in Asian cuisines to continue growing.
This is not limited to Japanese cuisine. Consumers are increasingly exploring Korean, Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese flavors, ingredients and cooking techniques.
For Kazakhstan, these trends can develop simultaneously.
Modern local cuisine does not necessarily have to exist only in the format of a large national restaurant. It can be expressed through urban breakfast concepts, baked goods, fast casual venues, small portions and products designed for delivery.
Another promising niche could be the combination of local ingredients with Asian techniques, sauces and presentation styles.
What Will Change for the Restaurant Business in 2026–2027
Against the backdrop of rising costs, the growth of delivery and changing consumer behavior, restaurant operators will have to rethink not only their menus, but their entire business models.
1. Start with the consumption scenario
The first question when developing a new project should not be “What dishes will we serve?” but rather “In what situation will a customer choose us?”
2. Formulate the concept in simple language
Phrases such as “modern cuisine with an author’s interpretation and a stylish interior” are no longer particularly helpful to consumers.
Guests should immediately understand who the venue is for, why they should visit and what makes it different from dozens of other establishments.
3. Calculate the economics of each channel
Dine-in, takeaway, in-house delivery and aggregators represent different business models.
Restaurants need to track the margins of both individual dishes and sales channels separately, taking into account waste, kitchen utilization, labor costs and the impact of promotions.
4. Create a separate delivery product
A delivery menu should not simply be a copy of the restaurant menu.
Delivery requires its own sets, family offers, single-person options and products that customers can conveniently order on a regular basis.
5. Bring customers back into your own ecosystem
Dependence on aggregators is becoming one of the risks of the restaurant business.
That is why venues need their own communication channels: CRM systems, loyalty programs, direct ordering, personalized offers and mechanisms that encourage repeat visits.
6. Create reasons to return
A successful first visit is not enough. A restaurant needs to give customers a reason to come back, whether that reason is product-related, emotional, social or event-driven.
7. Scale the system, not just the popularity
A successful restaurant concept must be capable of consistently reproducing quality.
This requires procurement standards, staff training, quality control, a well-organized kitchen, delivery operations and a system for managing customer feedback.
A Restaurant Will Have to Sell More Than Food
In 2026–2027, Kazakhstan’s restaurant businesses will have to compete not only for customers’ taste preferences, but also for their time, money and attention.
Restaurants need to give people a clear answer to the question of why they should leave home, spend time traveling, pay a higher bill and come back again.
That is why the shift from menus to experiences is becoming not simply a beautiful marketing metaphor, but a new economics of the restaurant business.
The winners will be projects wh ere product, concept, marketing, team, operating model and customer experience work together as a coherent system.
And a restaurant’s key competitive advantage is gradually becoming not a particular dish or interior, but a clear answer to the question: what role does this place play in the life of its guest.