The food&beverage segment is going through a difficult period – restaurants are closing, some are changing their strategy and formats and adapting. The RAU found out whether food courts and restaurants in SECs remain traffic drivers and whether they affect the average check.

First, the coronavirus pandemic with lockdowns, and then the full-scale invasion, which significantly affected purchasing power and aggravated the staffing crisis, caused the inevitable crisis and the closure of establishments. In the first half of 2025, the revenue of Ukrainian catering establishments increased by 5% compared to last year. However, the growth was due to higher prices, not more guests,  the study says Ukrainian company Poster. The average bill in establishments is also growing, but this is not due to the fact that Ukrainians began to pamper themselves more often, just prices have become higher. However, the situation is slightly different with restaurants in SECs and food courts.

About the share of visitors and popular formats

According to Evgenia Loktionova, director of UTG company, the gastro segment brings 10% of visitors to the SEC. However, Nhood Holding’s top managers – Anna Koryagina, International Rental Director, and Iago Bonastre, Global Director of F&B – say that F&B is increasingly playing the role of an anchor of traffic and significantly influencing the formation of the customer journey as part of the development of the concept of a modern SEC. And approximately 30-40% of total traffic is formed due to the offer in the gastro segment, not retail. For example, internal analytics of some SECs in Kyiv and Lviv demonstrate that a significant part of visitors come on weekends primarily for the experience of eating and socializing, which affects the structure of the GLA.

There are 15 restaurants and more than 20 food court outlets in the capital’s Respublika Park SEC, forming a wide offer – from casual formats to large restaurants, where you can not only have lunch or dinner, but also celebrate a birthday, hold a business meeting or a family evening. “We estimate that up to 20% of visitors come to the SEC thanks to the gastronomic offer, and the variety of cuisines and formats makes this segment a separate traffic driver. The demand from visitors remains stable, so the share of F&B in the structure of the SEC maintains its position and has the potential for growth,” comments Svitlana Goryunova, Rental Director of the Respublika Park SEC.

About popular formats

Yevheniia Loktionova says that currently the current format is catering establishments in the middle of Silpo supermarkets, which attract office workers, for example, in the Lavina Mall and Gulliver shopping centers. Nhood Holding distinguishes healthy and functional food, local brands, casual dining, as well as coffee shops and monoformats of drinks among attractive formats. Although the average check for the latter is lower, these points provide a high frequency of repeat visits and stable traffic. To the listed formats, Goryunova also adds Asian and Georgian cuisines and family restaurants with an extensive menu. “The key request of visitors is a fair price, stable quality and a recognizable product,” she adds.

On the impact on the average check

The F&B segment increases the time spent in the Respublika Park SEC by an average of 30-40%, which means that the visitor will make more purchases. “Thus, the average bill increases not only for restaurants, but also for other tenants,” says Goryunova. Nhood Holding’s top managers also agree that the average check increases by 20-35%, and a longer stay contributes to additional and impulse purchases in retail and entertainment. In addition, the integration of delivery services and pickup points expands the functionality of the food court, especially in SECs with urban integration.

However, Evgenia Loktionova believes that when the population’s purchasing power falls, food courts cannot be drivers in SECs. In addition, due to frequent worries, people try to spend less time at the food court, and due to the decline in welfare, large-format catering establishments such as Puzata Khata, KFC and McDonald’s are more popular. “Food courts do not significantly affect the average bill and the time spent in the SEC due to fast service and affordable price positioning,” Loktionova notes.

About behavioral trends

In the Respublika Park SEC, there is a stable demand for a high-quality, but affordable gastronomic product. One of the key trends is the development of the smart casual dining format, which combines restaurant quality of dishes and service with affordable prices and speed of service. Short waiting times, convenience and modern presentation are important to guests. “Even when people cut back on large purchases, they don’t give up the gastronomic experiences available. For many visitors, this is a way to restore the resource, communicate, spend time with family or friends. That is why F&B is an anti-crisis segment for SECs. It stabilizes the flow of visitors and maintains the viability of the commercial ecosystem of the shopping center,” concludes Goryunova.

Source: https://rau.ua/novyni/fudkorti-v-trc-chi-stala-izha-drajverom-trafiku-u-povnomasshtabne-vtorgnennja/