Russia: Food Service Sector Snapshot in Russian Far East
In 2014, the food service sector in the Russian Far East faced a number of serious challenges including a food import embargo placed on a variety of food products from the United States, European Union, Canada, Norway and Australia in response to economic sanctions; implementation of a nationwide smoking ban in restaurants and bars; and a depreciating ruble, currency fluctuations, and dropping consumer purchasing power. Nevertheless, the restaurant sector in the region has adapted by offering more middle and lower-end establishments and sourcing more ingredients from domestic suppliers. According to representatives of the Far East Restaurant Agency, when looking at quality of restaurants, number of seats per capita, and average check amounts, Vladivostok still competes as a national leader.
