Denys Kushal, MIM-Kyiv’s SE MBA 2021 launched Gastro Oma (Gastro Grandma), the store of Ukrainian frozen staples foods such as dumplings (varenyky), potato pancakes, etc. in the city of Neuss in Germany. All foods are prepared by the Ukrainians who had to leave home because of war. Creating jobs and supporting Ukrainians abroad are the drivers of the business.

In his interview with the Deutsche Welle Denys Kushal said that by opening the store he responded to the new demand that was formed after the full-scale Russian invasion. 

“You could buy something similar in Russian stores. But now the idea of shopping there is appalling for Ukrainians. We decided to create jobs for our refugees. The other thing is that we see the market for our product. Nearly a million Ukrainians relocated to Germany because of the war,” Denys Kushal told us. 

He plans to establish to expand the store to a chain. To do so, Denys Kushal designed the franchising model with special offers for investors or entrepreneurs. Oleksandr Dankanych a Ukrainian chef who studied in the UK and works in Germany developed the recipes. He is enthusiastic about promoting Ukrainian cuisine in Germany, so he joined Denys.

Gastro Oma targets well-to-do German consumers who are ready to spend on hand-made quality foods cooked with hand-picked local produce.