"Business Map" introduces the Augusto, Unotoro, Manayoki and Eva Gelato brands. Company founder, Veaceslav Dudush, provides more details.

The history of the company

I started my first project, Augusto café, in Comrat in 2017. Back then, I used to wake up early for work and didn't always manage to have breakfast. As there was no place where I could enjoy my morning coffee and a piece of cake in silence, I decided to create such a place myself. In 4 years, the start-up has grown into a chain of 6 cafes in Comrat, ranging from 20 to 120 sqm.

As I continued to explore the HoReCA segment in Comrat, I realized that the city lacked a true "men's" burger place. So, in 2019, I opened a fast-food burger and gyros restaurant under the Unotoro brand. In 2021 we launched 2 other projects: a sushi bar Manayoki and the production of Moldova's first goat milk ice cream, Eva Gelato. 

Production and services

Café Augusto is a leader in the coffee market in the South of Moldova. We have won the love of our customers thanks to our tasty coffee and fresh pastries. Our collaboration with partners has enabled us to deliver our pastries to several cafes in southern Moldova. Today, Augusto cafés can be found not only in Comrat, but also in Cahul and Chisinau. As for the menu, this year we introduced canapés and bruschettas. If you would like to have delicious pastries on your festive table, we are at your disposal. 

As for the Unotoro fast food restaurant - we cook on charcoal, which makes the meat particularly juicy, crispy, evenly fried, while ensuring the vitamin and mineral content. Unotoro caters for the preferences of all generations, so it reconciles all members of the family for a while.

My favorite project is Eva Gelato. I named the gelato „Eva” in honor of my daughter, which is why I'm so preoccupied with everything related to her. An important point: we don't sell gelato, we sell joy in a cone or a cup. What we produce is not just any dessert, but an emotion, available in over 20 flavours. Producing authentic Italian Gelato is our company's top priority. In just one season we've made so much of a stir that the big players on the ice cream market have started to ask questions, which is a sign that we're on the right track.

It's been a few weeks since we launched the MANAYOKI sushi bar. We've worked hard to ensure a wide variety of choices, fast delivery and attractive packaging. This is our priority.  We will continue at the same pace to achieve the title of the most delicious sushi rolls in Comrat.

Our dream team

I have a dream team! The founders of the most successful companies know that the main accelerator of growth is not the market, nor technology, nor competition, nor products. The factor that is the most important is the ability to find and keep the right people for the company. I'm still working on this, but I'm already proud of my team. In 2017 there were eight of us, and now there are already 55 people involved in production and cafes. This includes administrators, office managers, chefs, salespeople and logistics people (who oversee the delivery process). I don't see these people as my subordinates, as each of them is part of a bigger family, my family, which continues to grow.

Values

We want our visitors to associate us with the joys of everyday life. We want our restaurants not simply to satisfy their hunger, but to offer them warm emotions. We understand how important it is for our guests to have a good cup of coffee in the morning in order to have a successful day, so we work from the early hours of the morning. We value the time and comfort of our guests without any compromise. I put my heart into my work and train my team to be diligent and productive.

Success

In fact, all projects are successful having their own goals, tasks and values. We haven't reinvented the wheel, but all our restaurants have one thing in common - confidence in the quality of service provided and attention to detail. I believe these are the main factors driving success. Although we are located in the south of the country, our projects are appreciated not only in Gagauzia, but also in Chisinau.

Awards and distinctions

The greatest reward for us is the appreciation of our guests. We interact with our clients on social media and we look forward to feedback on our services and products. We respond gratefully to praise and compliments.

Speaking of tangible awards, we received the award for best innovative project and technology transfer in 2019.

Partners

During this time we have developed good and trusting relationships with all our partners. We are grateful that they support us in our development. They are always willing to help, offer good prices and provide quality products.

Business Features

All the projects have something special in terms of products, values and technology. I have already made a habit of creating projects that have never existed in the market before. This is what differentiates us from our competitors.

Location

The company's main locations are in Comrat, and we are planning to open new ones in Cahul and Chisinau.

Interesting facts about the company

We only use goat's milk in the production of Eva Gelato ice cream. It might surprise you to learn that we are pioneers in this field, at least in our country. Goat's milk is hypoallergenic, so this ice cream can even be served to babies.

We use high quality products for all our products and recipes. We only choose what we would offer to our own children. This principle is the best filter for quality.

Plans

We plan to refine all processes within the company, build a big and strong team and decide which path we want to take. We already have a pretty good understanding of our strengths and weaknesses. At the same time, we try to become a company that is resilient to crises and challenges.

We plan to open another project in Comrat, bring Unotoro and Augusto to Cahul and launch a new project in Chisinau.