A Women-Owned Restaurant Thriving in Frontline Zaporizhzhia

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, restaurateur Anhelina Teslenko fled Mariupol with a single bag, leaving behind her restaurant, equipment, and much of her team. “For someone used to being in control, it felt like a total apocalypse,” she recalls. As former team members gradually made their way to Zaporizhzhia, she reopened her restaurant, Hello, Salmon, in a rented kitchen, reinvesting every early profit into the business. Today the restaurant serves sushi, pizza, and Pan-Asian cuisine in Zaporizhzhia and has opened a second location in Kyiv.

The restaurant’s own customer research showed that people in this frontline city come not just to eat, but for a moment of comfort and connection, often with their families. “People come to us to take a mental break,” Anhelina explains. A summer terrace mini-grant from the Women’s Opportunity Fund of Ukraine helped her respond to customer demand by adding two round family tables and eight chairs in a space outdoors, a game-changing addition for the business, creating a cozy space where larger groups of relatives can gather.

Running a restaurant under constant threat of attack is particularly unpredictable, and security concerns continue shape whether guests choose to sit outside. But Anhelina has adapted her marketing to encourage longer visits and larger orders, and revenue would have been noticeably lower without the renovated terrace and added seats. Her story shows how targeted support can help women entrepreneurs keep their businesses growing in wartime, while also giving their communities a place to gather, reconnect, and find a little respite.