For more than 15 years, Premier FOOD has been one of the leading players in Ukraine’s food service industry. Together with its flagship brand, Mr. Grill, the company pioneered Ukraine’s hot dog culture and helped shape the country’s modern street food market. Today, Premier FOOD is one of Central Europe’s largest food service operators and a leading manufacturer of hot dogs and burgers under the Mr. Grill brand. The company has also established itself as one of Ukraine’s most attractive investment-driven businesses.

Today, Premier FOOD operates across several key business segments. The group runs its own manufacturing facility in the Vinnytsia region, provides end-to-end logistics services, manages seven distribution centers across Ukraine supported by its own transportation fleet, and continues to expand its network of Mr. Grill Hotdogs & Burgers restaurants. The company’s products are now exported to more than 12 countries worldwide.

We sat down with Vitalii Voitovych, Founder and CEO of Premier FOOD, to discuss the company’s journey, the realities of doing business in Ukraine today, the crisis-management decisions that helped it navigate wartime, and its plans for international expansion.

Last year marked Premier FOOD’s 15th anniversary. Today, your hot dogs are available at gas stations across the country. How did you manage to build a business of this scale in Ukraine?

Over the years, our company has undergone a truly remarkable transformation. We started with a small team and a rented warehouse of just 50 square meters. Today, we operate more than 7,500 square meters of our own warehouse facilities, have built a modern logistics network, and have become one of Ukraine’s largest logistics operators.

Every month, we complete more than 50,000 deliveries using our own specialized fleet while maintaining a constant temperature of -18°C, allowing us to supply virtually every corner of the country.

In addition, Premier FOOD operates Ukraine’s only dedicated production facility specializing in hot dog sausages and burger patties under the Mr. Grill brand, with an annual production capacity of approximately 12,000 tons. For street food enthusiasts, we’ve also launched our own chain of Mr. Grill Hotdogs & Burgers restaurants.

Fifteen years ago, we introduced a turnkey solution for gas station operators at a time when most of our partners were only beginning to develop their food service areas. That’s how the idea of creating a truly high-quality product was born. In 2008, we launched our very first hot dog, which was available at just five gas stations in Kyiv at the time (smiles). Today, we produce more than 10 million hot dogs and burgers every month, supplying over 2,000 gas stations and more than 7,000 street food locations.

It certainly wasn’t an easy journey. But from day one, we’ve been committed to delivering exceptional product quality while providing our partners with a complete business support ecosystem. That philosophy allowed us to scale the company and achieve steady, sustainable growth. Our formula for success has never changed: uncompromising quality, outstanding service, and genuine passion for the products we create.

Can Fast Food Be Considered Safe Today?

We operate according to the highest industry standards. Our production facilities are certified under ISO 22000:2018, ISO 9001:2015, and HACCP, which means maintaining exceptional product quality at every stage of production isn’t just a goal—it’s our responsibility. The market simply doesn’t forgive mistakes when it comes to food safety. As I mentioned earlier, quality remains one of the fundamental pillars of our success.

We take a meticulous approach to sourcing raw ingredients and conduct extensive product tastings every single day to ensure our standards are reflected not only in words but in every product we deliver.

When it comes specifically to Mr. Grill’s ready-to-eat hot dogs and burgers, I believe they are among the safest products in the quick-service food segment today, perfectly aligned with today’s grab-and-go lifestyle.

Every product is manufactured entirely at our production facility. Our sausages are made from real meat and undergo a complete thermal processing cycle before being shock-frozen at -18°C. This production method significantly minimizes any risks associated with both food preparation and storage.

We deliver our products to retail locations frozen, using our own specialized transportation fleet, with deliveries made up to six times a week. As a result, our partners don’t need to invest in additional refrigeration equipment—we ensure a continuous supply with deliveries available virtually the very next day.

If we’re talking about other fast-food formats, such as shawarma prepared on-site, the risks are considerably higher. Those include handling raw meat that may not be cooked thoroughly, failures to meet sanitation standards, and improper food storage. In practice, more than half of these outlets lack the proper infrastructure required to consistently follow every stage of the food safety process. When serving a high volume of customers, even minor sanitation violations can pose serious health risks.

That’s exactly why, from the very beginning of building our company, we designed our business model around minimizing every possible risk—making operations easier for our partners while ensuring consumers receive a product that is both safe and of the highest quality.

How did Premier FOOD adapt after the start of the full-scale war? Were you able to preserve both production and jobs?

When the full-scale invasion began, Premier FOOD was preparing for a major expansion of its manufacturing capacity. Like many Ukrainian businesses, we had to put those plans on hold. Our immediate priority became adapting to an entirely new reality, launching our own humanitarian initiatives, and keeping the company operating in an environment of extreme economic uncertainty.

Despite the circumstances, we didn’t stop working—not even for a day. On the contrary, we adapted quickly. Alongside our core business, we established mobile food preparation and distribution centers in communities most affected by the war.

During this period, we increased production volumes, expanded our workforce, and continued supporting small businesses. Even communities located close to the front line continued receiving our products without interruption.

Just three months after the full-scale invasion began, we made the decision to invest in expanding our raw material base and warehouse capacity despite all the risks that existed at the time.

Today, we continue creating new jobs while supporting partners across different regions of Ukraine, helping them build and grow their own street food businesses through a comprehensive business model that includes products, equipment, marketing support, and logistics.

In doing so, we’re not only contributing to Ukraine’s economy—we’re also creating new opportunities for people who were forced to leave their homes because of the war. Today, nearly 40% of our client base consists of newly established partner-operated street food locations that opened after the full-scale invasion began.

What crisis-management decisions helped Premier FOOD remain resilient during the war?

Without question, we had to quickly restructure our internal operations, optimize logistics, reassess costs, and adapt every aspect of the business to a completely different reality. But if I had to identify the single most important factor behind our resilience, it would be our people.

Our employees and our partners stood by the company during its most difficult moments. They supported us with the same level of commitment and loyalty that we’ve shown them throughout the past fifteen years. For that, I am sincerely grateful.

How important is partnership in business today?

Every successful business is built on strong partnerships. The realities of wartime have only reinforced just how essential those relationships truly are.

Today, partnership goes far beyond mutual business interests. It’s about shared responsibility, the ability to respond quickly to unexpected challenges, and the willingness to support one another when it matters most.

How have you managed to maintain the balance between pricing and quality while remaining a profitable company?

The answer is actually quite straightforward—we continuously look for opportunities to optimize our internal operations.

Our priority has never been to pass rising costs on to the end consumer through higher prices. Instead, we focus on finding efficiencies within the business itself.

As a certified manufacturer, we’re held to exceptionally high operational standards, and that discipline has become one of our greatest strengths. Over the past several years, we’ve automated a significant portion of our business processes, making our operations more efficient while creating additional capacity for growth.

That’s what allows us to remain a profitable company without compromising product quality or the competitive pricing we offer our partners.

Has your business been able to support both civilians and the military during the war?

Absolutely.

Our work spans multiple areas—from supplying raw meat to producing ready-to-eat food specifically developed to meet the needs of both civilians and humanitarian initiatives. This includes long shelf-life prepared meals designed to address the realities of wartime.

Both you and Premier FOOD have received numerous awards over the years. Which one means the most to you?

When you help because you genuinely believe it’s the right thing to do—when you fully understand the reality your country is living through—you simply act according to your values. People recognize that.

Over the years, we’ve received many awards and expressions of appreciation. But honestly, I’ve never kept count (smiles).

I hope that once the war is over, we’ll be able to look back at those honors, remember everything we’ve been through, and say, “We made it.”

Vitalii is an exceptionally modest person and rarely speaks about his own achievements. However, it’s worth noting that during the war, both he and Premier FOOD were honored by the Ukrainian government with the Ministry of Defense Medal “For Assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” awarded under the order of Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, Oleksii Reznikov.

Are you planning further international expansion? Do you already have concrete plans in place?

Today, Premier FOOD exports its products to more than 12 countries worldwide, including Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Oman, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, China, Jordan, Kosovo, the United Kingdom, and Bulgaria.

At the same time, we’re actively expanding both our product portfolio and service offering while increasing the share of exports in our overall business. One of our highest priorities today is obtaining European Union certification, which will unlock entirely new opportunities for international growth.

Another important direction is the development of our vegan product line, which we believe has tremendous long-term potential as global consumer preferences continue to evolve.

We’re also exploring opportunities to expand our gas station food service and street food concepts throughout the European Union and the United Kingdom. This will allow us to strengthen our international presence and compete successfully with leading global companies.

Do you believe Ukrainian products and businesses can compete successfully in the European market?

Absolutely.

Ukrainian products are already highly competitive in terms of taste and quality, and in several categories they outperform their European counterparts.

When it comes to meat products in particular, however, exceptional quality alone isn’t enough. Successfully entering European markets also requires comprehensive government support, as exports of Ukrainian pork and beef continue to face regulatory restrictions.

How do you see the future of Ukraine’s street food market?

I’m confident this market has tremendous potential.

Eating on the go has long become a global lifestyle trend. As modern life continues to accelerate, people have less time for traditional sit-down meals, making quick-service food an increasingly important part of everyday life. Our mission is to ensure that fast food is as high-quality, safe, and delicious as possible.

Beyond that, we offer future partners a ready-to-launch business model that allows them to establish and grow their own street food business in Ukraine quickly and efficiently.

Finally, I’d like to ask about your charitable work. Since the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, you’ve actively supported Ukraine’s Armed Forces, children, and Ukrainian families. What social initiatives are you focused on today?

That’s a story worthy of its own conversation—one I hope we’ll have after Ukraine’s victory.

Every day, we do everything we can to help bring that day closer. Many of our employees and friends are currently serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, so whenever they’re in need, we provide whatever support we can—from medical supplies and hard-to-find tourniquets to other essential equipment.

From the very first days of the war, our primary humanitarian mission has been providing food to those who need it most.

On the third day of the full-scale invasion, we established our own humanitarian food relief headquarters in coordination with the Kyiv City State Administration and launched a network of mobile food preparation and distribution centers in metro stations, schools, and kindergartens.

Within just the first few weeks, those centers distributed more than 100,000 hot dogs and over 20 tons of sausage products to civilians and Ukraine’s defenders.

Over the past year alone, we’ve donated more than 50 tons of ready-to-eat products to military personnel, internally displaced families, boarding schools, and others who needed support the most.

But our contribution extends far beyond food assistance. We work closely with charitable foundations and military units, and over the past year alone, the value of our military aid has exceeded 5 million Ukrainian hryvnias.

Our support has included purchasing vehicles, equipment for Ukraine’s air defense forces, diesel generators, DJI Mavic 3 drones when they were still extremely difficult to obtain, thermal imaging devices, specialized computer equipment, networking hardware, communication systems, and even military uniforms.

To date, we’ve fulfilled more than 300 requests for assistance, and we have no intention of slowing down. For us, supporting Ukraine isn’t a separate area of business—it’s an essential part of our responsibility as a company and as members of society.