About Watch Russia
Moscow is certainly one of the world’s gastronomic capitals. However, in a large city with its hectic rhythm, it’s essential to have quick meal options, between meetings, during walks, before concerts or theatre performances, or even during intermissions. The ability to not only get quick, but tasty food is enabled by CoffeeMania and its Bez Tarelok (Without Plates) project, whose cuisine is already regarded as one of Moscow’s specialties. We discussed what Muscovites and city visitors love with Alexandra Kuznetsova, Development Director of the CoffeeMania Bez Tarelok chain.
The jambon-beurre sandwich, made from half a baguette with ham, butter, and cornichons, is one of Paris’s specialties. Millions of these sandwiches are consumed annually by Parisians and visitors. CoffeeMania is one of Moscow’s gastronomic symbols, a specialty of the city. What items from the CoffeeMania Bez Tarelok menu are most popular: which sandwiches and drinks?
Let’s start with the question: “Who is our new format for?” Moscow is a unique city where tranquillity and balance coexist with impulsiveness and a desire to be everywhere and miss nothing. This requires accelerating and optimizing many daily routines, which leads to the rise of 24/7 stores, deliveries, restaurants, gyms, concierge services, and ready-to-eat meals. Although the first grocery stores with ready-to-eat food appeared at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries, today bulk formats are evolving into more convenient forms for modern shoppers.
We are creating a concept that is already familiar in Moscow: ready-to-go individually packaged meals, freshly cut hot sandwiches, beverages, and coffee in disposable cups. The format is well-known in the market, but what sets us apart is our approach to product creation: we offer straightforward options, but execute them flawlessly, leveraging the expertise of our restaurants. At CoffeeMania Bez Tarelok, we use the same ingredients in our kitchens, the same recipes adapted for takeaway packaging, the same hands of chefs or baristas, and the same equipment.
Establishments with everyday-style cuisines almost all have the same core lineup that remains most popular, regardless of updates to the menu. In our case, this includes cottage cheese pancakes (syrniki), turkey cutlets with mashed potatoes and homemade paprika relish (lecho), Caesar salad, and our signature hot chicken sandwich. I believe you won’t find anything quite like it anywhere else.
The CoffeeMania Bez Tarelok project was launched in 2021 as a store-café with a culinary focus, announcing a new democratic and eco-friendly format. However, in 2024, a full-fledged bistro CoffeeMania Bez Tarelok with plates opened on Myasnitskaya Street. Why were plates actually needed? What role does this bistro on Myasnitskaya play within the CoffeeMania group structure?
The project on Myasnitskaya Street took this format for two reasons: first, we wanted to create a trendy and convenient concept for students of the Higher School of Economics, which is located in the same building; second, we opted for a space where it was technically feasible to install a kitchen. The classic Bez Tarelok concept relies on ready-made meals supplied from our small production sites, so there was no need to establish a miniature culinary workshop on Myasnitskaya. However, we decided to experiment and launch a multi-format space combining the familiar Bez Tarelok menu presentation (on display counters) with a unique, knife-cut expanded menu that is distinct from our restaurants. Initially, the Myasnitskaya kitchen concept focused on an extended egg-based breakfast menu, supplemented by a large lunch menu starting from 30 May. Additionally, this outlet offers wine and exclusive cocktails that are not available in our restaurants.
Despite the introduction of plates on Myasnitskaya Street, we retained the name because the bistro still offers takeaway drinks and ready-made meals. By the way, talking about plates, they account for only a minor part of our guest service and are not a key solution in the format. We only use plates for serving reheated ready meals at three out of nine locations, as an option at the guests’ request.
The next step was opening CoffeeMania Bez Tarelok inside the Taganka Theatre as a theatre café. This is a welcome innovation, as the concept of a “theatrical sandwich” desperately needed an update. Are your guests there really theatregoers? Did choosing this location, inside a theatre, justify itself?
Bez Tarelok at Taganka Theatre is the most complex and exciting project, at least for me personally. The uniqueness begins with the technical features of the space: it has several entrances, the main one (from the street), a summer entrance (via the terrace), and an entrance from the theatre lobby. The latter provided us with an opportunity to create an alternative to the standard buffet format, where guests can stop during intermission.
Specifically for this café, we designed a display counter where, during the day, we showcase our sandwiches and ingredients for their preparation. Starting at 6 pm, we switch to “theatre snacks”: sandwiches with caviar, mortadella, tuna, vegetables, mezze platters, stuffed gougères, olives, etc. As on Myasnitskaya, guests can choose from wine and light sparkling-based cocktails. It seems like the perfect pairing for a theatre experience. Otherwise, the establishment offers the standard menu of the Bez Tarelok concept.
About 30% of our clientele are theatregoers who visit in the evening, while 70% consist of residents and visitors of the Taganka neighbourhood, as well as employees of companies located in the area. I believe Taganka has enormous potential, and I’m delighted that we opened there.
What are your plans for 2025?
Our plans for this year include documenting and standardizing all current processes, finding a balance, and extracting the best lessons from our past experiences for future development. And, hopefully, we’ll find another great spot for a new opening.