A trend is something that becomes popular and is demanded and copied for some time. “Trend” is a foreign word, and I am with foreign words for “you”. Everything works out for me by accident. I have never deliberately spent my energy on finding new ideas. We go, for example, to breakfast, and the thought is born to us: I will drink tea or coffee, eat porridge or cheese cakes - the same with what kind of restaurant I will make.

How #Farsh came up with

Have you heard about #Farш burger? It was created like this: I was a co-host in the Masterchef program, where Miratorg was one of the sponsors. The cooks used this meat. I thought: if they sponsor the show, then they can sponsor me too. After my proposal, the company checked me for reliability for three months. Then, in the end, they agreed, but not to sponsor, but simply to work. Then I suggested that they make a meat restaurant on Nikolskaya. We chose a room, and next to it we had "appendicitis" - 120 free meters. At first we thought about making a “healthy food” restaurant, but there wasn’t enough space - and through it we would have to carry “not healthy food". I suggested opening a burger shop.

Then there is a funny story: tourists are sometimes taken along Nikolskaya to GUM. Someone sent me a photo: there are about thirty tourists facing #Farsh against the background of a signboard, and it looks like it’s a burger line. I posted the photo on Instagram and wrote: "Look, we already have queues." Then for three or four months it was impossible to get to us. The place became popular, despite the fact that before # Farш there were BB & Burgers, where I went to see how they make burgers. Now about 16 "Farsha" are working, they are managed by a common company.

60 taverns "Yolki-sticki"

I'll tell you more about the pure case. A comrade with the persistent surname Lomanovich built in Moscow big market, where he had 180 free meters, and he persuaded me to go and look at them. At the same time, I built the Tsarskaya Okhota restaurant, and my friend also ran out of black caviar smuggling business, it was necessary to help a person. I formed a triangle - Lomanovich, comrade, "Tsarskaya Okhota" - and I decided to make a derivative of "Tsarskoy Okhota" - an inexpensive restaurant "Elki-Palki". Eventually the place became popular, and in 2008, before the crisis, we managed to sell the company. By that time, it had about 50-60 restaurants, including franchises.

How Gallery became cool

I'll also tell you about the trend. I am a cook, I worked as a cook, and when I think about a restaurant, my brains first of all think about what to cook there? This means that I had a restaurant called "Gallery". We wanted to invite Alain Ducasse to the place of the chief, but then we thought that too much money would have to be paid to the Frenchman, plus expensive products buy. We made an ordinary restaurant where the chef was William Lamberti. All of a sudden, the whole party went to the restaurant for no reason. That was the era of glamorous restaurants, and Gallery was like that, we had photos of all the stars. After 5-6 years, the time of glamorous restaurants was gone - and the Gallery was barely surviving.

In Moscow, depending on changes in streets and parking lots, the popularity of places changes. Previously, Petrovka was fashionable, but then everything shifted to the zone of Kuznetsky Most and Central Department Store, and Petrovka remained an ownerless, impassable street. We waited, then I invited Tatyana Berkovich, and together we opened the Gallery on the site (it was the incarnation of the Berkovich restaurant of the same name. - Approx. ed.). She did everything herself, and I was in the wings. The restaurant did not go well, there was no chance left, and I decided to close it. True, I had the name "Cool" in reserve.

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Good title - it comes from the movie "Godzilla". There main character walked along the embankment and met fishermen. He told them: "It won't be cool today." They asked, “Why? Yesterday was cool. " And we, leaving the same interior, adding pillows and changing the showcase and the name, launched the restaurant. I speak without coquetry, I thought that in a week I would close it. Suddenly a miracle happened - the restaurant started working.

In vain you spent money on my lecture - in our life everything is a case. The lecture is over. (Laughs.)

Restaurants as a response to sanctions

I have never bothered to eat food or not. Moreover, we have nothing to fear - before the start of the lecture, they recalled 1991, when I opened Sirena. Then there was nothing, it was impossible to buy plates and wine glasses. And I opened a fish restaurant, because meat was impossible to get. As the saying goes, the need for invention is tricky.

By the way, Miratorg started the business long before the sanctions, but it really started selling beef when the sanctions were introduced. Conclusion: if you don’t think beforehand, you won’t do anything. The establishment of the No Fish restaurant was a response to the sanctions. After the events of 2014, patriotism in our country has grown. We are worried about Ukraine, the Olympics, sanctions, everyone is talking about it somehow. Patriotism has played a role in our business, where restaurateurs use Russian products to promote restaurants. So we have no fish. The cheese factory is also a response to the sanctions.

In general, sanctions are bad. It's good when you have a choice and at the same time have the opportunity to develop your products.

© Novikov London

© Novikov London

© Novikov London

© Novikov London

© Novikov London

© Novikov London

© Novikov London

Novikov in London

Who was at my restaurant in London (counts hands)? Eight people, a little. Look, our business is not easy. We praise ourselves here, but it's complicated. How did I end up in London? As soon as you earn money, the kids should be sent there to study. We came to visit them, and I looked closely. And as the second champion of restaurant games in Russia (looking at Alexander Rappoport) I thought, why not play Western games? I decided to open a restaurant.

First he found a place, began to fight for it and lost, because in London a large number of serious restaurateurs and Russians are disliked. Naturally, we made a beautiful presentation, wrote that we are cool, that we are with photos and the best. We were refused. A year later, driving past this place and seeing the boarded up windows, I called the realtor who was looking for, and asked to check the premises. Everything was fast. They were ready to sell it.

Specificity of work in England

In general, the organization of restaurants abroad is different from their organization in Russia. Where is better - no one knows, we can agree, but not there. We bought the lease from Hakkasan for three hundred and fifty thousand pounds. By the way, six years later, a room of equal size on the other side of the street was sold for nine million pounds. After our opening, an article came out that rents for retail space had doubled.

We had 1800 meters, and I decided to make three halls, not to save money: I invited the best designers, builders, managers and began to make repairs. There were billion-dollar companies upstairs, and one day builders drilled three holes through the floor of their office. We were stopped. I turned to lawyers. The lawyers called the builders and managers and said that there was a mistake, they had to deal with the landlords upstairs and build further. As a result, after four months I paid the landlord, the neighbors from above, the district council for a new license, paid 30 percent more to managers and builders, because we were forbidden to work during the day, and it is forbidden to work in the evening in London. I also paid the lawyers. But taking into account the amendments, we opened on time.

Negative review by The Guardian

Review of Jay Reiner's Novikov restaurant in The Guardian

In those days, journalists in Moscow did not write badly yet, they only praised, and I am not used to such articles. I thought they would write: "Well done Russian restaurateur." I realized that the money was spent, and the restaurant should be closed after the opening week, because people will not come. Fortunately, I met a wise man who explained to me: “You, Arkady, do not understand. Cut out the article and hang it on the front door. Because, after reading, the British will come to see what is so bad in this restaurant and the truth is written or not. " The next day, Monday, we made a turnover twice as much as on the previous ones. The restaurant is still open, 1000 people pass a day, and the average bill is about £ 100 plus a bar. In 2015, we received an award.

It's harder in London than in Moscow

Then I decided to take a couple more rooms, thinking that I would make an awesome restaurant, but after a while we closed. In order to do something, you need to feel and understand what you are doing, where you are doing and for whom you are doing. I'm good in Moscow because I know which street is worth doing and which is not, at the beginning or at the end, on the right or left side of it. In subsequent times in London, I made a mistake, because Londoners have their own ideas and favorite places, the streets change, somewhere there is more Arab population, somewhere there are tourists. You must have a sense of smell and understanding.

Why did Novikov go? It has a good design, calm and interesting. We made an Asian one Italian cuisine and a lounge bar downstairs. In the Asian one there was a fish counter with an enviable assortment. In the Italian department, the "mafia" works, half from Sardinia - and the products from there. Very tasty. The bar is just a party place. Everything worked together. We made a trendy place and it just happened on its own. The main reason is that we managed to assemble a good local team, I did not bring a single person from Moscow. We have an Australian director, a New Zealander chef in an Asian restaurant, Italians in an Italian restaurant, a confectioner in Filipino, and Germans in a bar.

Novikov in Moscow and Miami

Novikov works well in Moscow. But there are no such high turns as in London. This is due to the purchasing power of citizens. After the Moscow one, we were asked for a franchise in a Dubai restaurant, although it is not located in the most ideal place, now it works, but not in the way I would like. We have given franchises in Saudi Arabia, and in two months Novikov will open in Miami. If it does, then we will develop the project.

Do you need to make a star out of a chef?

I have a lot good chefs, thanks to them. But there are no people like Vladimir Mukhin, Grigory Troyan, for example. I envy and am proud with white envy that chefs appear in Russia who love food, want to learn, improve and cook new things. They understand the product, they are looking for the Russian one. If I met such a person, I would invest in him, give him the opportunity to travel. Everyone thinks to himself that he is a star, but in fact time shows. Who is looking for truffles? The truffles are buried and cannot be found immediately. The cooks are truffles, but they are looking for them ... (Laughs.)

What's trending today?

Today the trend is to experience everything that happens in the world. Try to live well, be healthy, have a family, raise kids, open no matter what kind of establishments, create jobs, pay taxes (seriously), by the way, I am a member of the Public Council at the Federal Tax Service of Russia. Young guys from the tax department came to my restaurant with a check, and I accidentally had a crust with me. I show them, and they tell me: "How much did you buy?" (Laughs.) Everyone should find their own business, improve, have fun, be kind, ironic, have fun and get out of here as soon as possible. (Laughs.)

Are you here every day?

Usually, when a project is launched, I am with it as a mother with a child. She gave birth to him, feeds him until he gets to his feet, then they give him more freedom, he starts to run, and then he lives his own life. When I do something new, I live by it, I like to invent, create, connect everything, teach everyone. Then I get full, other projects start to inspire me, new ones, and I leave for another place. It’s not that the previous one fades into the background, it just becomes an ordinary restaurant.

Do you spend a lot of time? Half a day?

No, I've been here since 11 o'clock today, tried the burger, looked at what was being done, talked with the chef, with the director, gave some instructions, pulled a bottle out of the corner if you saw it. I spent an hour like that, I'll spend another hour with you, then maybe I'll come again today.

That is, you open a restaurant, and then come up with something else along the way?

Each restaurant has a character. You cannot change or break it, you have to adapt to this character. Accordingly, I try to understand him, to smell what he lives with, how he lives, what he wants - this project. This is how I animate him. I try to make everyone feel good - both the guests, and me, and the project itself.

How is it going? First the idea, then the implementation, and then its improvement?

It happens in different ways. First, there may be an idea for which a room is being sought. And there is a room for which you come up with a project. As in this case. Moreover, this project consists of three projects: a flower shop on the corner, "There is no fish" and "Minced meat". Initially, there was only one room, but the main part is this one (where there is no fish. - Approx. ed.), and we came up with: there will be a meat restaurant. But there were two appendixes left. I figured out that it would be nice to give the place on the corner to my wife so that there are flowers there, and the second part to my daughter (Alexandra. - Approx. ed.), because she is engaged in healthy eating with me, she has a How to Green company. She thinks that someday she will make her own cafe, so we wanted to make a cafe there. But it turned out that the communications of this room, the bringing in and delivery of products presuppose that there will still be meat here. And Alexandra doesn't want her to have meat, she's not vegan, but for healthy food. And we had to make an addition: so we decided to make a burger. I had to. Because it was necessary to fill this place somehow. And it so happened that I had to - but it turned out exactly what I needed. You know, I rarely praise myself, but now we have two bombs here. Okay - three, the flower shop is fine too. But from the point of view of restaurants, there is a bomb here (in "There is no fish") and a bomb there (in "Minced meat"). At least 600-700 people pass in "Minced" per day - with 40 seats - and at the most we sell one and a half thousand burgers a day. In "There is no fish" we still have a record of 550 people a day at 120 seats- Well, let's see how it goes. You know, there is a fashion for places, but I think that this place should be out of fashion, because it is not made as glamorous, but as usual. I asked today why there are so many waiters, but they tell me that now lunch, there will be a lot of people. I still think that there are too many waiters, but nevertheless: a stream of people begins with lunch. Here the location is still correct: offices around, a bunch of administrative buildings, in the Old Square, in this square, it is convenient that you can drive up, leave the car, plus the hotel (The St. Regis, in the building of which there is a restaurant ... - Approx. ed.) - in short, the right place.

That's right, that's right, but the restaurant that used to be here ( Mosaic. - Approx. ed.) did not survive.

Well, you know these programs where girls dress up? Take it off immediately, Fashion Sentence, whatever. Sometimes you do not see a person: a person seems to be an ordinary person, but if you dress him, put on shoes and comb his hair correctly, you get something very interesting. Each of us is the same. Honestly, I even thought myself: I dress myself, and, in general, I like everything, but if I went there, what would they make of me there? Although there are no such programs about men, I still think: what would they put on me, how would I look. The same is with the premises: sometimes we walk and do not see. And no one suggests that this place can be like this. Everyone who makes restaurants expects that they will be very popular and that a lot of money will go right away. Everyone dreams about it. But somewhere in the distance a thought lurks: what if it doesn't work? What if I did something wrong? I am always optimistic, but with some part of my head I am still a pessimist and a realist, I understand that something may not work out anyway, do not grow together. In general, the story is this: we hoped that everything would be fine, but did not expect that it would be so good.

How did it appear?

By chance. When I was the host of Masterchef, Miratorg sponsored the program. And with my cunning little head I decided that if they are sponsors there and if they start to supply meat, then why not offer them to cooperate with us. Immediately I broke through everything about them (I didn’t know how huge this company was), found the phone, found out who the owner was. I called: I am Novikov, such and such, such and such, let's make a project. They said they would think, and for a very long time they did not answer me. I thought that they would immediately say: oh, come on! And they are like that - they themselves have a mustache, they do not work with everyone. They are very private and very responsible. I can tell you a compliment about them: if you take the top three leaders of a well-functioning business, I think they are in this top three. They are leaders in terms of how they organize their work. The first email they send me is from 7:30 am. Imagine, these are people who have 22 thousand people, and at 7.30 am they send the first mail. The last one is already at night. That is, they are ploughmen. When I was in Bryansk at one of their farms, this was what struck me: it was cold, we went to warm up in the building, and a bull was lying at the entrance next to the urn; the head of this pasture - as we shall call it - came up and threw him into the urn. Believe me, not for show, I cut through such things. The organization of work is awesome. In general, I offered them, they hesitated, hesitated, and ended up convincing them. I hope that now they are not ashamed, we have invested with them great amount means, money and effort to our restaurant - this is their face. Can you imagine if the face is not correct and beautiful enough? They tested me how fit I was in terms of honesty and everything else, and that's what happened. In Moscow enough meat restaurants but I think our restaurant is one of the best. We are at the top. I can also say certain compliments about our Voronezh competitors. I went to see them, I had a choice with whom to do: with "Primbeef" or "Miratorg". The co-owner of the Voronezh combine is an old friend of mine, who also invested a huge amount of money and funds in the production of meat. They also have good meat, but it turned out that Rappoport is still engaged in Voronezh meat (Alexander Rappoport, a Moscow restaurant lawyer who had a joint project with Novikov, "Myasnoy Club". - Approx. ed.) , and Novikov - Bryansk. We have competition, everyone compares us, and we compare ourselves with each other ourselves.

Do you go to Voronezh?

I go. I can’t eat only in my restaurants, sometimes I go to strangers. Well, in any case, I have to watch. Rappoport was here, I was in Voronezh - we are obliged to do this, this is our job.

Burger, you say, happened by accident. So you didn't want to make a burger?

Have you eaten burgers here?

Certainly.

Accidentally. We just filled the space.

That is, you didn’t want to?

I once had an idea, I thought about a burger, but not so much that I had a direct goal to make it.

From the outside it seems that a more or less solvent class has grown, which needs delicious burgers and you just fit well into this niche.

The most important thing, the most basic thing is to come up with the right idea, concept and then implement it correctly. I can't say that I calculated everything in such a way that, while the demand grew, I bang - and I prepared my project. Well, everything has grown together. I, of course, can now come up with something that I dreamed and thought of everything, and decided to do this and that, but I, of course, will lie. It won't be true. The whole case is really.

But now you are doing a restaurant with Maxim Livesey and Fedor TardatyanBrisket BBQ ( barbecue restaurant on the site of Novikovsky " Ju-ju ". - Approx. ed.) - this is also, one might say, a hipster project.

I like these guys for their obstinacy, I hope that we will succeed. Because they are like that - turned.

And how did they interest you?

They interested me in that they try to delve into everything to the end in order to make the right project. We went to America, to Texas, studied everything, they spent two weeks there with the chef. Found a place where they cooked this smoking machine. I don't know if Brisket will shoot or not, but we still have a project with them. We are already doing two projects with them, I hope that everything will be fine. The guys are good. I would not do it if something was uncomfortable for me.

Well, you have chosen them.

They chose me. You think that I walk around the market, like in a harem, and choose: this, this, this. No, not a fig. They chose me. Ask them why.

You have a meat restaurant, a fish restaurant ("Klevo". - Approx. ed.) on the way, and there will still be a Cheese Factory.

I hope I will open the Cheese Factory in the near future (the interview was taken a week before its opening. - Approx. ed.).

Is mono concept also a new trend?

I don’t know. We decided that it would be nice to make our own cheese dairy. And we will make a cheese dairy - it should have its own restaurant. There will not only be cheeses. A good project, such a trendy loft, is located at the Badayevsky plant. We will try to make there a lot of interesting things. I don't want to reveal all my cards, I have to go there to look. We will open the Cheese Factory before the New Year, then there is a hall, which, I think, will be a bomb in general: a very unusual room with a long table for 50 people, the coolest. It will be such a small explosion. Plus there will also be a fish restaurant "Klevo". Plus will be with the guys "Brisket". By the summer, I think all this will be ready.

How much do you usually spend in a new place every day - a month or two?

Until I feel that everything is enough.

Was it the same with Kamchatka?

It was the same. I liked going there. I still go there periodically. But there is no longer this, you know, high, such pleasure when you buy a toy for yourself, a bicycle, or skis, or some kind of gadget: at first you cannot tear yourself away from it, then it seems that this high is going away, you are looking for a new toy. All the same. The main thing is that the place then works and does not slow down. You always feel how this is happening, you can see from the results of activities: I look at the figures every month.

All restaurants?

Everyone, of course, everyone. I compare the indicators: profitability, turnover, expenses, salaries - everything. It is impossible without this. Every day, even if I don’t stop by the restaurant, I see how it works.

How did Kamchatka appear in general? Also by chance?

Also by accident. Initially, we wanted to make dim sum, but upstairs, so that the room would not stand idle, we decided to open a pub, a sandwich bar. Well, that's all, then the hipsters did everything. Then everything fell into place. We opened the basement three times, each time we completed the room and opened it.

“As soon as Kamchatka opened up, an apple (twenty rubles each) had nowhere to fall. And hipsters, and whipsters, and farmersters, and tricksters, and girls with Wuitton clutches, and boys with fingers, "Afisha-Food wrote when Novikov unexpectedly opened the pub.

That dim sum - was it supposed to be expensive?

No, it's cheap. That is why we called it "Kamchatka". She was originally "Kamchatka" was: dim-samaya, Far East, Kamchatka.

And why did you make a cheap place where there are only expensive places?

Listen, well, there are many different people... When you fish, you may like to catch big tuna. But you can also fish small fish, I don't know which one. I do not want to compare Kamchatka visitors with small fish. But sometimes small fish tastier than large. As a fisherman, I will not refuse any fish.

How do you usually make new places? Do you see a trend and, following it, just bring it to mind? Or vice versa - do you like to set trends?

And this and that. I travel a lot, see what works and how where. But I am also wondering if this will work in Moscow. I think that a project like "There is no fish" could work well in some German-speaking country, for example. And of course, we didn’t copy anything, but it’s clear - the refrigerators, where the meat is aged, I didn’t come up with, the showcase with meat, again, I didn’t come up with. A design like this restaurant in New York or London has long been outdated. But, adding one to the other, you get something new. Look, there are not so many bearded men in one place anywhere. (the waiters in "Fish is not present" mostly have beards. - Approx. ed.). The guys go to special salons, we specially train them, because everything should work together: music, location, how the guys look, what design, what product, what service, what salt - everything should be right, there are no trifles. And how long the restaurant will work depends on how I did all this correctly with my colleagues.

What drives you to discover new places?

(Novikov makes a gesture with his fingers meaning "money".)

Joke. So write: Novikov rubbed his fingers. What drives me - listen, I'm a creative person.

Well, yes - you can earn money in a different way.

I can't do it any other way, unfortunately. So it seems that you can. I would earn it if I could. Wouldn't do that many restaurants. Of course, I like to invent - it's creativity. I often compare being a restaurateur to producing. You can't produce the same film. Even if you produce Star Wars like Lucas, the episodes are still different, somehow different from each other, effects, something else. A restaurateur is actually a producer. You are looking for a place, you are looking for something else, you are looking for money, a cook, a director - and that's it, and off you go. And every time you, as a producer, come up with an idea. Sometimes it is not the director who comes up with an idea, but the producer: what to shoot and how to shoot. This is my job. I don't understand why we, restaurateurs, are not given Oscars.

So you have achieved everything already? Or do you keep opening, because not everything?

What a fool I would be if I said that everything. Do you want to say: yes, I achieved everything? (Laughs.) Of course, not all. There will be so many more achievements. Maybe. Maybe.

So what drives you from the inside apart from the production of the artist?

Everyone asks: how do you come up with, how do you do it - but how do I know? Once upon a time my wife called me an ant. At first I was offended, and then I thought: no one is forcing me to do anything. What I earned might have been enough to keep me from running out of restaurants. But something moves me - not only the goal of earning, but also some ideas, a desire to come and be interviewed so that your face was on the cover of the magazine. But I'm really kidding.

But that is also vanity?

Vanity is a kind of engine too. And in general, if I say that I am not conceited, it will be a lie. Everything should be in a person, but everything should be in moderation. You know, a few years ago I discovered an interesting thing: every person is born with all the vices, but in the process of life we ​​understand what is bad in our character, and we try to hammer, extinguish, reduce these vices as much as possible. But everyone has these vices, and they remain. If you tell me that there are people who are not vain - well, this cannot be. Everyone is vain to some extent, all villains to some extent, everyone is envious to some extent. For some, this is reduced to the very minimum, but there are no ideal people. Our task - for normal, educated people - is to understand, distinguish good from bad, try to extinguish the bad in ourselves and develop good. Therefore, the answer to the question whether I am vain or not is one hundred percent yes. In what degree? Does it interfere with my consciousness, attitude towards work, relations with people, employees, with guests, with my loved ones, with friends? No. Today, when I was leaving the house, I saw an old film on the TVC, with Raikin in the lead role. He either lost his documents, or that, in general, he needed money, but he was passing through some city, and came to his old friend, who is the director of the theater. And he says to him: "Come back later." A person becomes great, and he is no longer interested in the people with whom he studied. Today I compared myself with this: who I am, where I am, on what step - so as not to slip. Life flows, we change, our attitude towards everything, including people from a past life, is changing, but the main thing is to remember the past so that the nose is in the right direction. Wouldn't bully.

How strongly does the opportunity to meet new people of a completely different circle, other interests, influence you - maybe this is also one of the motives that you open new restaurants?

In general, it influences awesome. I love it, I really feed on all these meetings, new people. I really like it. I ate here yesterday, and two foreigners, Germans, were sitting next to me. I was tempted to talk to them. I restrained myself, restrained, even tried not to look in their direction, so as not to suggest what kind of meat to order. Then my friend came to them - and that's when I talked to them. I love this. This is the advantage of my profession. I like to communicate with people - and it doesn't matter who they are, what they are, what wealth they have, what restaurant they came to, whether it is expensive or cheap. So many praise and selfies I took in Kamchatka and Farsha, I have never heard and never did. I love it, I live it. I enjoy the fact that I can come up and advise people: take this piece, it is the best, the most delicious. I don’t understand how a manager might not come up and advise. I am trying to teach it, but it cannot be taught. I don’t understand how journalists ask questions: you have written down questions, but all the same - you don’t look there, but simply ask questions - where did you get this from? And all the questions - pah-pah-pah - are normal.

And what are not normal?

Listen, there are interesting interviews, sometimes not. You are still lucky that this whole story is in the morning. Sometimes I have a lot of things to do, problems in my head. I am a pure shell: I open and close, I can open - I’m open now - but I can close, and I don’t want to answer questions. And to be honest, you don't always want to philosophize.

Ginza now often makes projects without saying that these are their projects. Is it important for you that they know about the restaurant: is this Novikov's restaurant?

I don’t think Ginza does it because they have no vanity, it’s some other story, probably there. I - once again - to some extent vain, but I get pleasure not from what is written here “M ade by N ovikov”, but from the fact that it works great, there are a lot of people here, and what numbers all in the end gives.

Your company has existed since 1991 - how much have tastes changed in Moscow?

Of course they have changed, I have changed.

And have your gastronomic tastes changed too?

Certainly. Now let's talk about gastronomic ones even a little to one side - I remember myself in those years. There is such a magazine, "All Restaurants of Moscow" or something like that. When I earned my first money, I bought myself an expensive tourbillon watch, I had my hair combed back with gel, I didn’t go anywhere except to Brioni stores - and this is how I specially photographed for a magazine so that everyone could see what a cool watch I had. (Arkady folds his arms over his chest so that in the foreground there is a wrist with an imaginary watch; now he does not wear a watch, he is wearing jeans, a T-shirt and a sweater.) Specially. After all, I could have folded my hands in a different way so that they were not visible.

And now you don't wear a watch.

Here you are. In theory, I could still wear a watch, I have. And I have some kind of costumes. Then I went to certain shops and restaurants and I had a certain idea of ​​gastronomy. But everything has changed. Everything is changing. And it is not known what will happen in 5-10 years. Maybe I'll be taking pictures in Brioni again with a watch. I hope no. Although sometimes it washes away: you have to wear it.

For what?

Well, why are they lying?

I read in one of your interviews that you bought an inexpensive leather bauble and are wearing it instead of a watch.

Here they are with me now, all my baubles (shows multi-colored bracelets)... I still like it. This is all the time, but certain processes are taking place in the head. First you like expensive things, then you realize that you need to give them up, because this is wrong, this is kitsch, this is stupid. I speak for myself - everyone has their own attitude to this. So I remember: I have crocodile boots. Oh no! I have no shoes. I have crocodile straps. Would I wear a crocodile belt now? Never. But I did it a few years ago. Again, this does not mean that they should not be worn, a huge number of my friends wear them - but I would not wear them. Each Abram has his own program.

How do you manage to open both Kamchatka andFumisawa Sushi (opened at the end of 2014 one of the most expensive Japanese restaurants Moscow. - Approx. ed.)?

I'm a fisherman, I told you so.

Where it bites - is it good there?

Moreover, the pleasure of biting does not depend on whether you catch a large fish or a small one.

Why are you opening in London? Also for fishing?

No, it also happened there by itself. There were ideas in my head, but the place (for the Novikov restaurant; now Arkady has three restaurants in London. - Approx. ed.) arose by chance: I was just passing by. But it was still a sporting interest. You see how difficult everything is in the head - a producer, an athlete. (Laughs.) Everyone who has achieved some results in his own country desperately wants if he has ambitions and, as you say, vanity - every person wants to prove that he is professional in another country. A kind of Olympic Games. That's the whole story.

I read an interview with Mikhail Zelman (a Moscow restaurateur who moved to London and opened several restaurants there, including a successful chainBurger & Lobster. - Approx. ed.) , he says that, on the one hand, it is harder to do business in London, on the other hand, it is easier because the rules of the game are clear.

And there is. He just feels good, he got into a certain stream, it is easier for him. He created a team, he practically lives there, it is easier for him there. I am torn because my main country is Russia, I am torn into a bunch of parts.

But from the point of view of a restaurateur - where is it easier?

Well, where we do not. Everywhere has its pros and cons. If everything was perfect there - I would only do there. If it was only ideal here, I would only do it here. Nothing is perfect.

And what about the new project "Valenok"?

How do you know everything?

You have written on your site.

A huge project, the coolest. Person for 350-400. On Tsvetnoy Boulevard. Large building, large summer terrace. The design is done by Irina Glik, who made me "Novikova" in London, "The Country That Doesn't Exist" and many other projects. We will make the most of Russian products. There will be an open kitchen, awesome energy, live music. Kick-ass will be a project.

Why so big?

It happened.

And what kind of kitchen will there be? Russian?

No, it will still be international. But the basis is farm products. Therefore, and "Valenok". All the best we can find - everything will be there. It will be beautiful. Take a look. I'm fine. I have a problem - you see - with modesty.

Arkady Novikov is a well-known domestic restaurateur, many know him as the host of the popular reality show "Candidate" and "Master Chef". He is one of the most influential businessman in this field, the founder of the federation of hoteliers and restaurateurs in our country.

early years

Arkady Novikov was born in Moscow in 1962. His mother was a teacher in kindergarten, and my father worked as a designer at a factory. When the parents decided to leave, the hero of our article was only six years old. As a result, he was raised by one mother, and she was engaged in his upbringing.

While studying at school, Arkady Novikov practically did not think about his future profession, nothing indicated that in his adult life he would turn into one of the most influential restaurateurs in the country. As the entrepreneur himself often recalls now, until the age of 15, his main hobby was amazing fairy tales, because he did not want to part with his childhood.

It is noteworthy that for a long time he did not know how to cook on his own, watching with interest how his grandmother did it.

Education

After school, the fate of the hero of our article developed in such a way that he connected his life with cuisine and restaurants.

He received his first education at a culinary school. Then he went to serve in the army, where he specialized in dog training. Returning to civilian life, he entered an even more prestigious institution - the Plekhanov Academy of National Economy at the Faculty of Economics Catering.

Having received higher education, Arkady Novikov first worked as a cook in the restaurants "Havana" and "Universitetsky", and five years later he headed the kitchen of the fashionable capital restaurant "Olympic Lights". He gained invaluable experience in the administration of catering establishments in the Victoria restaurant located in the Gorky Park of Culture, as well as in the Hard Rock Cafe, which belonged to the musician Stas Namin.

Own business

Own business Arkady Anatolyevich Novikov decided to open it in 1991. He created a company called Novikov Group, which eventually became the leaders of the domestic restaurant business.

Moreover, his very first institution was small cafe"Sirena" in the building of the technical school. The project was beneficial in that there was no need to pay for rent; instead, Novikov undertook to feed the students of the technical school with lunches for a symbolic fee.

The project turned out to be quite successful. In 1994, restaurateur Arkady Anatolyevich Novikov opens his new establishment under the name "Club T". They were followed by the restaurant of Russian cuisine "Tsarskaya Okhota", respectable establishments "Gallery", "Grand Opera", Cantinetta Antinori, Vogue Cafe, the famous chain of restaurants with democratic prices "Elki-Palki". It was these inns that became the basis of its popularity.

"Tree sticks"

Although the Yolki-Palki restaurant chain was aimed at the middle class, and not at the rich, it was these establishments that brought fame and fortune to their creator.

The very first tavern under this brand opened on Tishinskaya square of the capital in 1996. Initially, it was not planned as a network, but its popularity was so great that the restaurateur, who became the hero of our article, is already in next year began to open new establishments.

In total, about 20 restaurants were opened within the framework of this project, not only in Moscow, but also in Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Tver, Omsk and Ufa. The concepts of these catering establishments were based on Russian, Caucasian and Ukrainian food, a main feature became the so-called cart with an unlimited approach. In fact, the restaurant worked according to the system buffet, where hot and cold snacks were presented in unlimited quantities.

In 2014, the chain carried out a large-scale rebranding, changing the logo and design style of restaurants. However, by 2017, it became known about multibillion-dollar debts, Novikov decided to get rid of this asset.

The institution stood out for its interior, which was made in a rustic style. Includes sorcerer oaks, wattle fence, dishes, authentic decor.

Institutions network

In 2006, he somewhat changes the direction of his business development. A subsidiary of its parent company, Novikov Catering, is established, which specializes in providing catering services in the luxury segment.

At the same time, two world famous chefs- Charlie Trotter and Pierre Gagnier. The work of such stars of modern world cuisine increases the popularity and brand recognition of the hero of our article. In addition, several new Novikov restaurants open almost every year with their own unique and never repeating style.

He has his own establishments not only in Russia, but also abroad. Novikov Restaurant & Bar operates in London. Also, the entrepreneur has his own greenhouse farm called "Agronomist", from which they deliver to the kitchen of his establishments fresh fruits and vegetables. Established his own personal trademark under which he promotes high quality and environmentally friendly products.

At the end of 2015, another Arkady Novikov restaurant appeared in Moscow. This is an establishment called "Cheese Factory", which is famous for its own cheese production. The restaurant is located right at the Badayevsky plant, where these cheeses are produced. In addition to unique cheeses, the menu contains and classic dishes however, most of them are based on the addition of cheese.

Television career

The popularity of the restaurateur Arkady Novikov and his restaurants is added by his charismatic figure, thanks to which he managed to make a career in television.

For the first time on the blue screens, the hero of our article appeared in 2005, when he became the host of the reality show "Candidate". Its participants had to show their organizational skills, demonstrating entrepreneurial qualities. The winner got the opportunity to try himself as a manager of one of Arkady Novikov's new restaurants in Moscow.

In 2013, a new project of the hero of our article, called "Master Chef", was launched on the STS channel. This time Novikov was not only a TV presenter, but also the main judge on the project. In addition, he actively participated in writing the script, developing complex, creative and unusual culinary tasks for the participants in the show, compiled own recipes for novice cooks.

Personal life

Restaurateur Arkady Novikov and his restaurants have become so famous and popular that the man has many female fans who are interested in the peculiarities of his personal life. They will have to be upset: the hero of our article is married. Arkady Novikov met his wife in 1990 at a party with mutual friends. Her name is Nadezhda. The couple have two children.

Arkady Novikov's wife is currently the owner of a flower business; she has her own shops and beauty salons in Moscow and London. There are many celebrities among her clients, for example, Dmitry Malikov, Alsou, Fedor Bondarchuk, designer Daria Zhukova.

cooking school

Recently, Novikov has taken up educational projects. He has his own cooking school, at which a professional chef course is opened.

Classes are held for nine months. These are theoretical lectures and practice on the basis of restaurants. The cost of training is very high - 750,000 rubles, but even such a high payment does not guarantee a prestigious diploma. Novikov always emphasizes that students who do not demonstrate decent results or will miss classes may not count on a document.

At the same time, he emphasizes that his school compares favorably with all other similar courses in that chefs and restaurateurs receive a truly systemic education.

For a healthy lifestyle

Daughter of Arkady Novikov Alexander - supporter proper nutrition... She is developing her own project, How to green, which encourages people to stop eating meat. She has two higher education... It received one in London in the field of PR technologies, and the second in New York in the field contemporary art... The girl is 27 years old, she is a popular blogger who, by her example, proves how you can do without meat and fish in life, and lose weight quickly and effectively.

It is interesting that Alexandra did not follow her father's path and open her own catering establishment. She herself admits that problems arose with the location. She was inspired to open her own project by her passion for fast food, which she, like most other teenagers, often abused. One day the doctor said that the level of cholesterol in her blood was like that of an elderly woman, it really amazed her. She decided to urgently rectify the situation, but at some point she realized that she could not sit on strict diets... With useful and delicious food she met in one of the New York cafes and decided to bring this type of food to Moscow.

The son of the hero of our article is named Nikita. He constantly gets on the pages of the "yellow press", which informs about his next darling. The son of Arkady Novikov Nikita Novikov met with the daughter of the famous tennis player Alesya Kafelnikova.

After that, information appeared that he was dating the daughter of billionaire Ziyad Manasir, Diana, and then about an affair with dancer Daria Nelina. Each such information was accompanied by corresponding photographs.

I met my wife twice. Nadia was a friend of my friend's wife. I was 28, and she was 23. We knew each other, but did not communicate closely, we just often met in the same company. She, of course, attracted me: beautiful girl, lively, energetic. They say about such people “blood and milk”.

After some time, I invited her to the first McDonald's restaurant, which had just opened then. While standing in line, we talked for several hours and after six days they submitted an application to the registry office. I realized that this is my person, I don't know how to explain it, purely intuitively. Everything came together at one point. September 15 marks the 20th anniversary of our marriage.

Even before meeting her, I thought about family life, but still I am not some kind of written handsome man, and in my youth I was even worse. I remember that my future mother-in-law sighed all the time, even in her sleep she lamented: "Oh, and how many beautiful and handsome boys she had, how many looked after her, but she chose something!"

Family life depends on many components. First, both spouses must be smart. We must respect the feelings of the other and be able to find a compromise. And there must be compatibility - not only in looks, but also purely physiologically, even in smells. So that nothing in each other is annoying. Because when you realize that something enrages you in your partner, it's scary: one detail can ruin everything. I was lucky: I was never annoyed by my wife.

There are women who have everything on fire in their hands, and there are those who do the same, but more slowly and more measuredly, accurately. For example, my wife, even when she was pregnant with her first child, started baking pies before I left for work, and when I returned, she was just finishing making them. Although Nadya doesn't really like to cook at all, and I don't have time. As a result, like many others, “specially trained people” are engaged in cooking and everyday life.

Throughout life we ​​change, we grow up. When I was young, I had a clear idea that a wife should not work. It seemed to me that a wife should stay at home, raise children, cook dinners. In addition, we had children almost immediately: three months after that meeting at McDonald's, Nadia was already pregnant. Plus, she is very responsible: she looked very closely at both the children and the house. And I was in business and did not wonder if it was good that my wife was a housewife. I just didn't notice it. She started doing business by accident, as they say, "nothing boded." But her work also changed my outlook. I realized how important it is for a woman to also have the opportunity for self-realization at a certain stage in her life. Otherwise, when the children grow up and no longer need their mother so much, and the husband is immersed in his own affairs, she has an inner emptiness.

By nature, my wife is not a businessman at all. She has no shark grip. She is still an ordinary woman, which appeals to me. She has taste, she is not envious, but I would not take her as the manager of my restaurant. True, she is completely engaged in her business herself - I try not to go anywhere, although, of course, I'm used to climbing, which is really there.

I am the master of our house. I am a leader by nature, but not a despot. In general, the husband should be in charge of the house, although we make many decisions together. And there are no riots in our family. It's just that no one puts pressure on each other - neither me, nor she.

My wife does not like parties, but I do, I like to communicate with people. She is more closed and self-sufficient, does not like interference in her life. She knows in all measure. And I just have such a "public" job.

I often consult with her, including on work issues. I am not ashamed to consult an intelligent and loyal person, I do not see anything wrong with that. Moreover, women are more intuitive and perspicacious than men.

I don't know why, but we have a fairly closed house. There are only one or two people visiting, although we ourselves love to visit. We probably just don't need anyone at home.

Arkady Novikov was born in Moscow. His father was a designer at the Ordzhonikidze plant, his mother was a kindergarten teacher. Parents divorced.
After leaving school, he tried to enter the road institute, but failed in the exams. Then his mother advised him to enter the culinary school, which was located next to the house - from childhood, Arkady loved to watch his grandmother cook. He graduated from the culinary school N 174, and later entered the Academy of National Economy. Plekhanov, at the Faculty of Public Catering Economics. He served in the army, by the way, he himself came to the military registration and enlistment office and asked to serve. For several months he studied at the Central School of Military Dog Breeding near Dmitrov. The diploma says: the driver of the guard dogs - prepared food for them, fed them, trained them.
He began his professional career in 1988 as a cook at the University restaurant, where he worked for about five years. Then he was a deputy chef at the Havana restaurant, and a chef at the Olympic Lights restaurant.
In 1990, Arkady became a chef at the "Hard Rock Cafe", which was opened by Stas Namin at the Green Theater of the Central Park of Culture and Leisure. Gorky. Success came to Arkady Novikov in the 90s. In 1992, Arkady Novikov opened (this and almost all subsequent ones - in partnership with various restaurateurs and investors) his first restaurant "Sirena". It became not only the first fish restaurant in Moscow, not only introduced Muscovites to exotic fish products at that time, but also became one of the restaurants with a qualitatively new approach to cuisine, service, interior and atmosphere. This was the beginning of a new, post-Soviet stage in the development of the Russian restaurant business. For ten years he has created many original and successful projects and earned a reputation as the first restaurateur in Moscow. In total, Arkady Novikov came up with more than 30 restaurant projects: restaurants Vogue café, Gallery, Tatler Club, GQ Bar, Shore House, Vanilla, Luce, Mr. Lee "," Vesna "," Uzbekistan "," Bapasһka "," Cheese "," Market "," Cantinetta Antinori "," Peperoni "," China Club "," Biscuit "," Five Stars "," Francesco ", as well as network projects "Little Japan", "Prime Star", "Sushi Vesla", "Kish-Mish", "Yolki-Palki", "Prisoner of the Caucasus".
In 1994 Arkady Novikov opened a restaurant French cuisine"Club T", which for many years was considered the best restaurant French cuisine in the capital.
In 1996, a restaurant of Russian cuisine "Tsarskaya Okhota" was opened, which became " business card»Moscow and Russian cuisine in general. Over the ten years of its existence, the restaurant has repeatedly received guests of honor, and once it hosted a dinner for two presidents - Russian President Boris Yeltsin and French President Jacques Chirac.
In 1997, the White Sun of the Desert restaurant was opened. He initiated the trend for themed and nostalgic restaurants.
In 2002, Arkady Novikov organized his own greenhouse farm "Agronom" in Gorki-10 (Rublevskoe highway). Several thousand ecologically clean plants are grown on the territory of 6 hectares. The products are delivered both to Novikov's restaurants and to other restaurant and retail enterprises.
Since 2003 Arkady Novikov is one of the founders and a member of the coordinating council of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers.
Since 2005, he has been developing and promoting environmentally friendly products under the NOVIKOV brand. In the same year, another project was launched - the Globus Gourmet premium grocery chain. Then Arkady Novikov launched the following projects: a chain of Japanese restaurants "Yapona Mama" and a restaurant of modern Provencal French cuisine "Casual". In the summer of 2005, he took part as a presenter in the reality show "Candidate" (a joint project of TNT channel and Junior TV). In this show, 16 applicants compete for the right to become the manager of one of Arkady Novikov's projects and receive an annual contract worth 15 million rubles. young and enthusiastic people.
In January 2007, the Nedalny Vostok restaurant was opened in Moscow on Tverskoy Boulevard with Pan-Asian, author's cuisine.
And at the end of 2011, the first London project of Arkady Novikov was launched - “Novikov Restaurant & Bar”, in the center of London, later another restaurant was opened.
Arkady Novikov took 2nd place in the Service nomination in the 2010 rating of the top executives of the Kommersant newspaper.
In 2013, the STS channel launched the MasterShef project, in which Arkady Novikov acts as a judge and presenter, as well as famous restaurateur took part in writing the script for this show and drew up recipes for the contestants.

Awards

▪ Laureate of the National Award "Hospitality" in the nomination "For personal contribution to the development of the hospitality industry" (2004)
▪ Laureate of the "Person of the Year GQ-2004" award in the category "Restaurateur of the Year" (2004)
FASHION PEOPLE Award - in the "Fashion Business" nomination (2005)
▪ French Order of Merit for Agriculture (2006)
▪ Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italy, December 2007)
▪ Laureate of the First Public Prize "Golden Bridge" in the nomination "Business" - for his contribution to the development of Italian-Russian relations (2009)

Family

Wife - Nadezhda Advokatova (studied together at the institute, met in 1990. There is a flower business in Moscow, in London - beauty salon "Aldo Coppola")
Daughter - Alexandra (studies in England, at the Institute of Design)
Son - Nikita (interested in cooking)