The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
After demobilization, Maksym Burba opened the restaurant Smakotvortsi in Kyiv.
He spoke about this and his experience of doing business after the war in an interview for Army FM.
Maksym defended Ukraine from the first days of the full-scale invasion. As part of the 128th Battalion of the 112th Territorial Defense Brigade, he helped liberate Kyiv and Kharkiv regions, and in 2024 was forced to leave service due to health reasons. After the frontline, Maksym continued developing his auto business and opened a restaurant and a meat delicacies production workshop.
Even before the full-scale war, Maksym worked in the automotive sector and founded his own company, Car Wars, which specialized in selecting vehicles from the EU and customs clearance.
However, in the interview, the defender noted that he always had a small dream of opening his own café:
“I had no experience in the restaurant business. When I met Oleksandr Kutniak — now also a war veteran — we got into the restaurant business together and opened Smakotvortsi. He had a bit more experience because he had already been involved in craft production. When we met, he treated me to this delicacy, and I said: ‘Sasha, let’s take the risk and open a café’”.
At the start, a state grant program for veterans planning to open their own business helped launch the restaurant. The funds received were used to purchase essential equipment. One of the program’s conditions is job creation. Today, the restaurant employs 12 people.
“The grant I applied for through the State Employment Service is repayable. Repayment is carried out through paying taxes for hired employees. This is a situation where everyone wins — we received money to start and grow, the state receives taxes even after the full amount is repaid, and people get jobs. It’s nice to know that I defended the country in war, and now I defend it economically. That is no less important”, — the entrepreneur says.
Today, Smakotvortsi are developing their own craft production: the products are sold in the restaurant and used in the menu.
“To veterans, I want to wish inspiration and inner strength. And if you want to start something, don’t be afraid”, — Maksym says.
