Speaking on Commersant radio, Kote Gabrichidze says that 2025 was  better than 2024, and the sector  saw a  growth of about 12-13%. Regarding January 2026, he mentioned that this period always experiences low activity.

"Some dishes have fixed prices, others are getting pricier. Compared to 2025, prices are expected to climb by 10-13%. The supplier might keep raising their prices, utility costs will likely continue their upward trend towards peak levels, and with that kind of feeling, I expect prices will probably go up by 10-13%,"- Kote Gabrichidze notes.

Kote Gabrichidze is pessimistic about the anticipated decrease in product prices, a topic a government commission is reportedly working on.

"I've been in this business for 24 years, we've never had it easy with any government – no pink balloons or rainbows, just constant struggle. The government remains distant, has no contact with us. They enact legislation and various acts without consulting businesses at all."

"They're creating labor protection laws that affect us, completely without asking us or consulting whatsoever. It was like this during Misha’s reign, I used to argue about this endlessly, and I still do," Kote Gabrichidze stresses.