Dmitry Levitsky started his career as a bartender, and a few years later became a co-owner of five restaurants and bars, CEO of HURMA Management Group. Dmitry Levitsky spoke about discoveries in entrepreneurship in an interview.
VIDEO [Russian; Translation Support]
Coherent exposition of the interview
1. Business as Self-Realization. Dmitry Levitsky opens his talk by establishing that he has never viewed business purely as a means of generating income. Instead, he frames it as a primary vehicle for self-realization and the entrepreneurial journey of discovering one’s true calling. This philosophical foundation, he explains, is what led him to leave his previous career and open his first bar a decade ago.
2. Intuitive Business Origins. Mr. Levitsky describes the launch of his first establishment, “Kukly Pistolety”, as being built on intuition rather than strict business rules. The budget was minimal and the planning was loose, driven by a desire to create a pleasurable experience (“kaif”) rather than maximize profit. He reflects that he did not so much choose the business as the business chose him over time.
3. Discovering One’s Calling. The speaker shares that his path to becoming a restaurateur was not linear, involving various jobs and business ventures during and after his university studies. It was only after gaining this diverse experience that he realized his passion lay in the vibrant energy of the restaurant industry. He notes that one often needs to grow professionally before understanding what one truly wants to do.
4. Diverse Industry Motivations. Dmitry Levitsky observes that people are drawn to the restaurant business for vastly different reasons, which is why establishments themselves are so diverse. He notes that some his colleagues view it as an art form focused on interior and food design, while others are pure gastronomes. For some, it is fundamentally about hospitality and the joy of personal interaction with guests.
5. Warning Against Pure Investment. The restaurateur issues a strong warning against entering this field solely as an investment vehicle. He characterizes it as highly capital-intensive, extremely risky, and often unpredictable, with a high entry barrier. Mr. Levitsky points out that even seasoned professionals frequently have unsuccessful projects, proving that money alone cannot guarantee success.
6. High-Profile Project Failure. To illustrate the inherent risks, the expert cites a concrete example from his own experience: a project opened in Sochi two years prior that resulted in a loss of approximately 50 million rubles. This serves to underscore his point that financial failure is a real possibility, regardless of one’s experience level.
7. The Film Industry Analogy. Dmitry Levitsky draws a powerful analogy between the restaurant business and the film industry. He explains that just as major film studios expect several of their annual releases to flop, restaurateurs must accept that some projects will simply fail to connect with their audience. He suggests this failure can stem from misjudging the location, menu, pricing, or the tastes of the target demographic.
8. Failure as Business Reality. According to the speaker, these failures should not be viewed as personal defeats but as an inevitable part of the broader business process. He suggests that when a hypothesis about what will be in demand does not pan out, it is a combination of small factors leading to an unsuccessful, yet acceptable, outcome.
9. Accepting Staff Turnover. Turning to operations, Mr. Levitsky addresses staff turnover, stating that high fluidity is a normal and expected reality in the restaurant industry. He notes that many employees, particularly bartenders and waitstaff, see their roles as temporary work, not a lifelong career. The key, he argues, is to understand and manage this reality without complaint.
10. Service Over Sales. A critical distinction the speaker makes is that a waiter’s primary function is not to sell but to create the right atmosphere of service. He personally finds it off-putting when servers are aggressively trained to upsell, as it prioritizes a short-term gain in the average check over the guest’s genuine experience.
11. Repeat Business Priority. Dmitry Levitsky emphasizes that fostering repeat visits is far more valuable than maximizing a single transaction. He explains that if a guest is made to feel genuinely welcome—like a host in one’s own home—they will return, ultimately generating more revenue than any aggressive sales tactic could.
12. Rigorous Hiring Process. Mr. Levitsky details his company’s comprehensive, multi-stage hiring process designed to identify the right candidates. He explains that this begins with open, informal interviews to assess a person’s natural positivity and comfort in communication. It progresses to group “auditions” involving creative tasks and team exercises to observe how potential hires interact.
13. Testing for Multi-Tasking. A unique element of their selection process includes a specific task designed to test multi-tasking ability. He shares that candidates might be asked to build a card house while counting backward in English and maintaining a conversation. This simulates the real-world demands of a busy service where a waiter must juggle numerous tables and requests simultaneously.
14. Clear Disciplinary Framework. The speaker explains his company’s clear disciplinary framework, which evolved from a need for uniform rules as the business grew. Instead of leaving discipline to individual managers, a transparent system of “yellow cards” for minor infractions (like tardiness) and immediate “red cards” for severe offenses (like theft) was implemented.
15. Culture Over Punishment. Mr. Levitsky clarifies that the goal of this system is not to punish or reform employees, but to create a company culture where certain problems simply do not exist. He argues that by having a clear, enforced policy against lateness, for example, the company creates a safe and reliable environment for everyone. This effectively filters out those who cannot adhere to the rules.
16. Leading Top Managers. At the leadership level, Dmitry Levitsky describes his role as guiding ten top managers, focusing on strategy, vision, and motivation. He consciously seeks out and develops self-sufficient leaders who complement his own style, as he does not wish to be an operational manager involved in daily control.
17. Leadership as Team-Building. He views his leadership style as akin to inviting people to play on his team: he generates enthusiasm and direction, and those who are “up for it” join naturally. If someone does not fit the culture, they part ways amicably, as he believes forcing someone to be part of a team they are not passionate about is futile.
18. Authenticity as Advantage. The expert contrasts the restaurant business with sectors like banking, where a leader’s personal brand may be less critical. He argues that a restaurateur’s personality is inherently tied to their establishments. Therefore, if one builds a business with authenticity, it will naturally be differentiated from others, which is a significant advantage.
19. The “Work or Have Fun” Principle. Dmitry Levitsky introduces his company’s core principle: “work or have fun,” meaning one must find joy in hard work. He views this as a constant filter for ensuring the right people are in the right place, from top management to entry-level staff. If someone is not energized by their work, it is a sign they may be in the wrong role or company.
20. Redefining Business Success. The speaker redefines business success not by financial metrics, but by the enjoyment of the process itself. He believes that if a leader is happy and passionate about their work, this creates a positive atmosphere for everyone. Chasing money alone leads to a motivational dead end, whereas finding joy in one’s work is the true measure of a successful life and business.