• Bogdan Panchenko and Ivan Kukarskih – Founders (shot by Glen Ballis)


    With a shared international background and a true ambition to excel in the food and beverage sphere, Ivan and Bogdan struck up a synergetic partnership from day one. In 2013, Ivan founded BB Burgers, which has quickly become one of the most successful burger restaurant chains in Russia. Meanwhile, Bogdan was having his own success becoming a key supplier to the nation’s capital, providing fresh vegetables and fruit from all over Russia.
  • Tom Halpin - Brand chef


    He started his career in 2004 in Australia at his mum's restaurant as a dishwasher. Afterwards, he had to help chefs and from that moment he focused on cooking. In 2010, after working in the best restaurants in Sydney, he left Australia and went to Denmark, where he spent 4 years at Noma restaurant. Since 2015, he have been travelling and cooking in as many different countries as possible. He became a part of the Lucky Group team since February 2022 as the chef of the Maya restaurant, and since October the brand chef of the new Israeli project T1. He considers creativity in everything important in his work. He believes, that creativity in cooking, in the atmosphere and in the feeling that must be given to every guest entering the restaurant are what can give a completely different approach to work.
  • Elizaveta Yakovets – PR-director


    Graduated from the Higher School of Economics. Since 20 years old has been engaged in marketing in the restaurant field. Having gained experience in a large advertising company, she opened her own agency and in 2018 moved to Lucky Group during their first Margarita Bistro project. Her value is working with mind and heart.
  • Dmitry Kipelkin – Chef Sommelier


    Sommelier since 2007. Took courses in Germany and Burgundy (Ecole de Bourgogne). Worked as a chef sommelier at the Selfie restaurant of the WRF group. He is engaged in compiling wine lists of all segments, as well as navigating through them. Loves wine at all stages - from the vine to the glass in hand. Appreciates the opportunity to touch the art of talented winemakers.
  • Ekaterina Khrokina - Training Director


    She began her career in the restaurant business as a waiter's assistant at the age of 18. She graduated from the Faculty of Psychology, the school of wine "Enotria" and later, advancing in her career in restaurants in managerial positions, she received the education of a business coach. Created the LUCKY SKILLS school in 2019 from scratch, when the company had only 2 restaurants.
  • Ilya Cherkashin - Chef


    Started his career at the age of 15 in Israel as a chef's assistant, by the age of 23 he took the position of a sous chef in a restaurant in Haifa. Then he returned to Moscow, where he opened the Levantine restaurant as a brand chef and restaurant Fish culture on the Arbat, for which he received a silver palm branch. He became part of the Lucky Group in December 2022.
  • Hasan Alloush - Head manager


    Started his career in the restaurant business at the age of 19, while being a university student, he worked part-time in a cafe. From that moment he realized that wanted to devote himself to this field. He lived part of his life in Lebanon, thanks to this, food and hospitality are his cultural code. He became part of the Lucky Group in 2022 as the head manager of the new T1 project.
  • Andrey Prutskikh - Bar manager


    The best bartender of Russia in 2018 according to World Class. Learned the basis of the profession at City Space. Having visited the best bars in the world and learn from the experience, Andrey combines classical formulas with modern technologies in his drinks, inspired by music, cinema, and science.
    In 2020, he joined the Lucky Group as the bar manager of Eva restaurant, going with the team all the way from opening to being included in the Michelin Guide.
    At T1, having in place cocktail laboratory with advanced equipment, strives to unleash the potential of each product. And also tell stories of what inspired the team to create drinks for the creative space.
  • Nikita Ivanov - Sommelier


    Before becoming a sommelier, he worked with coffee for 6 years, going from assistant barista to head barista. He started his career as a sommelier in St. Petersburg at ProstoVino, where he gained experience with classic wine. Later he opened the first wine bar with natural wine "Na Vina!", and becoming the head manager and chief sommelier.

    In Moscow he worked as a chief sommelier at Big Wine Freaks Msc. Also became the brand-chef sommelier of the "Na Vina!" in Moscow, creating a map with a huge selection of recoltans from Champagne.

    For the T1 project he made a wine list at the junction of two significant trends for the market: the classics served as the background for the map, as it formed the wine consumption pattern in Russia and in the world at large, and natural wines took an educational position.