Two Carnations at the Door: Closure of Rostov Coffee Shop Sparks Scandal

The closure of the popular coffee shop Setter«s unexpectedly led to a scandal among restaurateurs, discussions online, and a creepy »gift« at the door of the establishment. Why did this story stir up the public so much and what awaits the business next, 161.RU investigated.

How did it all start?

On January 31, the cult coffee shop Setter«s closed in Rostov. It had existed for more than ten years. The owner of the establishment, Vladimir Bektemirov, stated that he would change the concept because guest traffic is falling.

Setter«s is a cult Rostov coffee shop. At the time of closure, it had two branches: on Pushkinskaya, 181 and on Moskovskaya, 81.

— We are closing Setter«s. In fact, this has been going on for quite a long time, and the closure was inevitable. The drop in guest traffic has been going on for the second year. On one hand, a legend is leaving, a cool project that remained in the hearts of many. On the other hand, we don»t want to abandon it, and in its place we have already come up with a new cool story, — reported Bektemirov then in his social networks.

In the comments to his post, many expressed regret over the closure of the coffee shop. Users wrote that they considered it the best in Rostov. City residents noted that chain establishments are displacing intimate local projects.

— My beloved Setter«s, my secret place where I always came: in moments of happiness and pain. Forever. Sad news, — wrote one of the users.

Other users treated Bektemirov«s decision with understanding, pointing out that first and foremost, a coffee shop is a business. And if it doesn»t bring in money, then the entrepreneur has nothing to pay salaries and contractors« services with.

— I am almost sure that all the commentators with complaints have never in their lives had the level of responsibility that business owners or top managers have. This is not a state project, not a museum or theater, it is a private business. And the task of business is to earn and provide jobs so that others can earn. Especially in a crisis. These are the features of the economy. If you want something cozy, try to create, preserve, pay taxes, salaries, then you can reason with such maximalism, — wrote one of the commentators.

Someone from Rostov brought two carnations and a balloon with a soft toy to the doors of the already closed coffee shop.

Public scandal

The closure of Setter«s was commented on by Stanislav Zatonsky. He is the founder of the consulting company »Salut«, former marketing director of the bakery »Keks«, and the Hyatt hotel in Rostov. Zatonsky in his Telegram channel attached messages from users criticizing the closure of the coffee shop.

— It«s not about the coffee. It»s not about the employees. It«s not about the summer terrace that disappeared before the cold. It»s about the atmosphere, the meanings, the approach. It«s about the owner»s vision. You can«t just acquire a cult »ready-made business« and preserve it if you have different values and a different view, — wrote Zatonsky.

He expressed the opinion that Bektemirov did not understand the concept of the establishment, tried to change it, which is why the target audience drifted away.

Zatonsky«s posts were reacted to by Vladimir Bektemirov. He pointed out that Zatonsky himself is a »former« in many projects. And his criticism is comparable to »hate«, since Zatonsky attached messages from commentators with insults towards the restaurateur.

— I myself loved Setter«s and was a frequent guest here, but I can say that whining won»t solve anything, — stated Bektemirov in another video.

The restaurateur provided economic indicators of the coffee shop and pointed out that the flow of guests began to fall back in 2024.

— Destroyed the vibe? The first two months, nothing was done. That is, the vibe was preserved to the maximum. The same baristas, cooks, the same pastries absolutely. Everything was without changes. We spent the first two months trying to establish processes here with the previous owner, which, it seemed to us, were not worked out. So what vibe broke, it«s still a mystery, — declared Bektemirov.

The restaurateur reminded that taxes, salaries, and costs are rising, while the coffee shop«s revenue fell by 30%. He is perplexed why his decision to close caused so much criticism.

— Because a business that needs to be funded with money from another business makes no sense. Therefore, with or without me, in my humble opinion, this project would have closed, — says Vladimir Bektemirov.

Stanislav Zatonsky later wrote in his social networks that he only expressed a private opinion, and attached critical comments to it. This cannot be called a wave of hate.

— Fact is fact: a cool cafe was there, it worked for many years, now it is closed. A pity. That’s it, nothing hateful. To all, bright filter coffee, successful projects and the same target audience as the beloved city cafe Setter«s, — wrote Zatonsky.

The discussions were joined by the founder and former owner of the coffee shop Stanislav Smirnov.

— I sold the company in August. Since October, I have had no relation to it, — he stated in his social networks.

«This place is beloved by many»

Business analyst, HoReCa market expert Denis Zavalishin in a conversation with 161.RU notes that Setter«s had many admirers and this coffee shop became a certain symbol for the city.

— I know a huge number of people who could not imagine a walk without coffee or breakfast in this place. It is beloved by many. But, in my opinion, it had such uniqueness because there was the previous owner. Thanks to him, this place changed, developed, there were new features, — says Zavalishin.

At the same time, he notes that the new owner has the right to independently decide whether the project lives or not.

— The owner saw that the measures taken had no effect. He has the right to open another project there. In my opinion, nothing terrible happened. <…> Vladimir cannot listen to everyone, keep the project and drag it along unprofitable. This is not a business approach. It«s a busy street, high rent, and also wages, product purchases. You need to maintain the enterprise. If the project isn»t «flying», you need to change the concept. There is nothing strange here, — believes Denis Zavalishin.

In the expert«s opinion, business needs to be able to act in difficult circumstances and a complex financial situation.

— Worse is when an enterprise opens and lives with illusions, expectations of a miracle, and in the end closes. This is just a more frequent story. It would be better to discuss this. Vladimir is a competent, bright entrepreneur who understands the market. He must act based on his own logic and interests, — concludes the expert.

Since the beginning of 2026, several popular city cafes and restaurants in Rostov have announced their closure. Restaurateurs and experts link this to the crisis and high taxes for business. According to their forecasts, in the coming months, another 30% of Rostov«s establishments may close.