KANSAS CITY, MO — A bakery in crisis looks only to the immediate: the immediate needs for production and for the people it serves. But at some point, thought must be given to what happens down the road.
During war, there is no such deadline, so Anna Makievska, founder of Bakehouse in Kyiv, Ukraine, thinks of the future realistically … but with hope.
“We have always been a high quality — and high price — business, so not everyone in Kyiv could afford our products,” Makievska said. “After the war — and even now, during the war — we cannot have the same clientele we had expected to when we were planning our investments.”
Although opening an upscale, premium artisan bakery was Makievska’s dream, the reality now is that she must consider a shift in her product offerings to not only accommodate Ukrainian consumers who will have little to no income post-war, but also remain a provider of food to people in the current crisis.
To accomplish that, Makievska is looking for guidance from other bakery operators who have successfully balanced their business ledger with supplying accessible, affordable products to the people who need it most.
When looking to the future, Makievska also must consider what kind of support the bakery will need to keep it open in a post-war reality. Although she is currently in Portugal, Makievska — whose husband was required to stay in Ukraine — will return to the bakery and her hometown.
And when the fighting ends, it’s not simply “back to business.” Bakehouse will have a long road ahead, and peace is Ukraine is, frankly, the beginning of a difficult future. There is a lot that the commercial baking industry could offer in terms of help, whether it’s financial support, help with equipment or even just expertise.
"My dream is that bakers from around the world will someday come visit Bakehouse. This is a unique place with unique bread, and I want bakers to see Bakehouse in Kyiv." —Anna Makievska | founder | Bakehouse
“I’m sure there are a lot of people with high levels of expertise on things like energy savings or process effectiveness,” Makievska said. “I’ve been thinking a lot about knowledge and expertise that can be given to Ukrainians and Ukrainian businesses.”
She also mentioned that internships or visits from bakery professionals to Ukraine could help Bakehouse understand new practices for cost savings and efficiency.
Opening Bakehouse was Makievska’s dream, and it’s not one she plans to restart somewhere outside of Ukraine … at least not because she was forced to.
“I’ve had offers to relocate Bakehouse,” she said. “At this moment, I cannot imagine Bakehouse relocated. I want my business to thrive and be very successful in Ukraine. If we were to open Bakehouse somewhere else, I dream that it would be an addition, and only built from a state of happiness and creating something new. Not because we are running from the war.”
And as Makievska thinks about how to keep the bakery alive and help it grow in the future, she has one more dream.
“When I was opening Bakehouse, I visited bakeries in the US, Scandinavia and all over Europe,” she said. “My dream is that bakers from around the world will someday come visit Bakehouse. This is a unique place with unique bread, and I want bakers to see Bakehouse in Kyiv.”
But her biggest dream is for business owners — and all people — of Ukraine.
“On February 24, we stopped caring about ourselves,” she said. “We care about everyone around. Ukrainian business owners are exhausted people who give every day. We need to somehow recharge and create something beautiful.”
There is a saying that one cannot pour from an empty cup.
“I wish the people of Ukraine to have a full cup,” Makievska said. “And to generously give this to the world. We are a unique nation and have much to give.”
This story is the final installment of a five-part series. For information on how to support Bakehouse, visit the GoFundMe campaign, Bake For Ukraine, launched by Jonathan Przybyl, owner of Proof Bread in Mesa, AZ.
