• Ivan Kukarskikh and Bogdan Panchenko – founders of Lucky Group


    Having traveled around Europe and gained experience, Bogdan and Ivan consciously moved towards the restaurant industry. Ivan opened the first BB Burgers project in 2013. Bogdan, helping his partner and close friend, was simultaneously engaged in supplying vegetables and fruits from Russian cities to large companies in the capital.
    In the fall of 2017, together with brand chef Glen Ballis, was opened a joint project Margarita Bistro on the corner of Malaya Bronnaya street.
    There are now 15 restaurants in the Lucky Group, which are united by values, attention to detail and most importantly – hospitality. In addition to restaurants, Lucky Group develops the areas of events, catering, training services and merch.
  • Pavel Polyakov – CEO


    "I am convinced that people are the main inspiration and value in any business. Our guests are the personification of our team and vice versa. If you do everything for people, it will come back to you like a boomerang."
    He started working as a busboy at the age of 17, at 21 he got his first experience as a manager, worked in senior positions in well-known companies. Pavel joined Lucky Group team in 2020, was in the position of head manager of EVA, KOJI, Maya projects and headed the company as an executive director in 2022.
  • Dmitry Volkov – COO


    Dmitry started his career in restaurant industry in 2010 from a waiter's assistant position in the restaurant chain "Coffemania", where he worked for 8,5 years, having gained extensive management experience in staff training and management. Dmitry has opened the Greek restaurant Eva, Russian cuisine restaurant Niki. Then he worked as a territorial manager of Niki, Eleven, All Day. The main thing in work is the team, where everyone shares the same life values, loves their work, loves people and enjoys what they do.
  • Glen Ballis – Brand chef


    Born in Australia, upon finishing culinary school, Glen worked eight years domestically before moving to Southeast Asia, where he spent the next twenty years fine tuning his trade, before moving to London. In 2006, he was offered a position to open a restaurant in Moscow and he never looked back. From there, he has positioned himself as a business partner with some of Moscow's top restaurants, renowned for their delicious tastes and eclectic styles. In addition, Ballis owns three restaurants in Singapore, which are managed by his son.
  • 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.
  • Victoria Drozdetskaya – Head manager


    Graduated from the Faculty of Journalism with honors. Combining an internship at a PR agency and part-time work at “Coffeemania”, she decided to stay in the restaurant industry. Joined Lucky Group in 2021 as Koji restaurant manager. Later she opened the Maya restaurant, where she soon became the head manager. Values ​​sincere emotions, honesty and cordiality.
  • Tom Halpin - 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 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 working as a chef. " Thanks to cooking I met my wife and now have a beautiful baby boy, and a beautiful new restaurant."
  • Sergey Danilov - Bar Manager


    He began his career in 2010 in his hometown Pskov, a year later he started working at the "R-16" bar under the direction of Artem Peruk (co-founder of the "El copitas" bar). In 2014, he moved to Moscow and did an internship at the "Hidden Bar". He then continued his career at FAQ-cafe as a bar manager.
    In 2017, together with Maxim Gorelik, he worked in the Peruvian restaurant "Cevecheria", and six months later, they became a part of the team of "Margarita Bistro" and "Lucky Izakaya Bar" a while later.
  • Evgenia Nazimova - Sommelier


    In the profession of sommelier since 2015. She is a certified sommelier of the International Association of Sommeliers (A.S.I.). She worked as a chef sommelier in the restaurants "KrabyKutaby" and Pavilion.Prud.Patriki - RR (Rappoport Restaurants). She is a co-author of the first professional sommelier phygital course in Russia for the Wine State wine school. Appreciates hedonism and the opportunity to share a bottle of good wine with like-minded people. Low intervention, pure taste, zero bullshit.

© Maya, Bol'shaya Nikitskaya Ulitsa, 24/1