• 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Elizaveta Yakovets – Marketing


    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.
  • 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.
  • 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 Suchkov - Head manager


    Studied as a social and cultural service specialist. Has been in the restaurant business since the age of 18. Worked for Maison Dellos, Ginza project; AQ Kitchen restaurants, White Rabbit, Sakhalin, Gorynych. Studied basic sommelier skills at Caudal School. He became part of the Lucky Group in 2020, worked as a head manager at the Loro restaurant, and later, in the same position, opened a new project T1.
  • 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.