«Syrne Korolivstvo», one of Ukraine’s largest specialist chains selling European cheeses, has announced that it is closing its shops. The company, which over the years had expanded to 84 outlets, found itself under pressure from economic difficulties, including inflation, the devaluation of the hryvnia and rising prices for imported goods. A statement to customers confirming the closure of the shops has been posted on the chain’s official website.
- The «Cheese Kingdom» chain has announced that it is suspending operations at its shops in Ukraine.
- At the height of its expansion, the chain comprised up to 84 outlets.
- The company confirmed the closure of its shops on its official website.
- Among the economic factors are inflation and rising prices for imported cheeses.
«The Cheese Kingdom» has officially announced the closure of its shops
A Ukrainian chain of specialist cheese shops «The Kingdom of Cheese» announced that it was suspending its retail operations.
A message to customers has been posted on the homepage of the company’s official website, thanking them for their long-standing support.
«Unfortunately, we have been forced to close our shops,» the company said in a statement.
In this statement, the chain notes that it has been serving customers for 13 years. The company has not indicated whether it plans to reopen its physical retail outlets at a later date.
At the time of the check, the official online shop was still displaying its product catalogue and prices; however, this does not confirm that new orders can be placed or fulfilled.
Why did the well-known chain decide to wind up its business?
One of the main challenges facing specialist cheese retailers has been the rise in the price of imported products.
«The Cheese Kingdom» worked mainly with European producers, offering customers cheeses from the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and other countries.
Growth exchange rates, inflation and additional import costs have made it more difficult to sell products in the premium segment.
Against the backdrop of a decline in the population’s purchasing power, expensive European cheeses have become less affordable for some of our regular customers.
This is particularly noticeable for specialist shops, as their business model depends not only on the number of customers but also on demand for goods that are not essential.
How «The Cheese Kingdom» became a major chain in Ukraine
The idea of setting up specialist cheese shops came to Ukraine from Estonia. One of the chain’s founders was an entrepreneur Denis Priimägi. The first shops opened in 2013. By 2015, the company had already begun expanding under a franchise model.
The main feature of the «Cheese Kingdom» was its format, which was unusual for a traditional food shop: customers were invited to taste the cheeses before buying them.
The range comprised over 100 varieties of European cheeses. The consultants helped customers choose products, explaining their origins and how they could be paired with other dishes. The company focused not only on boosting sales but also on fostering a culture of cheese consumption by organising tastings and themed events. Over time, the chain expanded into various regions of Ukraine.
In 2025, Russia destroyed the company’s head office
Another major challenge for the network was the Russian attack on Kyiv in June 2025. On the night of 23 June, Russian drones completely destroyed the headquarters of the «Cheese Kingdom». The company’s premises, servers, documentation and databases were all destroyed in the fire. Fortunately, there were no staff in the office at the time of the attack, so there were no casualties.
Despite the extensive damage, the company continued to operate. At that time, the network reported having 48 teams and approximately 250 staff members across various regions of Ukraine. Some of the work processes had to be carried out manually for the time being.
