Head of Yeremyan Projects: We are working actively in agricultural sector to ward off possible problems with food security

Interview of David Yeremyan, founder and owner of Yeremyan Projects Company, with ARKA and News-Armenia news agencies under the special project #SaveBusiness.

- How has your company’s activity changed after the outbreak of coronavirus?

D.Yeremyan - On March 16, when, in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Armenian government decided to declare a state of emergency in Armenia, the activity of all Yeremyan Projects restaurants was temporarily suspended on the same day. The health of our relatives and the security of our country is the most important matter to us.

In this situation, the team Yeremyan Projects works on a doubly busy schedule. The delivery service of the Pandok Yerevan restaurant chain operates in emergency mode and carries out delivery throughout Yerevan for free.

However, the social component is more important here: most of the food that is being prepared is sent to citizens who are in isolation, as well as to hospitals for medical personnel. This means we direct the income received from the private precisely to these charitable initiatives.

Naturally, our suppliers deliver food, in compliance with all sanitary standards, using gloves, masks and disinfectants. Today, other employees at Yeremyan Projects, our managers and waiters, have joined the large delivery network team. This will allow us to organize our work even faster and more efficiently.

- How popular is your delivery service? What do they mainly order?

D. Yeremyan - Since direct contacts should be avoided in the current circumstances, the importance of the delivery service has grown significantly. Nowadays, healthy food prepared from fresh products is more than necessary.

As for orders through the Pandok Yerevan delivery service, I note that the highest activity is observed at 12 noon, between 17:00 and 18:00 and after 21:00, just during breaks, lunches and dinners.
In general, I can’t say that volumes have significantly increased, because the nature of orders has changed first of all. Prior to the state of emergency, mostly small individual orders were registered for a small amount. Today, orders are being received not for individuals, but for the whole family, and customers prefer, in particular, soups and meat dishes. Almost disappeared orders for specialties intended for festive events, which is logical, as people refused large feasts.

And we, too, realizing the importance of maintaining social distance in order to avoid direct contacts, encourage people to pay for orders in a non-cash way, through special terminals. Cashless terminals are also disinfected after each use.

- Have anticoronavirus actions been launched?

D. Yeremyan - Regardless of the situation, in our institutions the disinfection process is part of the daily work, which is constantly monitored. And these days we tightened grip over compliance with sanitary norms and rules, intensified disinfection processes and took appropriate preventive measures.

Bactericidal lamps and air disinfection devises have been deployed in all Yeremyan Projects premises. Door handles, equipment, toilets and common areas are regularly cleaned with an antiseptic. Every day, all employees undergo examination: temperature is measured and also antiseptic agents, medical protective masks and gloves are provided.
- Do you rely on government assistance? What specific activities could support the business in this situation?

D. Yeremyan - In such conditions, in a number of countries around the world, governments provide assistance to businesses in order to avoid economic crises. For example, it is possible to subsidize the salaries of workers who find themselves in a downtime. And we, like many in our business, strive to keep our team. However, it is not yet known how long this situation will last. It is not ruled out that later businesses simply will not be able to maintain their employees. Measures to provide interest-free loans to the business will to some extent ease the burden of concerns for entrepreneurs, but will not be able to solve all their problems.

- Russian restaurateurs already call the situation in this area catastrophic and destructive. Do you agree with this assessment? How would you describe the situation in this area in Armenia?

D. Yeremyan – Current things strike mostly at HoReCa: the sphere of the restaurant and hotel business and services. It is not ruled out that after the stabilization of the situation, a number of restaurants, cafes, entertainment facilities will not be able to get on their feet and continue to work. Many facilities will simply close. I think that today and in the future it will be very difficult for business to restore what has been created over the past years and continue to work normally. Still, it will take a lot of time and resources for restoration and, yes, it is then that the assistance of the government will be needed.

We have a very powerful pace of development and bold programs. However, at the moment, Yeremyan Projects has “frozen” long-term programs and plans, and we cannot even imagine when and how we will be able to put them into practice again. Tactics will change dramatically, and everyone is waiting for the crisis to soften.

At present, we have shifted the vector of partnership to agricultural projects, as there are risks associated with food security. We are actively working in the agricultural sector in order to some extent eliminate possible problems with food security and lack of foods.

Now we are actively launching dairy production, and soon milk from our farmers will appear on the market. Meat from our farm in Dilijan has already come to the market. We have not abandoned plans to bring a new batch of cattle to Armenia to provide residents with the necessary amount of high-quality food.
- Is there a preliminary calculation of the damage caused to the sphere due to the coronavirus?

D. Yeremyan - While there is no concrete answer on how long this situation will last, there will be no full calculations. We will study the situation, although every day, unfortunately, disappointing reports appear on my desk.

However, do not despair. We arm ourselves with patience and optimism. We will be sensitive and attentive to each other, and most importantly, healthy!-0—