Gunārs Ķirsons launches new DABA restaurant concept with EUR 4.5 mllion investment

RIGA – Latvian entrepreneur and LIDO founder Gunārs Ķirsons is launching DABA, a new fast-casual restaurant concept, with the first two locations scheduled to open in Riga later this year. The total investment in the first phase amounts to approximately EUR 4.5 million. The first restaurant will open in Mežaparks at 3 Meža Prospekts at the end of July, while the second location, at 38 Brīvības Street, is expected to open in November. To support the acquisition and development of the Brīvības Street property, BluOr Bank has provided EUR 575,000 in financing to DABA NI Ltd., a company owned by Gunārs Ķirsons.

The DABA concept combines high-quality Latvian cuisine with the speed and convenience of modern fast-casual dining. Alongside an extensive coffee and tea offering, the restaurants will feature highly efficient operational processes designed to serve each customer within 30 to 60 seconds.

The Mežaparks restaurant represents an investment of approximately EUR 2.2 million, while the Brīvības Street project accounts for around EUR 2.3 million. The latter will occupy 466 square metres, including a 248-square-metre ground-floor dining area, with the basement designated for storage and operational facilities. Each restaurant will accommodate approximately 80–100 guests.

"After nearly forty years in the restaurant business, I wanted to create a concept that brings together everything I have learned throughout my career. Our goal is to demonstrate that outstanding food quality and genuinely fast service can go hand in hand. Equally important is the customer experience—we want every guest to feel welcome and receive professional service," says Gunārs Ķirsons.

Each restaurant is expected to create around 30 new jobs. Before joining the team, all employees will complete specialised training covering professional skills, operational standards and customer communication. To strengthen service quality, the company is working with speech coaches from the Latvian National Theatre. DABA also plans to offer salaries above the industry average to attract and retain skilled professionals in a competitive labour market.

"We invest heavily in employee development because customers judge not only the food but also the way they are welcomed and served. Quality starts with people, and we want to create a workplace where employees feel valued. My ambition is that people will queue not only to dine with us but also to work with us," adds Gunārs Ķirsons.

According to Dmitrijs Latiševs, Chief Executive Officer of BluOr Bank, the project demonstrates a strong foundation for long-term growth.

"This project stands out for its clear development strategy, well-designed business model and the entrepreneur's substantial own investment. Gunārs Ķirsons has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to build successful businesses over several decades. We also highly value his vision of creating a scalable restaurant concept with long-term growth potential. BluOr Bank is committed to supporting companies that invest in Latvia's economy and pursue ambitious development projects, and we are pleased to become the financial partner of this initiative," says Dmitrijs Latiševs, Chief Executive Officer of BluOr Bank..

Following the launch of the first two restaurants, the company plans to expand the DABA concept across additional locations in Riga. If the concept develops successfully, the goal is to establish up to 20 restaurants within the next five years, followed by international expansion through a franchise model.

"We see the first restaurants as a platform for refining every aspect of the concept. Once we are confident that every process works flawlessly, we will move forward with additional locations in Riga and later beyond Latvia. My long-term goal is to build a system capable of serving millions of people," says Gunārs Ķirsons.