BluOr Bank Supports the Launch of the New DABA restaurant concept in Riga

Entrepreneur and LIDO founder Gunārs Ķirsons is launching a new restaurant concept, DABA, with the first two locations set to open in Riga this year. One restaurant will be located in Mežaparks (3 Meža Prospekts), while the second will open at 38 Brīvības Street.

The combined investment in the first two restaurants amounts to approximately EUR 4.5 million. 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.

"This project stands out for its clear growth strategy, well-designed business model, and the entrepreneur's substantial own investment. Gunārs Ķirsons is one of Latvia's most experienced entrepreneurs, having successfully created and developed a number of well-known business concepts over several decades. We also highly value his vision of building a scalable restaurant concept with strong long-term growth potential. At BluOr Bank, we are committed to supporting businesses 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.

The first DABA restaurant in Mežaparks is scheduled to open at the end of July, while the Brīvības Street location is expected to welcome its first guests in November.

The new DABA concept combines modern fast-casual dining with high-quality Latvian cuisine, a carefully curated coffee and tea offering, and highly efficient operational processes.

The Mežaparks restaurant represents an investment of approximately EUR 2.2 million, while the Brīvības Street project is valued at around EUR 2.3 million. The latter will occupy 466 square metres, including a 248-square-metre ground-floor restaurant and a basement dedicated to storage and support facilities. Each restaurant will offer seating for approximately 80 to 100 guests.

A key element of the DABA concept is operational efficiency, enabling customer service within 30 to 60 seconds per order.

"After nearly forty years in the restaurant industry, I wanted to create a concept that brings together everything I have learned throughout my career. Our goal is to prove that exceptional food quality and genuinely fast service can go hand in hand. Equally important is the way we treat our guests—we want every customer to feel welcome and receive professional, attentive service," says Gunārs Ķirsons.

Each restaurant is expected to create around 30 new jobs. To ensure a consistent customer experience, all employees undergo specialised training before joining the team. The programme covers not only professional skills and operational procedures but also communication and customer service culture, developed in cooperation with speech coaches from the Latvian National Theatre.

The company also plans to offer salaries above the industry average, strengthening its ability to attract and retain qualified professionals at a time when workforce availability has become one of the hospitality sector's greatest challenges.

"We invest significantly in employee development because customers value not only the food but also the way they are welcomed and served. Quality starts with people, so we want to create an environment where our employees also feel appreciated. My ambition is for people to queue not only to dine at DABA but also to become part of our team," adds Gunārs Ķirsons.

Following the opening of the first two restaurants, the company plans to gradually expand the DABA concept to additional locations across Riga. Subject to successful development, the goal is to establish up to 20 restaurants within the next five years, followed by international expansion through a franchise model.

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