Drinkit franchisee raises RUB 7 million through digital financial assets

One of Drinkit’s largest franchisees, Produkty dlya Zhizni LLC, has raised RUB 7 million through digital financial assets (DFAs) on Alfa-Bank’s A-Token platform. According to Vedomosti, citing a bank representative, investor returns are linked to revenue at the company’s flagship coffee shop. The outlet is scheduled to open in December 2026 on Milyutinsky Lane in central Moscow.

Funding tied to a single coffee shop

This story is not about financing expansion across the entire chain, but about an individual franchise partner raising funds for a flagship outlet. The recipient is Produkty dlya Zhizni LLC, which the report describes as one of the brand’s largest franchisees.

For those following Russia’s franchise market, the deal offers an example of a franchise partner raising investor funds through a digital financial instrument. It is important, however, to distinguish the parties involved: the franchisee raises the money, the platform facilitates the DFA issue, and Drinkit is the brand under which the future coffee shop will operate. The description of the deal does not indicate that the chain’s management company received the funding.

The reported RUB 7 million is the amount raised, not the confirmed total cost of opening the outlet. It should not automatically be treated as the flagship’s budget, the cost of the franchise or the entrepreneur’s own investment. Assessing the project requires an understanding of how much of the total expenditure the issue covers and how the remainder will be funded.

The planned December opening should also be distinguished from an outlet that is already trading. At the time of the report, the coffee shop had yet to open, so linking returns to its revenue requires attention not only to sales but also to the timetable for getting the site ready.

Revenue becomes a key measure for investors

The defining feature of this DFA issue is that returns are linked to the flagship coffee shop’s revenue. This makes the performance of an individual outlet central to assessing the instrument. However, that link alone does not reveal the payment formula or allow prospective returns to be calculated.

Revenue and profit are different measures. The coffee shop must cover its operating costs from its takings, and the amount left over depends on its expenses and obligations. High turnover therefore does not, in itself, mean that the business has a comparable amount of cash available.

Prospective investors should check the issue documents to establish how revenue is defined, the period over which it is measured and how the figures are verified. Payment dates, arrangements for returning the invested capital and provisions for a delayed opening are equally important. These questions help investors assess the specific instrument rather than substitute trust in a familiar brand for proper analysis.

The franchisee faces a different task: matching obligations to investors against the coffee shop’s cash flow. Even if returns are calculated on the basis of sales, the financing burden needs to be assessed alongside rent, payroll, supplies and other payments. Without the terms of the issue, it is impossible to conclude whether this funding method is more advantageous than the alternatives.

A digital instrument for a technology-focused brand

Drinkit is part of Dodo Brands. Customers at its coffee shops order drinks through a mobile app or self-service kiosks. The brand operates a franchise model, and this deal represents an individual financing initiative by one of its partners.

Digital ordering and digital financial assets serve different parts of the business. The former manages customer interactions; the latter is used to raise funds. They should not be conflated, nor should a coffee shop’s use of technology be treated as evidence that an investment instrument is reliable.

An article published by Monocle on 9 November provides useful context: it puts the average investment required of a prospective Drinkit franchisee at RUB 15 million. This is a chain-wide benchmark, not a cost estimate for the Milyutinsky Lane outlet. Comparing it with the RUB 7 million raised chiefly highlights the need to distinguish the total opening budget from an individual source of funding.

An average figure cannot establish exactly how much the Moscow flagship will require. That would depend on the premises, the scope of work, equipment and the cash reserve needed for the initial trading period. It would be misleading to replace that calculation with an average.

What other franchisees should consider

The Produkty dlya Zhizni LLC deal establishes one specific fact: a franchise partner has raised RUB 7 million through DFAs, with returns linked to revenue at a future coffee shop. It does not prove that this instrument suits every franchise or is available to every entrepreneur on similar terms.

Franchisees considering a similar financing route should first prepare an opening budget and a cash-flow forecast. They should then test the funding terms against several sales scenarios and a possible delay to the launch. Particular attention should be paid to how revenue is recorded if it determines investor payments.

Practical takeaway: assess not just the amount raised and the brand’s profile, but also the terms of the issue, the outlet’s full budget and its ability to meet its obligations once it opens.