Courtesy of Lviv Croissants
After nearly two years of planning, research and taste testing, Ukrainian refugee Petro Dudnyk and his son Tomas Dudnyk, along with Brett Larrabee and other partners, are opening a branch of European franchise Lviv Croissants in Roswell on August 10. Lviv serves extra-large croissant sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The elder Dudnyk runs a Lviv store in Kramatorsk that is currently thriving despite being close to the front lines. It is one of 170 Lviv stores in Ukraine, with other stores in Poland and Slovakia. The Roswell spot (610 West Crossville Street) will be Lviv’s first in the U.S. Its menu has been carefully adapted to American tastes, but still retains some of its Ukrainian roots.
“We had chefs from Ukraine create recipes for the American audience and were guided by focus groups of Americans,” explains Tomas Dudnyk. “European and American tastes are completely different. This will be similar to Panera Bread, but much newer and better.”
The menu will include soups, salads and sweet and savory croissant sandwiches. Choices include pastrami, turkey avocado BLT and Lviv croissant sandwiches (salami, ham, Swiss cheese, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and garlic sauce). There will also be a wild berry mascarpone croissant and a pistachio croissant. The croissant dough will be made at a Norcross facility using the “secret Ukrainian recipe” and then baked in the store. The croissants will be even bigger than those offered in Europe, measuring a whopping 8.25 inches long and 3.5 inches high. “We like it big,” says Dudnyk.
Lviv will serve coffee and espresso drinks from Marietta-based Cool Beans, as well as a selection of sodas and smoothies. (Dudnyk previously operated a coffee cart called Chill Latte.) The space, too, will feature a coffeehouse atmosphere with lounge seating and counter service. Dudnyk says they will mimic the design from Europe with wood panels on the walls and a clean, gray-and-white color scheme.
Each mug features a QR code that leads to U4U Kids, a program that matches Ukrainian orphans with American families. Customers can scan the QR code to learn more about the organization and/or donate to the cause. Lviv will also be populated primarily by Ukrainian refugees.
A grand opening celebration is planned for August 10th from 11am to 8pm. The first 100 people to stop by in Lviv will receive a free chicken Caesar croissant sandwich.
“It’s a healthy alternative to fast food,” says Dudnyk. “It’s something new, unique and affordable.”
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