"Like in the 90s": A restaurant in Kyiv explained why they denied service to a military man.

On January 12, at the elite Noice restaurant in Kyiv, a man in military uniform was denied service, and he subsequently recorded the refusal on video and shared it online. Restaurant representatives describe the claims regarding an alleged order from the administration to not serve military personnel as fake, stating that the refusal was directed at one specific individual who is exerting pressure on the establishment’s owner on behalf of a former business partner. The restaurant posted a statement on its Instagram page.

The restaurant emphasized its desire to clarify the circumstances of the incident and "dispel fake news." According to the establishment's representatives, the situation arose from a conflict between restaurant owner Ozdemir Ayhan and his long-time business partner Alexey Gorashchenkov. The administration asserts that Gorashchenkov is demanding Ayhan return the investment made in the business to withdraw from the partnership.

"Amid this conflict, Gorashchenkov and his team of 'thugs', which includes citizen Andrey Khrysh Olegovich (the person who filmed the video on January 12, 2025), have begun to engage in constant provocative and criminal actions against Ozdemir Ayhan, which in slang is described as 'terrorizing the opponent/partner'," wrote the restaurant representatives.

They stated that Andrey Khrysh holds the rank of senior sergeant in one of the volunteer formations of the territorial community and has not participated in combat since the start of the full-scale invasion. He has repeatedly visited the restaurant with threats and "intimidation" on behalf of Gorashchenkov, so all restaurant staff were familiar with him and had been warned about potential provocations from his side, the Noice representatives claim.

The restaurant's page also features surveillance footage showing the man in military uniform who was denied service entering the restaurant.

The establishment insists that the refusal pertained only to Andrey Khrysh, who during his last visit on January 12 exerted psychological pressure on the staff and administration, smoked and cursed inside the premises, and set fire to pizza packaging ties, which could have sparked a fire. Additionally, according to the administration, Khrysh threatened the State Guard service personnel who arrived at the scene, shouting: "Who do you think you are? I’ll smash your e**d right now."

Representatives of the restaurant assert that they do not refuse to serve military personnel and offer a 15% discount for soldiers and combat participants.

"There was a targeted manipulation of public opinion during the state of martial law," they concluded their statement.

Recall that on January 13, a video circulated online showing a waiter at an elite restaurant in Kyiv refusing to serve men in uniform, citing an order from the administration.

On the same day, the National Police of Ukraine and the restaurant's administration responded to the conflict with the military in Kyiv. The Kyiv police reported that they had initiated a criminal case for "gross violation of public order." The restaurant described the incident as "an unpleasant situation," urged the public not to engage with provocative information, and promised to provide a detailed comment later.