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 an outpost of European franchise Lviv Croissants in Roswell on August 10. Lviv serves extra-large croissant sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The elder Dudnyk operates a Lviv in Kramatorsk, which is currently thriving, despite its location near the front lines. It is one of 170 Lviv stores in Ukraine, with additional shops in Poland and Slovakia. The Roswell spot (610 West Crossville Road) will be the first Lviv in the U.S. Its menu has been carefully crafted to adapt to American tastes while still maintaining some of its Ukrainian roots.
“We had chefs from Ukraine create recipes for the American audience and used focus groups of Americans to help guide them,” explains Tomas Dudnyk. “European and American tastes are totally different. This will be similar to Panera Bread but much newer and better.”
The menu features soups, salads, and sweet and savory croissant sandwiches. Options include pastrami, turkey avocado BLT, and Lviv (salami, ham, Swiss, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and garlic sauce) croissant sandwiches. There will also be a wild berry and mascarpone croissant and a pistachio croissants. The croissant dough will be prepared in a production facility in Norcross using the “secret Ukrainian recipe” and then baked in store. The croissants will be even bigger than those offered in Europe, coming in at a whopping 21 centimeters long and 9 centimeters high. “We like things big,” Dudnyk says.
Lviv will serve coffee and espresso drinks using Marietta-based Cool Beans, as well as a selection of lemonades and smoothies. (Dudnyk previously operated a coffee truck called Chill Latte.) The space, too, will feature a coffee shop-like vibe with lounge-y seating and counter service. Dudnyk says they are replicating the design from Europe with wooden panels on the walls and a clean, gray-and-white color scheme.
A QR code linking to U4U Kids—a program connecting Ukrainian orphans with American families—will be featured on every cup. Customers can scan the QR code to learn more about the organization and/or donate to the cause. Lviv will also be staffed primarily with Ukrainian refugees.
A grand opening celebration is planned for August 10 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The first 100 people to stop by Lviv will receive a complimentary chicken Caesar croissant sandwich.
“It’s a healthy option of fast food,” Dudnyk says. “It’s something new, unique, and affordable.”
