Pushkin Russian restaurant in downtown San Diego has announced it will be rebranding due to the negative impact of the war in Ukraine.
Ike Gazaryan, who is of Armenian lineage, opened Pushkin restaurant on Sixth Avenue in San Diego's Gaslamp in 2015, offering a menu of regional Russian and Armenian cuisine and a full bar. Named after Russian literary legend Alexander Pushkin, the restaurant has hosted frequent comedy nights, poetry meetings and other special events over its eight hear tenure. News broke last year at the onset of Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine that Pushkin was receiving threats and hateful phone calls, mail and messages. Ownership has alleged they lost as much as 65% of their normal business due to anti-Russian sentiment.
"Unfortunately the ongoing war in Ukraine has caused Pushkin Russian Restaurant great difficulty due to public perception making us guilty by association simply due to the name of our beloved restaurant," reads the announcement on Pushkin's social media. "We have made the difficult decision to pivot our business model and rebrand."
Starting on May 5, Pushkin Russian Restaurant will become Pushkin Lounge & Bar. The new concept will continue to serve a globally inspired menu with a full bar and the addition of hookah options. With the new changes, the restaurant will become a 21-and-over venue.
Pushkin Lounge & Bar is located at 750 Sixth Avenue in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter. For more information, visit pushkinrestaurantsd.com.
