Andrei Ryzhov is a developer, businessman, and founder of TIMELESS, a chain of premium lounge bars. 

In 2014, he graduated from Oxford University in the UK with a Master’s in Computer Science. For years he developed mobile games. In 2016, together with a partner, he launched a HoReCa project aimed at combining offline business and IT. 

In 2018, he opened the first TIMELESS in the heart of the capital in Chistye Prudy. Andrei is convinced that the company will change the way people look not only at the leisure and entertainment industry but also at automation.

Irson: Andrei, it seems like TIMELESS is quite an ambitious project.

Andrei: It really is. During the pandemic, we opened two establishments for 300 million rubles, launched our own IT system, which has no analogues in the world, increased our staff fourfold, and for the last year, we grew by 400% in revenue and profit.

We’re now happily operating four TIMELESS locations in the heart of Moscow: on Chistye Prudy, Mayakovskaya, Okhotny Ryad, and Novy Arbat. Now we’re preparing to open a fifth TIMELESS on Bolshaya Yakimanka, with a budget of 240 million rubles. And in 2023, we’re planning to build a lounge bar in Dubai, with more on the way. By the way, preparations are already in full swing.

Irson: That’s impressive. Could you tell us a bit more about the concept of your establishments?

Andrei: We’ve never been just a hookah lounge. Our places are more like atmospheric spaces where people come to chill and forget about their lives outside of TIMELESS for a bit. It makes me so happy when our guests leave happy, and we know it for sure thanks to our awesome feedback system. They always mention the warm and attentive attitude of the team, the designer interiors, the unusual taste and composition of the signature hookahs (you won’t find such things anywhere else), the chef’s cocktail list, and the unique wines.

We’ve put our hearts and souls into making every element unforgettable, including the service. If you’re looking for a blend of exclusivity and that warm, cozy feeling of being right at home, we’d be delighted to welcome you as our regular guests at TIMELESS.

Irson: I used to think that TIMELESS was just one chain with a bunch of similar lounge bars. But then I discovered that each place has its own unique charm.

Andrei: Exactly! That’s one of the reasons why we don’t sell franchises, even though a lot of people want us to, even from abroad. We don’t want to be a typical chain. Let me explain: nowadays the term “chain” is more associated with mass-produced, often low-cost products. There’s a lack of individuality and premiumization. But here at TIMELESS, we’re all about premium. Everything we do, from the designs and service to the whole concept and philosophy, is premium.

We’ve created our own ideology, and it’s based on 5 values: People, Wow, Virtue, Scale, and Design.

Irson: What do they mean to you?

Andrei: Basically, these are words that reflect the worldview of each team member. We even include these values in our job postings. The first question we ask in interviews is, “What do these values mean to you? It’s important for us to recognize at the hiring stage that a person is a good fit for us not only because of their professional skills but also because of their personal qualities. The most important thing is that we see the world the same way.

People are always our top priority—we’re talking about guests, employees, partners, and even our loved ones. We believe that anyone who interacts with our brand should walk away feeling a little happier. 

Wow: That’s the reaction we want to see to everything we do. If a brand leaves people indifferent, it has failed. We don’t just want emotion; we want WOW.

Virtue: We believe that business should be noble, and reputation is one of the most important principles for TIMELESS.

Scale: We measure and scale everything we do. We’re growing and maturing as a company, and it’s going well. Just imagine: we’ve grown 25 times in the last two years.

Design: I won’t get into that here, but I’ll just say it’s the heart of our brand.

So, you see why we don’t want to sell franchises? People who haven’t grown with us and see TIMELESS only as a business, as a source of income, won’t be able to recreate this concept, and most importantly, to keep it at the necessary high level.

Irson: Andrei, the interiors of TIMELESS deserve special attention. How are the accents arranged in each of the establishments?

Andrei: Our interiors are one of a kind, and I’m not exaggerating. From the very start, we’ve always aimed high, and we continue to push the boundaries. When it comes to design, we don’t just stick to one style. Each place has its own vibe. TIMELESS interiors attract people, ignite discussions. People even try to copy them, but no one can quite match our unique touch.

The first establishment on Chistye Prudy is a chamber loft with unique interior items, built by our team with their own hands, despite having zero experience in this field. They were driven by great enthusiasm, and that’s why there’s always a special atmosphere of coziness and originality here. The next establishments became bigger and more luxurious, but a visit to the first TIMELESS is always like coming home.

TIMELESS on Mayakovskaya is distinct for its themed zones. For example, we’ve got a Cyberpunk-style space, and right next to it is an Antiquity zone. There are zones called Aviator, Hedgehog, Skulls, Eco, Library, Train, and more. Each zone has its own special atmosphere, but guests seem to like “Alice through the Looking Glass” the most. The space is decorated with huge playing cards, mirrors, and chess pieces.

I’m not going to give away all the secrets, but I’d like to mention that even though there’s a lot of variety in the themes, the design comes together to create a harmonious look in the spirit of TIMELESS. The best way to experience it is to come by and see it with your own eyes (smiles).

Overall, our love for details can be seen in all our establishments. You’ll want to take in every detail, capture them on camera, and find moments of peace and quiet to reflect on your own. As some of our regular guests like to say, it’s like a form of meditation.

The third TIMELESS on Okhotny Ryad is a larger-scale project, and it embodies the qualities of spaciousness, elegance, and luxury. Fans of The Great Gatsby are going to especially love it. The place has a lively party atmosphere with a Friday night vibe.

It’s worth mentioning that construction of this building started just two weeks before the 2020 lockdown. At the time, investors weren’t sure about the project, and some didn’t want to work with us because the future looked pretty uncertain for offline businesses.

We had two main tasks. First, we had to find the money (which was no easy feat, as we were talking about tens of millions). And second, we had to keep the team’s faith in the project, not let our hands drop. It was a long process, and it was hard and tiring for all team members, emotionally and physically. I won’t go into details, but I’m thrilled to say we nailed it, and that’s what counts.

All three of our locations were doing well and delighting guests. But it had been three years  since the first TIMELESS opened, and we still had our old-fashioned identity. We felt it was time for a change. Our art director had been following the works of a foreign design agency for several years. We wanted to work with them to change the direction of design, moving towards elegance, minimalism, and premiumization. So we started the rebranding process.

Irson: Is the fourth place already in the new format?

Andrei: Yes, we opened TIMELESS on Novy Arbat just this spring. It’s a result of our transformation. This place is similar to the Okhotny Ryad concept in terms of scale, but its style is more like English gentlemen’s clubs—much more simple. It’s clear that in this “Time” (as we call our places within the team), we focused on naturalness and authenticity. We used marble, wood, crystal, copper, and more for the finishes. Even the wave-shaped ceiling is made of natural wood. By the way, all but one contractor refused to construct this ceiling because no one in Russia had ever done such a thing. In fact, that TIMELESS was the most complicated project we’ve worked on, both in construction and design. We made hundreds of interior details according to individual drawings. We should probably have a separate interview just about how we built TIMELESS 45.

The result is really impressive. We turned the corridors into real galleries of contemporary art. Black-and-white photographs, unique art objects in the style of cubism and abstractionism, blend perfectly with the designer furniture. And the subdued lighting creates a leisurely and lounge-like atmosphere.

Irson: Andrei, do the locations have anything in common?

Andrei: Of course! Our concept is based on the idea of dividing the space into zones. We’ve created a space where guests can enjoy their time without the typical restaurant seating, giving them plenty of personal space. This is what makes TIMELESS unique—we’re not just any hookah lounge, although I should say our hookahs are top-notch.

Our venues are designed to offer exclusive privacy, unlike the typical restaurant or standard lounge bar, where everyone can be overseen and overheard. Each TIMELESS venue features private areas and exclusive VIP rooms. We value our guests' desire for privacy, ensuring that they are only accompanied by their chosen social circle and that no external distractions disrupt their experience. For this purpose, we offer a “do not disturb” button that ensures your space will be respected even by our staff.

We should mention that our guests include office workers, entrepreneurs, and famous people, like show business stars. Sometimes it’s important for the latter to stay hidden. They want to avoid being noticed and having their privacy invaded. These guests usually book our VIP rooms. Also, in TIMELESS 45, we have two elevators for guests. One elevator is for everyone, and the other is just for our most important guests. They can use the second elevator with a PIN code that changes every day.

Another feature of the establishments is that practically every zone has a TV screen and a PlayStation. It’s funny, but people of all ages and backgrounds play. There are many cases when, on the other side of the screen, in the UFC octagon or on the FIFA soccer field, there are ladies in evening dresses or men in expensive business suits. It’s amazing.

Irson: What can your guests indulge in from your menu?

Andrei: In addition to a solid wine list, we have cocktails developed by our chef-bartender. They feature unique takes on classic drinks and experimental twists.

You should definitely try our signature hookahs.

Timofey Shepilo, our brand chef, works at the hookah bar every other week. He will not only make your favorite mix but also create a new exclusive one based on your personal preferences.

Guests really enjoy such evenings. They like talking with the brand chef, learning interesting mixology tricks, and trying new blends. Many people use our interactive Smart Taste Map, where you can “play” with flavors and proportions. The program will create an ideal hookah mix based on your preferences, and you can save the formula. When you come to the place, just ask the master to make it.

Irson: Andrei, you said at the start of our conversation that TIMELESS is an IT company. Does that mean you’ve made lounge bars technologically advanced?

Andrei: It’s a great reason to meet again (laughs). I could talk about this side of TIMELESS for hours. I’ll give you a little background. I did my undergraduate studies at Oxford. I aspired to become a game developer at Google, Blizzard, or Valve. At some point, I realized that I couldn’t find a job that suited me. Creating a successful IT business requires funding and opportunities, which I lacked at the time. Consequently, I chose to merge my offline business experience with IT. This story was beautifully described in a blog on VC, and it received a wide resonance. The article starts off with the headline, “An Oxford graduate struggles to find a job in IT, so he opens a hookah bar for 16 million rubles,” and we weren’t expecting such a big response. In fact, it ended up being one of the top 10 interviews of the year, according to VC.

I’ve been writing code myself since the beginning, and over time, we’ve built a great team that doesn’t know the word “impossible.” Now, we’re developing our own IT system to automate routine processes, and we have a big roadmap for developing this tech product. It was put together over the last three years, based on a deep analysis of the market and our own pains. Thanks to this, the system will grow and cover more and more areas of application.

We were looking for a universal solution on the market all over the world for a long time, but none of the options out there covered our needs completely. So, we decided to create our own unique system that would combine the best practices of the restaurant and bar industry from all over the world. It’s also visually beautiful and concise. We based the design on spaceship consoles, like in sci-fi movies—our team was inspired by the movie Dune. I’m pretty proud of the result, even though it’s still in development.

Irson: How does your system relate to hospitality?

Andrei: Well, thanks to our system, we’re able to give guests the best service possible. For example, we have a club card, which is like the key to a super personalized experience. It’s totally different from those standard guest cards you often see.

And of course, we have a loyalty program where you can get bigger discounts the more you visit. The most you can get is 25% off, but you’ll need to spend over 3 million rubles to get there. It might sound like a lot, but we’ve had guests who’ve done it in just six months!

But the best thing about it (and there is definitely no other like it) is that the card automatically remembers all your preferences. For example, what zone or VIP room you usually book on weekends, what wines and cocktails you prefer to drink on Wednesdays, what hookah mixes you like on Fridays, whether you should serve your order in parts, in what sequence, and so on. We really believe that premium service is service that shows care and attention to the guest.

Irson: It’s great that your system is focused on both internal processes and visible results for guests. Any plans to release it as a separate technological product for the B2B segment sometime in the future?

Andrei: Yes, we’re definitely moving in that direction. We’ve got a few development plans in the works. One is to release a full B2B solution for retail and HoReCa, something that’ll cover the most a company needs. The other is to sell off parts of the system as needed, depending on what the business needs in the moment. The third option, which is the most ambitious, is creating an incubator of digital products for the international market, but it’s too early to discuss that.

Irson: You said you’re getting ready to open a fifth place in Moscow in the fall and that you want to build a lounge bar in Dubai by 2023, with plans for more than one of these bars. Could you please describe the concept for these places? Where else do you plan to expand?

Andrei: The concept of TIMELESS 54 is still a secret, but I can say one thing for sure: it’s going to be amazing! It’s going to be 800 m², which is more than the place on Novy Arbat (it’s just over 500 m²). There will be more secluded areas and private rooms, a huge bar area, and even a small common space with stationary DJ equipment. However, TIMELESS will not become a club (laughs). We’ll keep our atmosphere and values.

We’re already working on the project of the first TIMELESS abroad, in the UAE. Our team has flown to Dubai a few times to check out the market, pick a location, find local contractors, and more. There’s a lot to do. For more growth in other countries, we’re thinking about the biggest cities first, like New York, Tokyo, Milan, Shanghai, Paris, and Barcelona. I understand that these plans seem overly ambitious in the current geopolitical climate, but TIMELESS itself began with a basement and bold ideas.

Irson: Andrei, what are your wishes for the readers of Patriki Times?

Andrei: Burn to shine.

The original article is posted on the Patriki Times Publisher’s Portal.