Dodo Pizza Shifts Headquarters to Kazakhstan for Global Growth and Stability

The proprietor of Dodo Pizza, the largest pizza restaurant franchise in Russia, along with the rapidly expanding coffee chain Drinkit, has relocated its headquarters to Kazakhstan, as announced by the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) on Monday.

The AIFC, a special economic zone designed to provide favorable conditions for multinational enterprises, reported that Dodo Brands completed its transition from the British Virgin Islands to its jurisdiction last Thursday.

Industry experts interviewed by the Kommersant business newspaper indicated that Kazakhstan offers a more advantageous legal and financial framework for Russian companies compared to the British Virgin Islands. Following President Vladimir Putin’s order for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia classified the British overseas territory as an “unfriendly nation.”

As of spring 2024, over 40 foreign firms with combined assets exceeding $1.5 billion have moved to Kazakhstan, according to the AIFC. In contrast, Russia reported that 500 companies had re-registered in its own special economic zones by spring of this year.

Founded in 2011 by Russian entrepreneur Fyodor Ovchinnikov, Dodo Brands has expanded into Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia, operating a total of 1,300 restaurants and cafes across 26 countries.

The company experienced a 39.5% increase in revenue year-on-year in 2024, reaching 117.6 billion rubles ($1.49 billion). For the first quarter of 2025, revenue was reported at 33.3 billion rubles ($423.6 million).

According to Kommersant, which cited an unnamed source from the food industry, Dodo Brands’ shift to Kazakhstan is in line with its strategy for further global expansion.

Dodo Brands CEO Dmitry Soloviev explained that the choice of Kazakhstan was driven by its existing operational base in the country.

“The AIFC was a sensible option for re-registering: our corporate office is located in Kazakhstan, and a substantial portion of our international operations take place here,” he stated.