Soon after returning to Almaty, Aisha and Sergey set out to build the place they could never quite find in the city. Not restaurateurs, not chefs — two people from tech with an idea that sounded simple enough, until reality got involved. A new opening usually gets the same response: how exciting. Rarely does anyone ask about the part that came before — the flood, the missed renovation deadlines, the crew that nearly derailed the launch on the eve of Nauryz. This is the version behind the polished opening.

Below is the actual cost breakdown:

• Equipment and appliances: 10 million KZT 

Ventilation alone cost 2.2 million KZT. Add CCTV, refrigerators, kitchen equipment and air conditioning, and the logic becomes clear: equipment is not where you save money.

• Renovation: around 8.5 million KZT in goods and services

Tiles, plastering, ceiling panels, electrical work — nearly 1.9 million KZT on that alone — and plumbing. Every stage brings a new invoice.

• Initial stock: around 3.8 million KZT

Alcohol, food products and kitchen consumables for the first round of operations. This is only the opening set-up; after that, it becomes part of the monthly running cost.

The rest of the budget is carried by staff and payroll — around 3.5 million KZT — alongside interiors and lighting at roughly 2.4 million, and branding at about 2.3 million.

Total invested in the opening: around 50 million KZT.

1. Paperwork first

We learned this the hard way: nothing should move until it is in writing. No exceptions. We paid for that lesson more than once — financially, operationally and emotionally.

2. Trust the doubt

If something feels off during hiring, it usually matters. Waiting for it to «work itself out» is often where the real cost begins: money and weeks you could not afford to lose.

3. Entering the restaurant business cold
Hospitality is not forgiving to first attempts. It is far easier — and far cheaper — to start alongside people who have already opened places, taken the hits, and understand where things actually break. Some lessons are optional if you choose your partners well.

The alcohol licence. It is often framed as a long, complicated process — something that requires the right connections and a great deal of patience. In reality, it proved far more straightforward and manageable than its reputation suggests.

Yes — but with an entirely different approach. Not because the result was wrong, but because we now know exactly what can sit ahead. Finding a decent renovation crew is a quest in itself. Getting everything approved with neighbours, the building management, the city authorities and various bureaucrats is its own separate strain. Floods and power cuts at the worst possible moment are simply part of the reality. And all of it happens at once, while the team is still trying to create and test the menu. Had we known all this from the beginning, we might have chosen a different route. But once we had started, we decided to see it through.

The menu, definitely. Legal work has a structure: steps to follow, documents to prepare, and a clear result at the end. It can be difficult, but at least you understand the route. The menu for 127.1 was much harder. It had to work as a wine bar, a beer place, and an all-day breakfast spot at the same time. The challenge was to make all of that feel like one clear concept, not three ideas forced together. It took many more rounds than people might imagine.

Start with your most cautious estimate of time and money, then double it — and consider tripling it. If you open sooner or spend less, take it as a gift. The more likely version is messier. Renovations run late. Work has to be redone. Costs appear from nowhere. The plan, however careful, meets reality — and reality usually has other ideas. If you are prepared for that, you stand a far better chance of reaching opening night with your nerves, your budget and your belief in the project still intact. Follow the idea. Better to try, with your eyes open, than to spend years wondering what might have happened.