Edmonton Ukrainians slow launch downtown restaurant
Posted January 8, 2026 11:07 am.
Last Updated January 8, 2026 11:10 am.
On a plane ride to Canada from war-torn Ukraine in June 2022, Liza and Serhii Zymovets had a conversation; they decided they would never enter the restaurant business again.
The couple ran some restaurants in Mykolaiv, in southern Ukraine, near Odesa. But in February 2022, as Russia invaded the country, everything changed.
During the first few months of the war, the Zymovets were still in business while also giving free meals to Ukrainian soldiers as a way to say thank you. But, with two kids, they had their sights set elsewhere. Edmonton was calling, but not another restaurant.
“It’s a really hard type of business,” said Liza. “We were so burnt out with all the obstacles that brought us to Canada. We didn’t want to think about restaurants at all.”
That mindset didn’t last long. In 2025, the entrepreneurial itch came back. The couple bought a space inside Enbridge Tower on Rice Howard Way and started the vision of “Zymo,” a European eatery with a Ukrainian twist.
The location is seeing a revival of sorts; it’s the same place Dalla Tavola Zenari was in and closed at the end of 2024.
“There’s soul in it,” said Serhii about the location. “When you enter, you feel comfort and calmness.”
In October, Zymo had a soft launch with a lunch menu for downtown workers and a dinner menu at night. The Zymovets are continuing to work on the menu before an official grand opening.
They have their fingers crossed that some Ukrainian persistence will keep the place known for family businesses alive.
