Uprooted by war, savvy young Ukrainians set up cafe

Demchenko (left) and Mazur at the Kiit cafe in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. After fleeing the capital, Demchenko and his friend Stoian started selling coffee from a ground-floor window in Lviv. Photos: Yuriy Dyachyshyn/AFP

Steaming milk with a borrowed coffee maker, 19-year-old Ukrainian barista Ivan Demchenko rushed to make enough Americanos and lavender lattes for a growing line of customers.

Six days after he and two friends started selling coffee from a ground-floor window in the western city of Lviv, word of mouth had spread and their chicken and pineapple pie slices were fast running out.