Over the past decades, grilling culture in Lithuania has changed beyond recognition—from simple backyard skewers to outdoor kitchens with professional grills and even dry-aging cabinets. One symbol of these changes is the specialized grill and accessories store “Grillman.” Starting 12 years ago in a 100 m² space, it now operates an 800 m² showroom—the largest in the Baltics. In just the past three years, its sales revenue has grown by nearly 50%—from €879,000 in 2022 to almost €1.3 million in 2024.
How can a kitchen hobby turn into a multimillion-euro business? What do grill enthusiasts value most—quality, exclusive selection, or delivery speed? And in a market stirred up by “kamado” grills, is there still room for others?
A Love of Cooking That Grew Into a Million-Euro Business
The story of Grillman began 12 years ago with a hobby—a passion for cooking and good tools.
“When you cook a lot yourself, you realize how important a sharp knife is or how much easier it is to have a non-stick, stainless steel pan. It makes the whole process much more enjoyable. I’ve always loved cooking, and I still do. That’s how the business was born—out of a love for food preparation,” says Mantas Radevičius, owner of Grillman.
In 12 years, the grill business has grown from a tiny shop into an 800 m² specialized store—the largest in the Baltics.
“We started with just a few grill models, and today we offer the widest selection of exclusive products you can’t find elsewhere in Lithuania—like dry-aging cabinets or built-in gas grills. We carefully curate our range, really know the products we sell, and follow international trends to bring to Lithuania what’s already popular abroad. Sure, you can now buy a ‘kamado’ grill anywhere, but if that were enough, we probably wouldn’t need hundreds of square meters of space,” he jokes.
Breakthrough After International Exhibitions and Parcel Lockers
A major turning point for Grillman came when the team began attending international trade fairs in Germany. There, they discovered the latest trends, built partnerships with strong brands, and brought them back to Lithuania.
“We saw what was happening in larger markets and realized Lithuanians also needed more high-quality options. From then on, we focused heavily on curating our range—not just pushing what suppliers wanted to sell but choosing products that were truly high quality,” Radevičius explains.
Another key moment came with expansion into Latvia and Estonia, along with the rise of parcel lockers.
“I remember five or six years ago attending a conference where it was said that parcel lockers were coming. As soon as they appeared, we adopted this delivery method and partnered with Venipak. That contributed hugely to our growth—customers started buying more grill accessories since picking up an order became so easy. They can collect it anytime, without waiting at home. For us, it was another way to guarantee convenience,” he says.
Order on Friday, Grill on Saturday
According to Radevičius, the outdoor grill market is shifting—after years of dominance, “kamado” grills are giving way to gas grills.
“Kamado grills are like SUVs for city driving—powerful but not always practical. Buyers are increasingly choosing what’s easy and convenient for everyday use—light up, start grilling right away, avoid smoke and mess on the terrace. The newest trend is built-in gas grills that become part of an outdoor kitchen. In the U.S., Germany, and Spain, these have already been number one for some time,” he says.
Customer habits also differ between physical stores and online. Bigger purchases—such as grills costing several thousand euros or dry-aging cabinets—are often explored in person with consultations, while smaller items are more commonly bought online.
“But sometimes people visit the store to see products and then order online. That’s why reliable logistics and fast delivery are crucial in this market. For many, cooking is a hobby, usually reserved for weekends. So, if they order a grill midweek, they want it by Friday evening so they can use it that weekend. That’s why we highly value our cooperation with Venipak, who usually deliver the next day and even work Saturdays—meaning a grill ordered on Friday can already be used on Saturday,” Radevičius highlights.
Growing the Culture of Cooking
Grillman’s future vision is to expand into a broader specialized store that covers not only outdoor grills and accessories but the entire kitchen.
“The new challenge today is moving into the kitchen tools segment. It’s similar but also a whole new field—different trade fairs, different product choices. It requires a lot of research and attention to global trends. We want to select only genuinely high-quality products worth people’s attention. We see that people increasingly enjoy cooking, so we’re moving toward making Grillman not just about grills but about the entire culture of cooking,” says Mantas Radevičius.
