The chain of once popular North Fish fast food restaurants, owned by North Food Polska and offering mainly fish dishes, has had problems with profitability for quite a long time. In March, most employees received notice of dismissal as part of group layoffs.
Read also: The collapse of the company of the richest Pole. Multimillion-dollar debts and employees without paychecks
The problem is that – according to the TVP Kielce portal – some of the dismissed people did not receive the full amounts due under their employment contracts. This includes: for outstanding salaries, severance pay and equivalents for unused holidays.
Therefore, they decided to take legal action. The amounts claimed by the injured parties they range from several to several dozen thousand zlotys per person. Some of them count on payments from the Guaranteed Employee Benefits Fund.
Not just workers without money
Companies cooperating with North Food Polska also complain about lack of payments. Among them is the Duklas+ studio, which has been producing advertising materials and photo sessions for the company for over a decade.
— We made concessions and agreed to waive part of the debt. A moment after signing the agreement, we received information that the transfer had been suspended. We had the impression that the company commissioned us to do the work, knowing that it would not be able to pay for it, says Magdalena Duklas, a representative of Studio Duklas+, in an interview with the website.
According to media reports, the number of the company's creditors may reach nearly 200, and its debt may amount to approximately PLN 20 million.
The billionaire's fish business collapsed
North Food, operating in the catering industry for over 20 years, mainly manages the popular North Fish restaurants, specializing in fish dishes. In 2021, it had ambitious plans to enter foreign markets, but in 2024 financial problems already appeared. The company, managed by an entity belonging to Michał Sołowow, found itself in crisis. Financial results dropped and the company began to close its premises.
The company lost financial liquidity in November 2025. The company filed for bankruptcy in January, but it continued to operate even though it was already in shambles. There were problems with payments, deliveries and orders. On March 21, most employees received notice of dismissal as part of group layoffs.
According to the latest ranking of the richest Poles by Forbes, the Polish businessman's fortune reached PLN 27 billion 648 million.
