From September 14 to October 18, 2021, residents of St. Petersburg nominated applicants across 10 categories. During this period, more than 3,000 St. Petersburg companies were nominated. Fontanka prepared the list of the Top-10 finalists in each category from among the most frequently named enterprises. It was audience participation and the number of mentions that determined the short list of the 100 best St. Petersburg businesses according to the city dwellers.