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Moscow: Russian McDonald's opens first branches

2022-06-12T08:02:39.381Z


After McDonald's withdrew from Russia, a Russian entrepreneur took over all of the fast-food chain's branches. The first are now opening – with a new name but familiar dishes.


Enlarge image

People sit in front of a former McDonald's branch in Moscow, which is now set to reopen

Photo: Hannah Wagner / dpa

A few weeks after the US fast food chain McDonald's finally withdrew from Russia, the first restaurants are opening under their new Russian owner.

A total of 15 branches in Moscow and the surrounding area are to welcome guests again on Sunday – under a new name and logo, but at the same locations, with the same staff and almost identical dishes.

Another 50 branches are scheduled to open on Monday.

After more than 30 years, McDonald's temporarily closed its Russian business in early March in response to the war of aggression against Ukraine.

Like several other international companies, the group later finally withdrew from Russia, where it was one of the most important employers with 62,000 local employees.

Only at train stations and airports should individual restaurants continue to operate under the US logo.

The reason: Special franchise contracts that are not easy to cancel.

McDonald's has historical significance for many

The new owner of the Russian chain is Alexander Gowor and until recently he was running 25 McDonald's branches in Siberia.

Now the entrepreneur has also bought the other 825 locations nationwide for an undisclosed price.

According to his own statement, he wants to reopen them all within two months.

The comeback of McDonald's in a new, Russian guise has been a hotly debated topic in Russia's social networks for days.

The government newspaper "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" recently even devoted an entire page to the "Russian McDonald's".

The great interest also has to do with the fact that McDonald's has a downright historical significance for many Russians: the opening of the first McDonald's branches in the early 1990s was also a sign of change and departure in Russia, before the restaurants formed at that time 500 meter long lines.

Accordingly, the closures are symbolic of the hardened fronts between Moscow and the West.

»Vkusno & tochka«

According to McDonald's, Gowor, who made his fortune in the mining and oil sectors, has contracted to keep the existing employees on the same terms for at least two years.

Gowor may no longer use the McDonald's trademark symbols.

That's why all yellow M's have been gradually removed from Russian restaurants over the past few days and weeks.

According to media reports, the new logo of the chain consists of a red ball and two yellow lines, it is supposed to represent a burger patty and two fries.

The new name is »Vkusno & tochka«, roughly translated as »Yummy & Point«.

In addition, as little as possible should change for Russian consumers.

The dishes look – at least on the photos of the online menu – almost identical to the old ones.

And the fact that McDonald's in Russia previously sourced its products from Russian farmers should ensure that they continue to taste similar.

Only: The burger "Filet-o-Fish" is now called "Fish Burger", the hamburger "Royal" becomes the "Grand".

wbr/dpa/rtr

Source: spiegel

All business articles on 2022-06-12

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