CNN enters 'new' rebranded McDonald's restaurant in Russia 2:23
(CNN) --
A restaurateur-rapper duo introduced Stars Coffee on Thursday, reopening the coffee chain in Russia formerly owned by Starbucks, the latest rebranding by a major company after a corporate exodus. western that lasted for months.
At a crowded launch in central Moscow, rapper Timati unveiled the new brand, whose logo features the image of a woman with a star above her head, alongside co-owner and restaurateur Anton Pinskiy, before stores began opening. on Friday.
With the ban on using the Starbucks logo, Timati said they had sought some continuity, namely the circular shape and "feminine gender," which he said contrasted nicely with the cigar-like brown "male color" of the new logo.
Russian singer and businessman Timur Yunusov, better known as Timati, drinks coffee at a newly opened Stars Coffee cafe in the former Starbucks location in Moscow, Russia.
"People's perceptions may be different," Pinskiy said.
"But if you compare, apart from the circle, you won't find anything in common."
Starbucks declined to comment on the similarity of the logo and name, but referred to an earlier statement saying the company had made the decision to exit and no longer had a brand presence in the Russian market.
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Since Starbucks had its own production base and resources, Timati said the duo had to find new suppliers, but they hadn't had any problems.
Stars Coffee imports beans from Latin America and Africa, Pinskiy said, with suppliers of other items based in Russia.
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“We just found other suppliers, we found the right roasters, and because the baristas mixed it all up right, we have a product that we think will be competitive,” he said.
Seattle-based Starbucks, which helped popularize coffee-to-go in a traditionally tea-loving society, said in late May that it would leave Russia after nearly 15 years.
Starbucks had 130 stores in Russia, operated by its licensee Alshaya Group, with nearly 2,000 employees in the country.
Pinskiy said stores would gradually reopen through August and September.
A broader trend
People are seen inside the newly opened Stars Coffee cafe in Moscow.
Kuwait-based global franchise operator Alshaya had lost interest in doing business after Starbucks withdrew its brand from Russia, Timati told Reuters.
Alshaya did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"We won the tender, there were many participants, we acquired it and made our own brand," he said.
The deal reflects a broader trend among Western brands, which has been changing the country's retail and corporate landscape as the conflict in Ukraine enters its sixth month.
Renault sold its majority stake in automaker Avtovaz to a Russian player for just one ruble, while McDonald's, whose restaurants have now become Vkusno & tochka, did not disclose a figure.
McDonald's restaurants in Russia reopen with new name and image
Both deals included buyback options, but Pinskiy said that didn't apply to Starbucks because of the franchise model it operated under in Russia.
He declined to disclose figures on the Alshaya deal.
"We have invested as much as we paid them," Pinskiy said.
"This is (an) expensive pleasure."
Both said they were interested in further acquisitions, but did not elaborate.
While the partnership may seem unlikely, Timati, one of Russia's most famous rappers, co-founded the Black Star Burger chain in Russia, which sells a "Timati Burger."
He is also known for his support of the Kremlin and in 2015 he released a song containing the lyrics "President Putin is my best friend".
Pinskiy, who earlier this month told Russian reporter and political activist Ksenia Sobchak that he had never tasted coffee in his life, has a number of restaurants in his portfolio, including a joint project with Timati, REDBOX, which offers cuisine Pan Asian