McDonald’s has reopened its doors with a new name in Russia after the fast-food giant withdrew from the country due to its invasion of Ukraine.
Fifteen branches in and around Moscow reopened on Sunday with their new name Vkusno & tochka, which translates as “Tasty and That’s It.”
Businessman Alexander Govor, who already has 25 restaurants in Siberia, agreed to buy the 847 Russian McDonald’s stores after the chain boycotted the country in early March.
He promised to keep his 62,000 employees on equivalent terms for at least two years.
There were huge queues at Moscow’s flagship restaurant on Sunday – the first to open in Russia 30 years ago – with locals hit by inflation as a result of desperate sanctions for cheap food.
Outside police patrolled the crowds, while indoor families chose their meals on the chain’s digital signature screens.
Executive director Oleg Paroev said: “Our goal is to ensure that our guests do not notice any difference in quality or atmosphere.”
He added that while prices remain “affordable” at an unstable economic time in Russia, he cannot guarantee that they will not rise in the near future.
The new logo, unveiled earlier this week, includes a circle and two lines depicting a burger and fries.
We are still looking for a soft drink supplier
The owner, Govor, said he was still looking for a new soft drink supplier after Coca-Cola joined the large number of businesses withdrawing from Russia.
About 200 branches are expected to reopen in Russia by the end of June and 847 by the end of the summer, the chiefs said.
Image: owner Alexander Govor cuts the tape to open “Vkusno & tochka”
Many will see the reopening as a test of whether the Russian economy can survive Western sanctions.
When the first point of sale opened in Moscow three decades ago, it was seen as a major thaw in tensions between the USSR and the West.