Bye, bye Big Mac: McDonald’s knock-off restaurants open in Russia
It would look and scent like McDonald’s, however now it is Vkusno & tochka. The golden arches are gone, the Filet-O-Fish is solely a fish burger. The Huge Mac has left Russia.
A brand new period for Russia’s fast-food and financial scene dawned on Sunday, as McDonald’s eating places flung open their doorways in Moscow below new Russian possession and with the brand new identify, which interprets as “Tasty and that is it.”
The disclosing of the rebranded shops, greater than three many years after the American burger large first opened its doorways in Moscow in a symbolic thaw between East and West, is as soon as once more a stark signal of a brand new world order.
The reopenings occurred on Russia Day, a vacation celebrating nationwide satisfaction.
The fortunes of the chain, which McDonald’s offered when it exited the nation over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, may present a take a look at of how efficiently the economic system can turn into extra self-sufficient and face up to Western sanctions.
On Sunday, scores of individuals lined up outdoors what was previously the chain’s flagship restaurant in Pushkin Sq., central Moscow. The outlet sported a brand new emblem — a stylized burger with two fries — plus a slogan studying: “The identify adjustments, love stays.”
The lineup was considerably smaller than the hundreds of people that thronged to the unique McDonald’s that opened there in 1990, through the Soviet period.
Vkusno & tochka’s menu was additionally smaller and didn’t provide the Huge Mac or another burgers and desserts, such because the McFlurry.
Russians flocked to the first-ever McDonald’s within the nation, in Moscow’s Puskin Sq..
A double cheeseburger was going for 129 rubles ($2.84 Cdn), in contrast with roughly 160 rubles below McDonald’s, and a fish burger was promoting for 169 rubles, in contrast with about 190 rubles beforehand.
The composition of burgers has not modified and the tools from McDonald’s has remained, mentioned Alexander Merkulov, high quality supervisor on the new firm.
McDonald’s closed its Russian eating places in March and mentioned in mid-Could that it had determined to depart the nation altogether.
In an indication of the haste with which the brand new house owners have needed to rebrand in time for the launch, a lot of the packaging for fries and burgers was plain white, as have been drink cups, whereas takeout luggage have been plain brown. The previous McDonald’s emblem on packets of ketchup and different sauces was coated over with makeshift black markings.
Sergei, a 15-year-old buyer, noticed little distinction, although.
“The style has stayed the identical,” he mentioned as he tucked right into a hen burger and fries. “The cola is completely different, however there actually isn’t any change to the burger.”
Tons of extra eating places to open
The flagship Moscow restaurant is amongst 15 rebranded shops which are initially opening in and across the capital on Sunday. Oleg Paroev, CEO of Vkusno & tochka, mentioned the corporate was planning to reopen 200 eating places in Russia by the tip of June and all 850 by the tip of the summer season.
“For 3 months we didn’t work,” mentioned Ruzanna, supervisor of a Moscow department that is because of open in July. “Everybody may be very happy.”
The chain will preserve its previous McDonald’s inside however will expunge any references to its former identify, mentioned Paroev, who was appointed Russia McDonald’s CEO weeks earlier than Moscow despatched tens of hundreds of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24.
“Our aim is that our company don’t discover a distinction both in high quality or atmosphere,” Paroev advised a information convention within the restaurant. He mentioned the chain would preserve “reasonably priced costs,” although he added that costs would possible rise on account of inflation, however not greater than its opponents.
Siberian businessman Alexander Govor, the chain’s new proprietor, advised Reuters that it could look to launch one thing just like McDonald’s flagship Huge Mac.
“We do not have the fitting to make use of some colors, we do not have the fitting to make use of the golden arches, we do not have the fitting to make use of any point out of McDonald’s,” he mentioned.
“The Huge Mac is the story of McDonald’s. We will certainly do one thing comparable,” he mentioned. “We are going to attempt to do one thing even higher in order that our guests and company like this dish.”
Govor mentioned as much as seven billion rubles ($125.56 million) could be invested this yr within the enterprise, which employs greater than 50,000 individuals.
“The company requested me to, initially, preserve the headcount, to supply individuals with work. That is what I will do,” he added.
Govor mentioned the corporate is on the lookout for new suppliers of sentimental drinks as a result of Coca-Cola has mentioned it is suspending its enterprise in Russia.
Moments after the information convention ended, a person stood up in entrance of the cameras holding an indication that learn “Carry again the Huge Mac.” He was swiftly escorted out by restaurant workers.
