Sunday marks a new dawn for fast food lovers in Russia, as former McDonald’s restaurants reopen under a new name and ownership, more than three decades after the arrival of the hugely popular Western fast food chain in Russia, according to reports Reuters.
They will reopen on Russia’s Day – a national holiday celebrating the country’s independence – in Moscow’s Pushkin Square, where McDonald’s first opened in Russia in January 1990.
In the early 1990s, as the Soviet Union collapsed, McDonald’s embodied the thaw of Cold War tensions and became the means for millions of Russians to try American food. The exit of the chain is now a powerful symbol of how Russia and the West are turning their backs on each other again.
McDonald’s announced last month that it was selling its restaurants in Russia to one of its local licensors, Alexander Govor. The deal marked one of the most high-profile business departures since the start of the Russian invasion.
McDonald’s iconic “Golden Arches” have been demolished on sites in Moscow and St. Petersburg, where they will be replaced by a new logo consisting of two french fries and a hamburger on a green background. The reopening will initially cover 15 sites in Moscow and the surrounding area.
The name of the new chain remains a seven-sealed secret. A change in the name of McDonald’s app on “My Burger” on Friday sparked some internet hype, but the chain’s communications team said it was only temporary, RBC reported.
A slogan on the app’s home page read: “Some things change, but the steady job is here to stay.”
The Russian media, citing leaked images of the new menu, reported the renaming of dishes such as Filet-O-Fish to “Fish Burger” and Chicken McNuggets to simply “Nuggets”. Reuters could not verify the changes.
Govor said he plans to expand the new brand to 1,000 locations across the country and reopen all of the chain’s restaurants within two months.
McDonald’s, the largest hamburger chain in the world, owned 84% of its nearly 850 restaurants across Russia, while Govor previously owned 25 restaurants before the sale.
McDonald’s last year had $ 2 billion in profits from Russia and Ukraine. McDonald’s has the right to buy back its restaurants in Russia within 15 years, but many terms of the sale to Govor remain unclear.
The TASS news agency reported Wednesday that McDonald’s will remain open as usual at Moscow and St. Petersburg airports and train stations until 2023, citing a source close to Rosinter Restaurants, another licensee.
Source: Capital
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