Russia’s new McDonald’s appears to be off to a flying start: a record 120,000 hamburgers were sold the day it opened, the new chain’s CEO told Reuters.
“We have never seen such a daily turnover since McDonald’s has been present in Russia”, rejoiced Oleg Paroev, the former CEO of McDonald’s Russia who is now the general manager of the new fast-food chain. food.
In May 2022, after three months of temporary closure, McDonald’s decided to permanently close its 850 Russian restaurants, in response to the “humanitarian crisis” triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The American fast food chain had sold all of its outlets in Russia to businessman Alexander Govor.
The former restaurants of the McDonald’s group have since been renamed “Vkousno i totchka”, or in French, “Delicious, period”, by their new Russian owner. In total, fifty points of sale have opened throughout Russia, including fifteen in Moscow.
“The name changes, the passion remains”, such is the new slogan inscribed on the facade of the restaurants. The logo has also been changed. Gone are the two iconic golden arcs of the brand: they are replaced by a red dot and two oblique yellow lines on a green background to represent two fries and a stylized hamburger.
Coca-Cola is still available… but not for very long
The menu has also undergone some changes. “We were forced to withdraw certain products because they were too linked to McDonald’s, such as McFlurry and Big Mac”, explains Oleg Paroev quoted by Le Figaro, promising “replacements that will be worthwhile” in the future. Coca-Cola is still available, but supplies are running out. It will soon be replaced by locally made sodas. “We will do everything so that our customers do not notice any difference in terms of atmosphere, taste and quality”, assures the general manager of the chain
Oleg Paroïev, the general manager of the group, specified that the prices of the hamburgers would be slightly higher than those practiced by the American chain because of inflation in Russia, while ensuring that they would remain “affordable”.
The arrival and then the withdrawal of McDonald’s in Russia reflect the evolution of international relations between the United States and Russia. The Big Mac house first moved to the Soviet Union in 1990, just before the latter’s demise. The first McDonald’s restaurant opened in Moscow was then the largest in the world.
