Russian-owned successor of McDonald's opens in Moscow
Jun 12, 2022
Three months after McDonald’s suspended operations in Russia, its famous former outlet on Moscow’s Pushkin Square as the restaurant reopened under a Russian owner and a new name
MOSCOW (AP) — Three months after McDonald's suspended operations in Russia, hundreds of people streamed into its famous former outlet on Moscow's Pushkin Square as the restaurant reopened Sunday under a Russian owner and a new name.
In March, McDonald's halted operations of its company-run restaurants in Russia. Although some run by franchisees stayed open, the action by the multinational fast-food chain was among the most visible responses by foreign companies to Russia sending troops into Ukraine.
Two months later, McDonald's decided to leave Russia altogether and sold its 850 restaurants to Alexander Govor, who held licenses for 25 franchises in Siberia.
Govor is moving fast to reopen the shuttered outlets. It wasn't until a couple of hours before the Pushkin Square restaurant opened that the Russian chain's new name was announced: Vkusno-i Tochka (Tasty-period).
The logo is different, but still evokes the golden arches: a circle and two yellow oblongs — representing a beef patty and french fries — configured into a stylized M.
Fifteen of the former McDonald's were set to reopen in Moscow on Sunday. Oleg Paroev, the chain's general director, said he aims to have 200 open by the end of the month.
As part of the sales deal, whose monetary terms were not announced, the new operation agreed to retain all 62,000 people employed by McDonald's prior to its exit.
The crowd at the Pushkin Square outlet, however sizable and lively, was no match for the turnout for the McDonald's opening in 1990, when people waited in line for hours. At that time, McDonald's had psychological and political resonance beyond hamburgers.
The opening was the first taste most Muscovites had of Western consumerism and service efficiency, as well as a sign the Soviet Union was slowly dropping its guard and allowing foreign culture into the country.
On Sunday, that earlier symbolism echoed through Sunday's reopening with a note of nostalgia.
“This is a historic place — the flagship of McDonald's,” Govor told reporters. “I'm sure it will be the flagship for us.”
Inside, the restaurant resembled a fraternal twin of its former self. There were touchscreens for placing orders and counter workers wearing familiar polo-shirt uniforms.
“We're sure that our customers won't notice a difference between us,” Paroev said. However, he said, the company will seek a new soft drinks supplier as it has limited stocks of Coca-Cola.
___
Follow AP's coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
More News
Want to bag a break but save some cash? Here's our pick of the best travel deals available this week - from savings on all-inclusive Egypt stays to affordable city breaks
The Daily Mail's travel desk brings you a selection of the best deals currently available - so you can bag a bargain break.
Illegal mining threatens French Guiana forests and indigenous communities
In French Guiana, the fight against illegal gold mining is rapidly being lost and creating an environmental and health disaster, according to the World Wildlife Fund. During an aerial survey in early August, park rangers counted 239 illegal sites within the protected area in record.
15 Products Self-Described Overpackers Swear By
Love you, but HOW do you not own a pack of compression bags yet...? View Entire Post ›
"In Spain, It Was Everywhere": 40 Things That Exist Outside The US That Prove America Is Embarrassingly Behind The Rest Of The World
"They put ours to shame." View Entire Post ›
Plan A Trip Around The World, And I'll Tell You Which American City You Should Visit
As Mr. Worldwide once said: "Brazil, Morocco, London to Ibiza. Straight to LA, New York, Vegas to Africa" View Entire Post ›
27 Products That’ll Make Holiday Travels So Much Smoother
Because there are one too many holiday movies that start with the main character missing a flight, and that does NOT need to be your journey this season. View Entire Post ›
The science of Cantonese soups and the gut health benefits – just don’t boil too long
In the first instalment of a four-part Health Matters series on food and health, Lisa Cam unpacks the enduring ritual of Cantonese soup, revealing what modern science says about family recipes, seasonal ingredients and the modern workarounds keeping this domestic staple on the table. In many Chinese households, soups are seen as a show of love from the cook – usually the matriarch of the family. Soup can be everyday food or a banquet course made with ingredients according to the season. The...
Has treatment for stuttering been off base? New guidelines go beyond speech to the brain
More than 80 million people worldwide stutter, yet misconceptions on it persist in the medical field, and access to appropriate care can be limited. New international medical guidelines aim to change that.
Canada is spending more than ever on health care. Are we getting our money's worth?
Canada is spending more on health care than ever. Whether Canadians are getting more care for their money is another question. A new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) projects health-care spending will reach a record $433 billion in 2026, or $10,398 per person, an increase of 4.8 per cent over last year.
Why Some Flights Were Exempt From the Ground Stop
Dozens of international flights departed from the United States during Friday’s nationwide ground stop. Some planes also left for Hawaii from the West Coast.
Brooke Shields’ jeans? Met Gala’s ‘extraOrdinary’ show celebrates everyday fashion
And now, Take 2: the new Met Gala exhibition will celebrate everyday garments and materials such as jeans and puffer jackets, paper and plastic – and how fashion designers transform them. The new theme sounds about as far as can be imagined from the glittering, elaborate designs of John Galliano, the British designer who was originally the subject of the Met’s fashion exhibition next spring – before that idea was scuttled amid an outcry over his past antisemitic statements. The replacement show...
Le Plaza set to shake up Geneva’s cultural scene with new hotel concept and reimagined cinema
Following the opening of Brasserie Europe at Le Plaza in June, the cultural destination is now gearing up to open Cinéma-Hôtel Le Plaza on 04 December 2026, marking a major milestone for the project. This will then be followed by the opening of the reimagined historic Plaza Centre Cinéma on 22 April 2027, completing the transformation of this iconic architectural landmark.