McDonald’s restaurants reopen in Russia under a new name: Vkusno & tochka

McDonald’s restaurants reopened in Moscow on Sunday under new Russian ownership and a new name: Vkusno & tochka, which translates to « Tasty and that’s it. »

The new dawn of the Russian fast food scene will initially see 15 rebranded restaurants open in and around the capital after the US burger giant turned its back on the country because of what Russia calls a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine.

The reopening of outlets, three decades after McDonald’s opened in Moscow in a symbolic thaw between East and West, could provide a test of the Russian economy’s ability to become more self-sufficient and weather the storms. Western sanctions.

Oleg Paroev, general manager of Vkusno & tochka, said the company plans to reopen 200 restaurants in Russia by the end of June and 850 by the end of summer.

« Our goal is for our customers not to notice any difference in quality or ambiance, » Paroev told a news conference at what was the first McDonald’s restaurant to open in Soviet Moscow in 1990.

Alexander Govor, the chain’s new owner, said the company employed 51,000 people.

“The company first asked me to keep the workforce, to give people work. That’s what I’m going to do,” he added.

The rebranded fast food chain will keep its old McDonald’s interior but remove all references to its old name, said Paroev, who was named CEO of McDonald’s in Russia weeks before Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine on February 24.

Paroev said the company would maintain « affordable prices », but did not rule out that they might increase slightly in the short term.