Source: The Economic Times
Reports suggest how the first 15 outlets of the former McDonald’s Corp is set to open on Sunday, June 12 in the Russian capital. This renewed venture will reopen under a new ownership in Moscow this week, with the new name, “Vkusno & tochka”, which translates to ‘Tasty & thats it.’
Clearly, this marks the new, post-war dawn for the fast-food scene in Russia following the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine. Initially, it will see the opening of the 15 rebranded restaurant outlets open in and around Moscow following McDonald’s exit from the market. The US fast-food giant turned its back on Russia owing to ethical reasons for the invasion in Ukraine.
Notably, the reopening of these 15 restaurants takes place three decades after the US fast food king opening its first outlet in Moscow. The opening was symbolic of easing of tensions between the East and West when it was the Soviet Union. What remains to be seen is whether the Russian economy can successfully become additionally self-sufficient, and have the resilience to take on the sanctions from the West.
As McDonald’s was set to leave the Russian market, it was determined to sell to a local business. According to the chief executive office of Vkusno & tochka, Oleg Paroev, the company was set to open 200 outlets in the country. The company aims to reach the goal of 200 by the end of this month, and open all 850 by the end of the summer.
“Our goal is that our guests do not notice a difference either in quality or ambience,” Paroev told a media conference.
The chief executive noted to a media conference how the company’s aim is to make sure that the ‘guests do not notice’ a distinction in the ‘quality or ambience’ between McDonald’s and Vkusno & tochka. Moreover, the media conference took place in what was the very first McDonald’s outlet that debuted in the year 1990 in Soviet Moscow.
The rebranded version of the fast-food chain plans to maintain the old interior of McDonald’s, but would get rid any references to its old name or logo. These details were disclosed by Paroev who was appointed as the CEO of Russia McDonalds in February this year, just weeks before the invasion of Ukraine broke out on February 24. He stated how the company is set to keep ‘affordable prices,’ with the possibility of it going slightly up in the near term.
As McDonald’s closed all its stores in the country in March, it was determined to keep all its employees. Just a couple of weeks ago, the local business acquiring the 850 outlets was weighing possible names for the franchise. These were ‘Fun and Tasty’, ‘The Same One, etc.