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Gallery|Russia-Ukraine war

Photos: ‘Tasty-period’ – Russian McDonald’s reopens in Moscow

Hundreds of people streamed into the Pushkin Square outlet of a Russian chain named Vkusno-i Tochka, or Tasty-period.

Russia After McDonald's
People line up to visit a newly opened fast food restaurant in a former McDonald's outlet on Bolshaya Bronnaya Street in Moscow, Russia. [Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Photo]
Published On 12 Jun 202212 Jun 2022
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Three months after McDonald’s suspended operations in Russia, hundreds of people streamed into its famous former outlet on Moscow’s Pushkin Square on Sunday as the restaurant reopened 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 licences 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. The menu was also smaller and did not offer the Big Mac and some other burgers and desserts, such as the McFlurry. A double cheeseburger was going for 129 roubles ($2.24).

Oleg Paroev, the chain’s general director, said he aims to have 200 outlets 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.

That earlier symbolism echoed through the 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 added, the company will seek a new soft drinks supplier as it has limited stocks of Coca-Cola.

Russia After McDonald's
The first of the former McDonald's restaurants has reopened with new branding in Moscow. [Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Photo]
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Russia After McDonald's
The corporation sold its branches in Russia to one of its local licensees after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. [Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Photo]
Russia McDonald's Reopening
Visitors order food at a newly opened fast food restaurant in Bolshaya Bronnaya Street in Moscow. [Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Photo]
Russia After McDonald's
Staff members wait for visitors at a newly opened fast food restaurant. [Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Photo]
Russia After McDonald's
McDonald’s, the world’s largest burger chain, had owned 84 percent of its nearly 850 restaurants across Russia and it received up to $1.4bn following the sale. [Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Photo]
Russia After McDonald's
The fast-food chain last year generated about 9 percent, or $2bn, of its revenue from Russia and Ukraine. [Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Photo]
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Russia After McDonald's
The green background of the new logo is reported to represent the quality of products and services. [Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Photo]
Russia After McDonald's
McDonald’s has the right to buy its Russian restaurants back within 15 years, but many terms of the sale to Govor remain unclear. [Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Photo]
Russia After McDonald's
When McDonald's set up shop in 1990, it was the first taste most Muscovites had of Western consumerism. [Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Photo]


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