"The name may change, but the love stays": this was the slogan under which the first Russian McDonald's opened its doors on Sunday. The McDonald's restaurants in Russia have been renamed to "Vkousnoi tochka" ("Delicious") Their new Russian owner, Dot, has a new logo that features two stylized orange fries on a green background and a red dot.
Oleg Paroyev, CEO of the Russian company, announced that 'Vkusno i tochka' is the new name. Alexander Govor, the owner, assured that 51,000 ex-McDonald's employees in Russia would continue their jobs. "It is an honor to have the opportunity to develop this business. He said that he is ambitious and plans to not only open the 850 restaurants but also to create new ones.
Alexander Govor, a Russian businessman, purchased the Russian fast food company. Alexander Govor already owns restaurants in Siberia owned by the American chain. Alexander Govor, who has 850 locations and 62,000 employees, acquired all assets of McDonald's Russia.
McDonald's had not disclosed the amount and did not say if the menu would be unchanged.
Alexander Govor has committed to keeping current employees employed for at least two more years under similar conditions to what they have had up to now.
It will also pay salaries to office workers in 45 countries until the end of the operation.
Alexander Govor holds an operating license in 25 American-owned restaurants in Siberia since 2015.
He is also co-founder of Neftekhimservice, an oil refining company. He sits on the board for a company that has a Park Inn hotel as well as a network private clinics in Novokuznetsk (Siberia).
The end of the Cold War was symbolized by the installation of an American company in Russia. In January 1990, McDonald's opened its first Moscow restaurant on Pushkin Square. This was just two years after the fall of the USSR. Today, the "showcase" Russian restaurant will open at noon. local (11:00 in Paris). This was a significant event for the Soviets, then in turmoil under perestroika.
"After almost half a century in Cold War animosity the image of the Golden Arches beaming above Pushkin Square represented, for many on both side of the Iron Curtain, the beginning of an new era," said Chris Kempczinski, CEO of American company, in a letter to the entire McDonald's community a few weeks back.
In the years that followed, and for decades thereafter, the group expanded to many other Russian cities. These included Vladivostok to Kaliningrad and Saint Petersburg to Nizhny Novgorod. According to the American group, it is the most visited McDonald's in the world. It has served more than 140,000,000 customers over 30 years, which is almost as many Russians.
Chris Kempczinski summarized, "McDonald's Russia and Russia have become so intertwined it seems impossible to imagine the other without the other." "And yet, it is what we have reached today.
Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow Mayor, visited the famous Moscow restaurant Sunday morning. He assured Telegram messages that the "quality of service would continue to be the same". On Sunday, fifteen outlets will open in Moscow.
The menu has the same selection as before: double cheeseburgers, cheese, and wide variety of ice creams. However, the Filet-O-Fish now calls itself the Fishburger. The Royal Deluxe has been changed to Grand Deluxe, and the prefix McDo is no longer used on any names. Oleg Paroev explains that some of the products were directly related to McDonald's such as McFlurry or Big Mac.
He explains that the packaging is neutral: "No word, no letter" should remind you of the McDonald's group.
The chain's general manager assured that they would do their best to ensure customers don't notice any differences in atmosphere, taste or quality. It won't get worse, that's certain. Alexandre Govor said that we will make it better than before.
Oleg Paroiev stated that hamburger prices would be slightly more than the American chain's because of Russian inflation, but that they would still be "affordable".
"We hope that customers will continue to increase, but not decrease," he said. He said that the business is now all-Russian.
