Former McDonald's stores in Russia just welcomed their first visitors after a rebrand. See inside the grand opening at the restaurants.
- Russia's rebranded McDonald's restaurants opened Sunday to much fanfare.
- McDonald's pulled out of the country in May, selling its Russian business to a local licensee who is now reviving it under a new name.
It's been a few months, but Russian McDonald's is back in business.
Well, sort of.
In March, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski announced the company would temporarily shut down its more than 800 restaurants in Russia, following Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
In May, however, the company made the closures permanent, declaring it would exit Russia after 32 years in the country.
McDonald's added that it would sell its Russian business to businessman Alexander Govor, a local licensee who was already running 25 McDonald's restaurants in Siberia. On Sunday, the rebranded chain opened its doors.
Here's a look inside the first renamed store that just opened:
The first store to reopen under the new name welcomed customers back on Sunday.
It opened in Moscow, where the first McDonald's in Russia opened in 1990, as seen in the top half of this photo. The bottom half shows the rebranded chain's opening this weekend, a whole 32 years later.
12 June 2022, Russia, Moskau: A long line stands outside a branch of the Russian McDonald's successor in Moscow. After McDonald's closed all of its branches in the country in response to Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, branches are reopening under a new, Russian owner. A total of 15 branches in Moscow and the surrounding area are scheduled to welcome guests again this Sunday - under a new name and logo, but at the same locations, with the same staff and almost identical dishes.
There were long lines of people waiting outside to catch a glimpse, and a taste, of the rebranded Russian McDonald's.
Here's what the restaurant looks like from the outside.
There's an outdoor seating area on another side of the building.
This sign advertising a sweet treat in the window says, "We are counting the days until June 12."
The chain's new name is Vkusno & tochka.
Reuters translated this to "Tasty and that's it."
The new logo is a stylized burger and fries in the shape of an "M."
As with many McDonald's and other fast food restaurants, customers can order at kiosks...
...or at the register.
Much of the food looks very similar to McDonald's fare.
Some things, in fact, haven't changed.
The hurried rebranding means employees are seemingly scribbling out the Golden Arches from McDonald's ketchup packets to reuse for Vkusno & tochka.
Source: Insider
Staff rushed to get food out to scores of hungry customers.
What's a (rebranded) McDonald's without the classic burgers...
...and fries?
After getting their food, customers packed the indoor seating area on opening day.
Some Russian McDonald's franchisees refused to close when the company announced its decision to do so, but for many local customers, this is their first bite of "McDonald's" in months.
Source: Insider
Employees handed out freebies to celebrate the reopening.
Customers walked away with balloons bearing images of fries and ice cream.
Others got stickers of burgers.
This employee held burger glasses to her face to entertain customers as they waited in line.
Another walked around with a foam finger.
Vkusno & tochka was set to open 15 other rebranded stores in Moscow on Sunday.
New owner Govor says his company will invest 7 billion rubles, or $125 million, into the business this year.
Source: Insider
He has vowed to retain all of the staff from the 850 Russian McDonald's restaurants as part of his deal.
"The corporation asked me to, first of all, keep the headcount, to provide people with work. That's what I'm going to do," he told Reuters at the rebranded store opening.
Vkusno & tochka plans to reopen another 200 stores by the end of June...
...and all 850 stores by the end of the summer.
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