McDonald's Russian restaurants have just reopened. Photos show thousands of people queueing for their first Big Mac when the chain arrived in Moscow in 1990.

Grace DeanJun 17, 2022, 04:20 IST

Russia's first McDonald's on its opening day in 1990. Note the small Soviet flag until the McDonald's logo.Vitaly Armand/AFP via Getty Images

McDonald's Russian restaurants have just reopened – but they're not owned by McDonald's anymore.
When the chain opened its first restaurant in Moscow in 1990, hundreds lined up to try its burgers.

Russia's McDonald's restaurants reopened Sunday with a new name, logo, and menu.

REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

Vkusno & tochka, which translates as "tasty and that's it," opened 15 stores in and around Moscow, including what was formerly McDonald's flagship Russian restaurant in the city's Pushkin Square.

REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

Vkusno & tochka, which translates as "tasty and that's it," opened 15 stores in and around Moscow, including what was formerly McDonald's flagship Russian restaurant in the city's Pushkin Square.

Alexander Govor, a Russian businessperson, bought Russia's McDonald's restaurants after the burger giant said that continued ownership was "no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald's values" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A closed McDonald's restaurant in Moscow, March 2022.Alexander Sayganov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Alexander Govor, a Russian businessperson, bought Russia's McDonald's restaurants after the burger giant said that continued ownership was "no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald's values" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This came just over two months after it first announced it would temporarily close its restaurants in the market. Other Western companies were quick to pull out of Russia after the attack started, but McDonald's was the first major fast-food chain to make the move.

A McDonald's restaurant in Moscow with the Russian flag outside, March 2022.Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

This came just over two months after it first announced it would temporarily close its restaurants in the market. Other Western companies were quick to pull out of Russia after the attack started, but McDonald's was the first major fast-food chain to make the move.

McDonald's opened its first outlet in Russia — then part of the Soviet Union — in Moscow's Pushkin Square on January 31, 1990. Despite the harsh weather, hundreds of people lined up to try its food.

People seen lining up on the opening day of Russia's first McDonald's outlet, located in Moscow's Pushkin Square, on January 31, 1990.Alexander Zemlianichenko/Associated Press file photo

McDonald's opened its first outlet in Russia — then part of the Soviet Union — in Moscow's Pushkin Square on January 31, 1990. Despite the harsh weather, hundreds of people lined up to try its food.

For Russians, the opening of a McDonald's restaurant, synonymous with capitalism and American culture, was a very tangible symbol of the impending collapse of the Soviet Union. After more than 80 years of socialism, people in Russia were awakening to new Western ways of eating, passing time, and spending money.

Then-US President George Bush and Russian politician Mikhail Gorbachev, 1989.Chip Hires/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

For Russians, the opening of a McDonald's restaurant, synonymous with capitalism and American culture, was a very tangible symbol of the impending collapse of the Soviet Union. After more than 80 years of socialism, people in Russia were awakening to new Western ways of eating, passing time, and spending money.

McDonald's advertised the restaurant's opening using the slogan: "If you can't go to America, come to McDonald's in Moscow."

The McDonald's sign.Associated Press

Opening the first McDonald's in Russia wasn't easy. It took some 14 years of negotiations, led by George Cohon, then-chairman of McDonald's Canada.

George Cohon, the then-chairman of McDonald's Canada.Doug Griffin/Toronto Star via Getty Images

"On the Soviet side, there was very little real understanding of what was involved in establishing or operating a chain of McDonald's restaurants," George Cohon wrote in his book "To Russia With Fries".

A street in Moscow, August 1990.Bertrand Laforet/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

"On the Soviet side, there was very little real understanding of what was involved in establishing or operating a chain of McDonald's restaurants," George Cohon wrote in his book "To Russia With Fries".

"It will all go downhill," a customer who visited the Pushkin Square restaurant on its opening day told The Washington Post. "We don't know how to run a restaurant like this."

A McDonald's restaurant in Canada, January 1986.Reg Innell/Toronto Star via Getty Images

"It will all go downhill," a customer who visited the Pushkin Square restaurant on its opening day told The Washington Post. "We don't know how to run a restaurant like this."

People started lining up outside the restaurant at 4 a.m., CBC reported. When the restaurant opened at 10 a.m., there was already a 500-yard line of customers waiting to get in, per The Washington Post.

Vitaly Armand/AFP via Getty Images

People started lining up outside the restaurant at 4 a.m., CBC reported. When the restaurant opened at 10 a.m., there was already a 500-yard line of customers waiting to get in, per The Washington Post.

Members of the military, TV crews, and costumed actors all crowded the square, too.

Both: Vitaly Armand/AFP via Getty Images

It was then the world's biggest McDonald's restaurant, with 900 seats, and it got 27,000 applications for 630 jobs, The Washington Post reported. Around 30,000 customers were served on its first day, CBC reported.

A Russian woman eats a hamburger at Russia's first McDonald's on its opening day, January 1990.Rudi Blaha/AP

It was then the world's biggest McDonald's restaurant, with 900 seats, and it got 27,000 applications for 630 jobs, The Washington Post reported. Around 30,000 customers were served on its first day, CBC reported.

Though its food was expensive when compared to wages in Russia, McDonald's proved very popular.

People wait in line outside a McDonald's restaurant in Moscow, 1990.AP

So McDonald's massively expanded its presence in Russia.

A McDonald's restaurant in Moscow, May 1990.Bernard Bisson/Sygma via Getty Images

By March 2022, McDonald's had 847 restaurants in the country with around 62,000 staff.

A McDonald's restaurant in Sochi, February 2013.Jan Woitas/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

In March, McDonald's announced it was closing its Russian restaurants in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine. After the announcement, Russians flocked to McDonald's outlets for a final Big Mac, echoing the huge queues that formed when the chain arrived in the country.

People visit a McDonald's in Moscow ahead of its stores closing in Russia.Konstantin Zavrazhin/Getty Images

In March, McDonald's announced it was closing its Russian restaurants in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine. After the announcement, Russians flocked to McDonald's outlets for a final Big Mac, echoing the huge queues that formed when the chain arrived in the country.

This wasn't the first time the chain had closed restaurants in the region because of geopolitical tensions. In 2014, McDonald's temporarily shut three locations in Crimea after it was annexed by Russia.

A closed McDonald's in the Crimean capital Simferopol in April 2014.Yuriy Lashov/AFP via Getty Images

This wasn't the first time the chain had closed restaurants in the region because of geopolitical tensions. In 2014, McDonald's temporarily shut three locations in Crimea after it was annexed by Russia.

McDonald's said in late April that it had already lost $127 million from closing its Russian and Ukrainian restaurants.

A closed McDonald's restaurant in Belaya Dacha, outside Moscow, on April 14, 2022.Konstantin Zavrazhin/Getty Images

The CEO of Vkusno & tochka said that the new chain planned to reopen all McDonald's former Russian restaurants by the end of the summer, with 200 reopening by the end of June.

REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

The CEO of Vkusno & tochka said that the new chain planned to reopen all McDonald's former Russian restaurants by the end of the summer, with 200 reopening by the end of June.

The first rebranded former McDonald's just opened in Russia — see how it compares to the real Golden Arches

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McDonald's Russian restaurants have just reopened. Photos show thousands of people queueing for their first Big Mac when the chain arrived in Moscow in 1990.

Russia's McDonald's restaurants reopened Sunday with a new name, logo, and menu.

Vkusno & tochka, which translates as "tasty and that's it," opened 15 stores in and around Moscow, including what was formerly McDonald's flagship Russian restaurant in the city's Pushkin Square.

Alexander Govor, a Russian businessperson, bought Russia's McDonald's restaurants after the burger giant said that continued ownership was "no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald's values" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This came just over two months after it first announced it would temporarily close its restaurants in the market. Other Western companies were quick to pull out of Russia after the attack started, but McDonald's was the first major fast-food chain to make the move.

McDonald's opened its first outlet in Russia — then part of the Soviet Union — in Moscow's Pushkin Square on January 31, 1990. Despite the harsh weather, hundreds of people lined up to try its food.

McDonald's advertised the restaurant's opening using the slogan: "If you can't go to America, come to McDonald's in Moscow."

Opening the first McDonald's in Russia wasn't easy. It took some 14 years of negotiations, led by George Cohon, then-chairman of McDonald's Canada.

"On the Soviet side, there was very little real understanding of what was involved in establishing or operating a chain of McDonald's restaurants," George Cohon wrote in his book "To Russia With Fries".

"It will all go downhill," a customer who visited the Pushkin Square restaurant on its opening day told The Washington Post. "We don't know how to run a restaurant like this."

People started lining up outside the restaurant at 4 a.m., CBC reported. When the restaurant opened at 10 a.m., there was already a 500-yard line of customers waiting to get in, per The Washington Post.

Members of the military, TV crews, and costumed actors all crowded the square, too.

It was then the world's biggest McDonald's restaurant, with 900 seats, and it got 27,000 applications for 630 jobs, The Washington Post reported. Around 30,000 customers were served on its first day, CBC reported.

Though its food was expensive when compared to wages in Russia, McDonald's proved very popular.

So McDonald's massively expanded its presence in Russia.

By March 2022, McDonald's had 847 restaurants in the country with around 62,000 staff.

In March, McDonald's announced it was closing its Russian restaurants in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine. After the announcement, Russians flocked to McDonald's outlets for a final Big Mac, echoing the huge queues that formed when the chain arrived in the country.

This wasn't the first time the chain had closed restaurants in the region because of geopolitical tensions. In 2014, McDonald's temporarily shut three locations in Crimea after it was annexed by Russia.

McDonald's said in late April that it had already lost $127 million from closing its Russian and Ukrainian restaurants.

The CEO of Vkusno & tochka said that the new chain planned to reopen all McDonald's former Russian restaurants by the end of the summer, with 200 reopening by the end of June.