Photo: Newscon
McDonald’s has a new name, and some of its menu items have changed. The golden arches are no longer there, but you can find Vkusno & tochka replacing them.
On Sunday, a new era for the Russian fast food and economic scene emerged with McDonald’s restaurants handing their stores over to new ownership under a catchy name that translates as “Tasty, and that’s it.”
The rebranding of the stores is a clear indication that Russia’s claim to a new world order has been confirmed. The holiday celebrating national pride – Russia Day – also saw restaurants reopen after only days of preparations.
As McDonald’s fortunes were sold when it withdrew from the country over the Ukraine-Russia conflict, it will be interesting to see how Russia’s economy becomes more self-providing and withstand Western sanctions.
Sunday’s reopening drew tons of people outside the outlets of what was formerly known as McDonald’s flagship restaurant in Pushkin Square, central Moscow. The store stood with a new logo – a burger and two fries – and a slogan: “The name changes, love stays.”
The crowd was considerably fewer than the thousands who crowded into McDonald’s during the Soviet period.
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“We need to avoid a drop in quality so that everything stays as it was before because we loved McDonald’s,” stated IT employee Sardana Donskaya, who lined up 32 years ago for a taste of a restaurant that had embodied Western capitalism and came back on Sunday to guide its replacement.
The Vkusno menu had fewer options than McDonald’s, as the items lacked the Big Mac, the McFlurry, and other burgers. Compared to McDonald’s double cheeseburger at 160 roubles and a fish burger at around 190, the items under the new brand cost 129 and 169, respectively.
Quality manager Alexander Merkulov said the elements in the burger had remained the same, and the equipment from McDonald’s is still intact.
In March, McDonald’s announced that it would be shutting down all its restaurants in Russia and revealed its exit in Mid-May, marking one of the biggest business withdrawals since Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Most of the packaging for fries and burgers was plain white, as well as the drink cups and the takeaway bags were plain brown, indicating that the new owners have been in a rush to rebrand in time for the launch.
A 15-year-old customer named Sergei saw only a bit of difference.
“The taste has stayed the same,” he stated as he dug into a chicken burger and fries. “The cola is different, but there really is no change to the burger.”
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