Fifteen branches in and around Moscow reopened on Sunday with their new name Vkusno & tochka, which translates as “Delicious and ending”. Businessman Alexander Govor, who already has 25 restaurants in Siberia, has agreed to buy all 847 Russian McDonald’s stores after the chain boycotted the country in early March. He vowed to keep all 62,000 employees on equivalent terms for at least two years. On Sunday, there were huge queues at the iconic restaurant in Moscow – the first to open in Russia 30 years ago – with locals suffering from inflation as a result of sanctions desperate to get a cheap meal. Outside, police patrolled the crowds, while inside, families picked out their meals on the chain’s digital screens. CEO Oleg Paroev said: “Our goal is for our visitors not to notice a difference either in quality or in atmosphere. He added that although prices remain “affordable” amid volatile economic conditions in Russia, there is no guarantee that they will not rise in the near future. The new logo, unveiled earlier this week, features a circle and two lines depicting a burger and french fries. Still in search of a soft drink supplier Owner Govor said he was still looking for a new soft drink supplier after Coca-Cola joined the ranks of companies withdrawing from Russia. About 200 branches are set to reopen in Russia by the end of June and all 847 by the end of the summer, bosses said. Image: Owner Alexander Govor cuts the ribbon to open “Vkusno & tochka” Many will see the reopening as a test of whether the Russian economy can survive Western sanctions. When the first outlet opened in Moscow three decades ago, it was seen as a major thaw in tensions between the USSR and the West.
