Russians can go to McDonald’s again in their own country, at least to the renewed McDonald’s. Today, the first converted branches open their doors after the decision of the American fast food chain to sell its Russian activities due to the war in Ukraine and the sanctions against Russia. In the Moscow area, fifteen branches will reopen under a new name and with a new logo. The restaurants are in the same locations, with the same staff and virtually the same items on the menu.
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McDonald’s was active in Russia for more than thirty years. In March, the chain closed its branches in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The chain had more than 62,000 employees in the country. Some restaurants at airports and train stations will continue to operate under the American McDonald’s logo for the time being. That is the result of special franchise agreements that cannot be easily terminated.
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The new owner is Alexander Govor, who has operated 25 McDonald’s restaurants in Siberia as a licensee since 2015. Govor bought all 825 other McDonald’s locations across the country. He wants to reopen all restaurants within two months.
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McDonald’s comeback has sparked a lot of discussion on Russian social media in recent days. The state-published newspaper Rossiskaya Gazeta devoted an entire page to the ‘Russian McDonald’s’. The great interest in the subject is partly due to the fact that McDonald’s has historical significance in the country. The opening of the chain’s first branch in the 1990s was a sign of change in the country. The queues of customers at the time were hundreds of meters long. The closure of McDonald’s stores also symbolizes the sharp escalation of tensions between the west and Moscow.
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