RUSSIA – McDonald’s back in Russia… or almost. A month after the departure of the American fast-food chain from the country, the first “McDo” with sauce Russian opened under the name “Vkousno i totchka” (“Delicious, period”) this Sunday, June 12. With a slogan: “The name changes, the love remains.”
15 restaurants welcomed the first onlookers this Sunday, 50 others are due to open their doors on Monday. And this to the delight of customers: the images on social networks and the media show long queues in front of the establishments of the new chain.
In mid-May, the American firm announced the closure of all its restaurants in Russia due to the war in Ukraine. Hundreds of people had rushed to the 850 fast food restaurants in the country to enjoy one last burger. It must be said that McDo represents quite a symbol. The firm was one of the first windows to the Western world to open for Russians after the Cold War ended 30 years ago.
Burgers and fries on the menu
This is why the buyer now assumes the similarities with the American chain. “We will try to do everything so that our customers do not notice any difference, neither in terms of atmosphere, nor in terms of taste, nor in terms of quality,” assured the general manager of the chain, Oleg Paroïev.
KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV via Getty Images
On the menu, therefore, the same range as before: cheese and double cheeseburgers, a wide range of ice creams and desserts, but the Filet-O-Fish is now called the “Fishburger”, the Royal Deluxe has been transformed into “ Grand Deluxe and the “Mc” prefix no longer appears on any name.
“We were forced to remove certain products from the menu because they make direct reference to McDonald’s, such as McFlurry and Big Mac,” adds Oleg Paroïev. Prices have “increased slightly” due to inflation since the introduction of new Western sanctions in February and March, in the wake of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, but they remain “reasonable”.
Like McDo, without the name
As for the packaging of the sandwiches, it is “neutral”: “No word, no letter” should remind the McDonald’s group, he explains. The brand’s new logo represents two stylized orange fries on a red dot, supposed to represent the burger. Many Internet users have especially found that the layout of the fries and the sandwich reminded us of the “M” of Mcdo, points the BBC.
According to the photos on social networks, one point was not taken into account by Vkousno i totchka: sauces. Internet users and media have shared photos in which the small packages containing mayonnaise and ketchup are actually those of the American brand, whose logo has been crossed out with black marker.
On sauces sold at Vkusno i Tochka, the McDonald’s logo is painted over with a marker.
And import substitution. pic.twitter.com/7gEUGCpxhK
— The Insider (@the_ins_ru) June 12, 2022
“On the sauces sold at Vkusno i Tochka, the McDonald’s logo is covered with a marker.”
Potatoes and drinks at Vkusno i Tochka are served in white packaging, and the McDonald’s logo is painted over with a marker on the sauces pic.twitter.com/VYJ8dg4DoX
— Chill (@holodmedia) June 12, 2022