Russia: Former McDonald’s restaurants re branded as ‘Vkusno I tochka’, set to open in Moscow

Former McDonald’s restaurants in Russia have been rebranded “Vkusno I tochka” (“Delicious. Full Stop”) and are set to open in Moscow to fill the void left by the golden arches. The owner made the following statement after a fast-food company located in the United States fled the country following Russia’s demand for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In Moscow and the surrounding areas, fifteen new locations will open under a new name and logo that depicts two French fries and a hamburger against a green backdrop. The new McDonald’s will be located on the same site as the previous McDonald’s, with the same employees and nearly identical menus.

Due to special franchise agreements, some restaurants near airports and railway stations will continue to use the US logo.

McDonald’s, which first opened its doors in Russia three decades ago, formerly employed 62,000 people in the nation.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting wave of protest and Western sanctions, it announced in May that it was selling its premises to a local licensee, Alexander Govor. The new owner, who previously owned 25 McDo restaurants, claimed he planned to expand the new brand to 1,000 locations across the country and reopen all of the chain’s locations within two months.

The fast-food restaurant’s rebirth took place on Pushkin Square, the same location where it initially opened its doors three decades ago.