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McDonald’s new replacement is now called Vkusno and tochka. The golden arches have been taken down; the Filet-O Fish burger takes over as a fish option while Big Mac exits from Russia.
Russia is embracing American fast food with an entirely new name that translates to “Tasty, and that’s it.” The Russian company owns all locations in the country after purchasing McDonald’s restaurants last week.
The rebranding of these stores indicates that a new world order has been established. In addition, Russia Day saw the restaurants reopen.
When McDonald’s pulled out of Russia, it put its fortune on sale, and this could test how strong the economy has become more self-providing, even amid sanctions from the West and its allies.
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.
Vkusno and tochka’s menu offers less items than McDonald’s, with it not having the Big Mac, the McFlurry, or other items on the original menu. 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.
The new company is committed to maintaining high standards, using familiar equipment in their burgers, and keeping the original elements in the burgers, said Alexander Merkulov, the new company’s quality manager.
McDonald’s announced last March that it would be closing its restaurants in Russia, and mid-May is when the company pulled out – this marks one of the most significant business withdrawals since the country’s February 24 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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