McDonald’s has been renamed “Vkusno & Tochka” in Russia, where the first 15 restaurants were opened last Sunday after the fast-food giant decided to leave the country.
In May, McDonald’s announced they were removing their businesses from Russia adding to the growing list of companies sanctioning the Vladimir Putin Administration on the invasion of Ukraine.
The new company’s head Oleg Paroev said the firm plans to open 200 branches by the end of June and all 850 units that once belonged to the U.S. firm by the end of the summer. Vkusno & Tochka translates to “Tasty and that’s it.”
“I am very proud that they chose me to continue developing this business. That means the company views me as someone who fully shares all the principles of business and values of McDonald’s,” Govor said at a press conference.
The rebranding was announced at the Russia Day celebrations, and took place at the same location in Moscow’s Pushkinskaya Square, where McDonald’s first opened its first Russian restaurant on January 31, 1990.
A smaller menu was introduced without the iconic Big Mac. According to Reuters, a double cheeseburger was going for 129 roubles ($2.31) compared with roughly 160 under McDonald’s.
According to a press release, 62,000 former McDonald’s employees were also retained.
