Former McDonald’s restaurants are set to reopen under a new brand and ownership in Russia.
The new fast food chain that will take over McDonald’s in Russia has unveiled its new logo ahead of its relaunch.
The new logo design shows a red-orange circle and two orange lines on a green background, photo It said It represents two pieces of yellow fries and a yellow-orange burger.
The green background is reported to represent the quality of products and services.
Critics on social media commented on its resemblance to the flag of Bangladesh. “This is our country’s flag,” said one user on Facebook while also showing an icon with the flag.
A spokesperson for the company, Sistema BPO, said the new McDonald’s owner had not yet decided on a new brand name, told state news agency TASS.
Two of the eight names under consideration are “Tot Samyi,” which translates to “The Same,” or “That One,” and “Svobodnaya Kassa” (the cash register available), according to Report by Moscow Times.
The chain’s relaunch is expected to begin on Sunday when the country celebrates Russia Day, a holiday marking the country’s independence, at the same prime location on Moscow’s Pushkin Square where McDonald’s first opened in Russia in January 1990.
The reopening will initially cover 15 locations in Moscow and the surrounding region.
McDonald’s said last month that it was selling its restaurants in Russia to one of its local licensors, Alexander Goffour. The deal marks one of the most notorious corporate departures since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24.
Govor said he plans to expand the new brand to 1,000 locations across the country and reopen all of the chain’s restaurants within two months. But there may be some headwinds.
McDonald’s, the world’s largest burger chain, owned 84 percent of the nearly 850 restaurants across Russia and took responsibility for up to $1.4 billion after the sale to Govor, whose subsidiary GiD LLC previously operated 25 restaurants.
The fast-food chain generated about 9 percent, or $2 billion, of its revenue last year from Russia and Ukraine. McDonald’s has the right to buy its Russian restaurants within 15 years, but many of the terms of the sale to Govor remain unclear.
On Wednesday, TASS news agency said McDonald’s will remain open as usual at airports and railway stations in Moscow and St. Petersburg until 2023, citing a source close to Rosinter Restaurants ROST.MM, another franchisor.
“Rosinter has a unique agreement under which the US company cannot withdraw the concession. The source was quoted as saying by TASS.
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