First it was McDonald's receiving the rebranding treatment in Russia, and now it is Starbucks reappearing under a different name.
The world's largest coffee chain company pulled out of Russia in May after about 15 years in the country, owing to the conflict with Ukraine and subsequent sanctions from western countries.
The Seattle-based company had 130 stores in Russia, operated by its licensee, Kuwait's Alshaya Group, with about 2,000 employees in the country.
The assets were purchased by a partnership comprising rapper Timur Yunusov, better known as Timati, businessman Anton Pinsky and Sindica company, according to Russia's state news agency Tass, and have reopened under the name Stars Coffee.
"We, as Sindica Holding, always support proactive growth. Therefore, if [we] see our financial return forecasts are proving to be true, we will immediately start opening in new places, probably in new cities," said Sindica president Oleg Eskindarov.
"Moscow and St Petersburg will certainly remain the base ones for us."
A launch took place in Moscow, with Timati presenting the new brand, which has a logo consisting of a woman with a star above her head — very similar to that of Starbucks.
"People's perceptions may be different," said Mr Pinskiy. "But if you compare, then apart from the circle, you won't find anything in common."
The shops are due to open on Friday and will gradually open throughout the remainder of August and September.
Stars Coffee imports beans from Latin America and Africa, Mr Pinskiy told Reuters, with suppliers of other items based in Russia.
"We just found other suppliers, found the right roasters and because the baristas mixed it all correctly, we have a product that we think will be competitive," he said.
US fast-food company McDonald's also pulled out of Russia in May, along with a host of other western brands.
-
Staff of a former McDonald's restaurant prepare for its reopening under a new brand, Vkusno i Tochka (Tasty and that's it), in Moscow on Sunday. EPA -
Wrapped double cheeseburgers in the new restaurant. Its opening comes after US fast-food company McDonald's pulled out of Russia in May, after closing all its restaurants in the country in March due to the war in Ukraine. AFP -
The first 15 rebranded outlets open in Moscow on Sunday. EPA -
Oleg Paroev, chief executive of Vkusno & tochka, said the company was planning to reopen 200 restaurants in Russia by the end of June and all 850 by the end of the summer. EPA -
The chain will keep its old McDonald's interior, but will expunge any references to its former name, said Mr Paroev, who was appointed Russia's McDonald's chief executive only weeks before Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24. AFP -
Siberian businessman Alexander Govor is the new owner of the outlets. He told Reuters he was striving launch something similar to the famous Big Mac. AFP -
'Our goal is that our guests do not notice a difference either in quality or ambience,' Mr Paroev told a media conference in the restaurant. He said the chain would keep 'affordable prices' but added they would likely rise due to inflation but not higher than its competitors. AFP -
The rebranding coincided with Russia Day, a holiday marking the country's independence. AFP -
Scores of people queued outside what was formerly McDonald's flagship restaurant in Pushkin Square, central Moscow on Sunday. The outlet sported a new logo - a stylised burger with two fries - plus a slogan reading: 'The name changes, love stays'. Reuters -
Some people said they could not taste the difference between the new and old food. EPA -
Workers use a crane to dismantle the McDonald's golden arches while removing the logo signage from a drive-through restaurant in the town of Kingisepp, Leningrad. Reuters -
A worker carries dismantled McDonald's golden arches outside a restaurant in St Petersburg. Reuters -
Traces of the dismantled signage are seen on the facade of a McDonald's restaurant in St Petersburg. Reuters
McDonald's reopened in June under the ownership of Vkusno i tochka, which translates into "Tasty and that's it".
The new outlets, sporting a fresh logo, offer burgers and chips, which some said tasted and appeared much the same as they did under the McDonald's branding.
However, after initial big queues, the restaurant chain has run into problems with sourcing potatoes due to supply chain disruption.
The company announced last week that it planned to reopen restaurants in Ukraine, having closed them in March.
It continued to pay the salaries of more than 10,000 employees, and said that the reopening would "support a small but important sense" of normality.
