Russia’s 'new McDonald’s' replaces Big Mac with Big Hit

Similar product to Happy Meal also set for comeback as 'Kids' Combo'

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  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

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  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

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  The first 15 rebranded outlets open in Moscow on Sunday. EPA

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  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

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  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

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  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

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  '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

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  The rebranding coincided with Russia Day, a holiday marking the country's independence. AFP

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  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

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  Some people said they could not taste the difference between the new and old food. EPA

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  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

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  A worker carries dismantled McDonald's golden arches outside a restaurant in St Petersburg. Reuters

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  Traces of the dismantled signage are seen on the facade of a McDonald's restaurant in St Petersburg. Reuters

Starved of Big Macs since McDonald’s closed its Russian restaurants in March, Russians will from next year be treated to an alternative from the burger chain’s successor — the Big Hit.

Vkusno & tochka, or "Tasty & that's it", said the Big Hit would be available from February and a similar product to the McDonald’s Happy Meal would be making a comeback as "Kids' Combo".

McDonald's closed its Russian restaurants soon after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February, eventually selling to a local licensee, Alexander Govor, who unveiled the new brand in June.

Chief executive Oleg Paroev said Vkusno & tochka had now overcome all supply chain issues and was growing its share in a market traditionally dominated by foreign chains.

Since acquiring Russia's McDonald's restaurants, Mr Govor has snapped up Finnish packaging company Huhtamaki's Russian business and a logistics firm, set to be renamed "Logistics & that's it".

On Monday, he said Vkusno & tochka could try to find a partner to produce children’s toys for the Kids' Combo, which are currently being launched with a free book, but that his M&A appetite had been satisfied for now.

Vkusno & tochka and meat producer Miratorg on Monday said they had agreed to build a factory next year to supply the chain with chips and potato wedges. Some Vkusno & tochka restaurants had to take fries off the menu earlier this year when faced with a potato shortage.

McDonald's entered Russia 32 years ago. Some customers said they could not taste the difference between the new and old food when Vkusno & tochka opened in June.