Russia unveils 'tasty' McDonald's substitute

Image source, Getty Images

A Russian version of an American icon has been created.

More than 800 McDonald's restaurants were sold to Alexander Govor, a Russian businessman, in protest at the invasion of Ukraine.

The first restaurants to reopen are in Moscow.

The new name is "Vkusno i Tochka".

The Golden Arches have been replaced by a letter M made out of two french fries and a dot.

The Big Mac and McFlurry are no longer with us.

The new owners want customers to not notice any differences. They held a press conference in the restaurant that was the first McDonald's in Russia.

"Our goal is that our guests don't notice a difference either in quality or atmosphere," said Paroyev.

The slogan was "The name changes, love stays"

One male protester disrupted the event.

The composition of the burgers has not changed, according to the company.

It took me three hours to get in and be served. I recall the thrill. The arrival of Mcdonald's was seen as a sign of Soviet Russia embracing Western ideas.

This is a sign of how Russia and the West are diverging. The crowd wasn't as large.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

We're not just talking about food. Multinational companies and global brands have stopped doing business in Russia in protest of the Russian offensive.

Mr Govor wants to reopen 25% of the restaurants by the end of the month.

McDonald's decided to leave Russia because of the "humanitarian crisis" caused by the war.

Russian history in two badges. I got the red badge in 1990 the day the first Moscow McDonald’s opened ( I queued 3 hrs to get in). The other badge I got today when the Russian replacement for McDonald’s opened. McDonald’s quit Russia in protest at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/bAUsae9cpr

— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) June 12, 2022

Russia and Ukraine made up 9% of McDonald's global sales.

Starbucks, Coca Cola, Levi's and Apple are some of the international brands that have stopped selling in Russia.

Russia's supply chains are being disrupted by international sanctions.