The Russian fast-food chain that was formerly McDonald’s has unveiled its new logo and potential new names.
The new fast-food chain that will take over McDonald’s in Russia has unveiled its new logo showing a red-orange circle and two orange lines against a green background.
The logo has been unveiled before the official launch of the brand name. The logo represents two sticks of yellow fried potatoes and a yellow-orange burger. The green colour represents the quality of products and services.
The new owner, which changed the chain’s corporate name to Sistema PBO last week, has not yet decided on a brand name. However, they have shortlisted 2 names, “Tot Samyi”, which means “The Same” or “That One” and “Svobodnaya Kassa” which means “Available Cash Register”.
Speaking on the occasion, the Spokesperson for Sistema PBO said, “The green background of the logo symbolizes the quality of products and service that our guests are accustomed to. The logo will be used in the advertising campaign that we are launching today.”
The relaunch of the chain is expected to begin on Sunday, June 12, 2022 when the country celebrates Russia Day, a holiday marking the country’s independence. The re-launch would be held at the same Pushkin Square in Moscow where McDonald’s opened its first store in Russia in January 1990. To begin with, the new owner will initially cover 15 locations in Moscow and the surrounding region.
Owing to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a lot of United States (U.S.) and European companies have stooped business in Russia. Last month, McDonald’s also confirmed to sell the business to a local partner – Alexander Grovor and exit the country. Alexander Grovor is a billionaire in Russia who is the current licensee of the McDonald’s chain in the country. He runs the franchise through his firm GiD LLC since 2015.
McDonald’s had owned 84% of its nearly 850 restaurants across Russia and it took a charge of up to U.S. $ 1.4 billion following the sale to Govor, whose GiD LLC had previously run 25 restaurants. Govor plans to expand the new brand to 1,000 locations across the country and reopen all the chain’s restaurants within 2 months.
It is to be noted that McDonalds’s generated about 9% or U.S. $ 2 billion, of its revenue from Russia and Ukraine, last year. As per the agreement, McDonald’s has the right to buy its Russian restaurants back within 15 years, but many terms of the sale to Govor remain unclear.
Its menu options will also be tweaked, with Filet-O-Fish becoming “Fish Burger” and Royal Burgers changed to “Grand”. The chain’s smartphone app is reportedly expected to launch online sales this Sunday under the name “My Burger”.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s would stay open as usual at airports and railway stations in Moscow and St. Petersburg until 2023.
