McDonald’s last month stated it was selling its restaurants in Russia to one of its local licensees, Alexander Govor. The deal marked one of the most high-profile business departures after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24.
McDonald’s iconic ‘Golden Arches’ have been taken down at Moscow and St Petersburg sites. They will make way for a new logo, including two fries and a hamburger patty against a green background. The reopening will initially cover 15 locations in Moscow and the surrounding region.
The new chain’s name remains a closely protected secret. A change in the name of the McDonald’s app on Friday to ‘My Burger’ generated some online excitement, but the chain’s press team spoke this was only temporary, the RBC daily reported.
The app’s home page motto read: “Some things are changing, but stable work is here to stay.”
Russian media, quoting leaked images of the new menu, have reported renaming dishes such as the Filet-O-Fish to ‘Fish Burger’ and Chicken McNuggets to simply ‘Nuggets.’ Reuters could not verify the changes.
Headwinds
Govor has stated he plans to expand the new brand to 1,000 locations across the country and reopen all the chain’s restaurants within two months. But there may be some headwinds.
Peter Gabrielsson, Professor of International Marketing at Finland’s University of Vaasa, takes decades to build a brand. The new launch is crucial for the brand’s future success.
