MOSCOW (Reuters) – Starved of Big Macs since McDonald’s Corp 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”, on Monday 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.
CEO Oleg Paroev said Vkusno & tochka had now overcome all the supply chain issues it had faced, and was growing its share in a market traditionally dominated by foreign chains.
Since acquiring Russia’s McDonald’s restaurants, 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 may 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 in 2023 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.
(Reporting by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Alison Williams)
