pancakes instead of burgers
11 March 2022 0 comments
Pancakes instead of burgers: metropolitan shopping centers may terminate lease agreements with temporarily closed fast food restaurants
On March 9, several Western fast food restaurant chains suspended operations in Russia. The correspondent of "Evening Moscow" found out how this will affect the domestic catering market.
Long queues on Pushkinskaya Square, as in 1990, lead to the first Russian McDonald's. Only if 32 years ago people stood here for several hours to try outlandish burgers, now Muscovites are trying to eat their last American fast food. After all, in the morning they read about the closure of all 850 restaurants of this chain in Russia. Entrepreneurial “businessmen” even lined up: they began to resell food ten times more expensive. The management of other popular fast food restaurants also announced the stoppage of work: KFC, Pizza Hut. But the director of communications for the Russian branch of Burger King, Ivan Shestov, said that this network would continue to work. In addition, the opening of new outlets is planned, despite the difficulties with supplies.
Student Tatyana Novak is also standing in line. The girl admitted that she would miss McDonald's.
“There you could always eat quickly and cheaply,” says Tatyana. Although, the girl continues to think is already more fun, this is a good chance to give up harmful and high-calorie foods.
The public ombudsman for the restaurant business, vice-president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia Sergey Mironov said that now most Western brands are leaving the market in a very strange way.
“They don’t terminate lease agreements, they don’t fire employees — they continue to be paid salaries. In fact, this is a very expensive event, - said Sergei Mironov. - Yes, and shopping centers can impose fines on these companies for non-working restaurants or even terminate lease agreements.
The Ombudsman noted that, in his opinion, McDonald’s will not be able to pay salaries and rent for long: from about one to three months.
- And in this case, the question arises: do all these companies that are now subject to some kind of sanctions hope that the orders will change later? I recommend to fellow restaurateurs to add burgers to their menus! Demand for them will definitely increase, - Sergey Mironov noted.
The departure of major players from the market is an excellent opportunity to take vacant positions and increase their influence for domestic networks. An influx of customers in the near future is expected by the popular cafes "Baby Potato", "Mu-Mu", "Shokoladnitsa" and many others.
“Now our main task is, of course, to preserve the existing business,” said Valeria Slivka, Head of Communications of the Marketing and Advertising Department of Shokoladnitsa.
ONLY NUMBERS
According to the Union of Restaurant Managers of Russia, the industry lacks about 25 to 30 percent of personnel. About 62,000 people work at McDonald's across the country. According to a private research holding, in 2021, 53.7 percent of Muscovites visited a fast food restaurant at least once. Nearly 68 percent of these hikes were on weekdays. On average, Muscovites eat fast food 38 times a year.
DIRECT SPEECH
Suren Vardanyan, Vice President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry:
- Personally, I do not see a deep tragedy in the fact that foreign fast food chains are leaving Russia. It is clear that what we are all used to is not easy to give up. This may affect the mood of society, but there is nothing critical here. There are many Russian analogues that can quickly respond and occupy a free niche. Moreover, most of the products were produced in Russia. It's just a matter of organizing a new operator. And as we can see, the state is ready to provide systematic support to the restaurant community
On March 9, several Western fast food restaurant chains suspended operations in Russia. The correspondent of "Evening Moscow" found out how this will affect the domestic catering market.
Long queues on Pushkinskaya Square, as in 1990, lead to the first Russian McDonald's. Only if 32 years ago people stood here for several hours to try outlandish burgers, now Muscovites are trying to eat their last American fast food. After all, in the morning they read about the closure of all 850 restaurants of this chain in Russia. Entrepreneurial “businessmen” even lined up: they began to resell food ten times more expensive. The management of other popular fast food restaurants also announced the stoppage of work: KFC, Pizza Hut. But the director of communications for the Russian branch of Burger King, Ivan Shestov, said that this network would continue to work. In addition, the opening of new outlets is planned, despite the difficulties with supplies.
Student Tatyana Novak is also standing in line. The girl admitted that she would miss McDonald's.
“There you could always eat quickly and cheaply,” says Tatyana. Although, the girl continues to think is already more fun, this is a good chance to give up harmful and high-calorie foods.
The public ombudsman for the restaurant business, vice-president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia Sergey Mironov said that now most Western brands are leaving the market in a very strange way.
“They don’t terminate lease agreements, they don’t fire employees — they continue to be paid salaries. In fact, this is a very expensive event, - said Sergei Mironov. - Yes, and shopping centers can impose fines on these companies for non-working restaurants or even terminate lease agreements.
The Ombudsman noted that, in his opinion, McDonald’s will not be able to pay salaries and rent for long: from about one to three months.
- And in this case, the question arises: do all these companies that are now subject to some kind of sanctions hope that the orders will change later? I recommend to fellow restaurateurs to add burgers to their menus! Demand for them will definitely increase, - Sergey Mironov noted.
The departure of major players from the market is an excellent opportunity to take vacant positions and increase their influence for domestic networks. An influx of customers in the near future is expected by the popular cafes "Baby Potato", "Mu-Mu", "Shokoladnitsa" and many others.
“Now our main task is, of course, to preserve the existing business,” said Valeria Slivka, Head of Communications of the Marketing and Advertising Department of Shokoladnitsa.
ONLY NUMBERS
According to the Union of Restaurant Managers of Russia, the industry lacks about 25 to 30 percent of personnel. About 62,000 people work at McDonald's across the country. According to a private research holding, in 2021, 53.7 percent of Muscovites visited a fast food restaurant at least once. Nearly 68 percent of these hikes were on weekdays. On average, Muscovites eat fast food 38 times a year.
DIRECT SPEECH
Suren Vardanyan, Vice President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry:
- Personally, I do not see a deep tragedy in the fact that foreign fast food chains are leaving Russia. It is clear that what we are all used to is not easy to give up. This may affect the mood of society, but there is nothing critical here. There are many Russian analogues that can quickly respond and occupy a free niche. Moreover, most of the products were produced in Russia. It's just a matter of organizing a new operator. And as we can see, the state is ready to provide systematic support to the restaurant community