In a March 12 Deposit mark, the yellow and red Uncle Vanya logo is nearly identical to McDonald’s iconic Golden Arches, but angled 90 degrees to the right. They are part of the letter “B” of the Cyrillic alphabet, which corresponds to the “V” of “Vanya”.
Although none of these new restaurants have opened yet, the plan is apparently to take over previously closed McDonald’s restaurants. The new restaurant takes its name from the 19th century play “Uncle Vanya” by Russian Anton Chekhov.
Brand squatting started in Russia.
On March 12, a trademark application was filed for the McDonald’s logo with the words “Uncle Vanya”.
The Russian State Duma had previously suggested that Russia would replace all McDonald’s with “Uncle Vanya’s”.
h/t @Oh_89 #McDonalds pic.twitter.com/JlUfkLK67J
—Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) March 16, 2022
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, said last week that Russian brands should take over McDonald’s locations. “They announced they were closing. Well, okay, close. But tomorrow in these places we shouldn’t have McDonald’s, but Uncle Vanya’s,” he said. and reduced prices.
Officials have also said Russia can ignore patents held by entities from countries Moscow views as hostile, while Russian President Vladimir Putin last week approved a plan to nationalize foreign companies that have left the country. He said Russia needs to “introduce external management” on companies that leave “and then transfer those companies to those who want to work.”
These moves pave the way for Uncle Vanya to fill the McDonald’s void in Russia.
McDonald’s arrival in the Soviet Union in 1990 drew crowds as well as headlines, becoming a symbol of the West’s triumph over Communism at the end of the Cold War. The Soviet Union collapsed the following year. Since then, the American channel has gained popularity in Russia and Ukraine, two former members of the Soviet Union.
nine percent from McDonald’s $23.2 billion last year’s revenues came from both countries.
The Chicago-based company has mentioned it will continue to pay full employee salaries in Ukraine, where McDonald’s had 108 stores before the war, as well as in Russia, where the company had nearly 850 stores and 62,000 workers.
When McDonald’s opened in Moscow 32 years ago, executives expressed confidence that they would stay in Soviet Russia come what may, The Washington Post reported.
This time, McDonald’s executives are less optimistic.
Chris Kempczinski, the chief executive of McDonald’s, told employees it was impossible to predict when the business might reopen in Russia. “We are experiencing disruptions in our supply chain as well as other operational impacts,” he said. mentioned in an email to employees that leaked earlier this month.
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