Russian Successor to McDonald’s Picks New Logo

The fast-food service, which will replace America's McDonald’s in Russia, has selected a new logo.

Sistema PBO, the company that now manages the Russian business previously owned by McDonald’s, is preparing to reopen its first string of restaurants in Moscow on June 12.

When asked if the company has selected a new logo, a spokesperson told government-owned TASS: "Yes, we confirmed it." The press service did not provide a detailed description of the new trademark.

According to the company’s representative, the trademark will depict the main symbols of the former fast-food giant: two sticks of yellow fried potatoes and a yellow orange burger.

"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 spokesperson said, adding that the name of the new chain has not been approved yet.

Russian newspaper Izvestia on Friday that Sistema had submitted 8 potential names for the rebranded business to Rospatent, the government agency that oversees intellectual property. The names under consideration include “Tot Samyi,” which means “the same one” according to a BBC translation, and “Svobodnaya Kassa” which the BBC translated to “available cash register.”

According to TASS, some former McDonald’s restaurants in Moscow have been renamed “Mak” on Yandex Maps, a Russian web mapping service.

Oleg Paroev, who was the CEO of McDonald’s in the country and remains at the helm of the business under its new brand and owner, told TASS this week that around 200 restaurants would be reopened with the new marketing by the end of June.

Why McD exited Russia after 32 years:

McDonald's suspended the operation of all 850 of its restaurants in Russia on March 14, shortly after the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. On May 16, the multinational giant, whose share in the food service market reached 7%, announced its withdrawal from Russia. Through the mediation of the Industry and Trade Ministry, the corporation sold its business to its licensee Alexander Govor. The new chain will operate under a new brand and with new menu names, and all employees will retain jobs "under equivalent terms" for at least two years. The first 15 of the new, post-McDonald's outlets will open in Moscow and the Moscow region on June 12.