|
Under the deal, Russian company GiD Llc will open up to 20
fast-food restaurants in the Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Kemerovo, and
Altai regions in coming years.
McDonald's, which has operated in Russia for 25 years, already
has more than 500 restaurants in 120 Russian cities servicing
more than 1 million customers per day.
Unlike in the United States, it has focused on developing its
own restaurants in Russia and its first and until now only
Russian franchising deal was signed in 2012.
"We are confident that the use of the franchising scheme will be
a next step in the successful development of our business and
will contribute to a further strengthening of the McDonald's
brand in Russia," McDonald's Russian Chief Executive Khamzat
Khasbulatov said in a statement.
Khasbulatov told Reuters in January McDonald's would open fewer
new restaurants in Russia this year than last because a fall in
the rouble has increased expansion costs and was hurting
consumers.
Last year, the U.S. fast-food chain was hit by a string of snap
inspections by a Russian state regulator, which were widely seen
as retaliation for the West's sanctions against Moscow over its
role in the Ukraine crisis.
(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova, editing by David Evans)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
|
