Rusia: NO FOREIGN FRENCH FRIES FOR THE RUSSIAN VKUSNO & TOCHKA
According to the head of the company that now runs the former McDonald’s Corp chain of restaurants in Russia, producers of French fries are refusing to supply the country, and attempts to increase domestic processing are highly problematic.
McDonald’s exited Russia in May following a Western backlash against Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine, which included a slew of economic sanctions. It sold all of its restaurants to a local licensee.
On June 12, restaurants began opening under the name Vkusno & tochka, or “Tasty and that’s it.” According to CEO Oleg Paroev, the chain sold nearly 120,000 burgers on the first day.
The new owners were quick to emphasize that high-quality standards would be maintained, if not improved, and that customers would notice little difference. It has since been forced to admit that it will face a French fry shortage until autumn, blaming a poor harvest in Russia and supply chain issues.
“What has happened now is that due to well-known events many foreign companies, I would even say all major producers of fries, have refused to deliver this product to Russia,” Paroev told RBC TV, a business channel, late on Thursday.
Paroev mentioned that factories that produce fries in both “friendly” and “unfriendly” countries belong to five or six major companies whose headquarters are in unfriendly countries and have thus refused to supply Russia.
Moscow regards countries that have sanctioned Russia for its actions in Ukraine as “unfriendly.”
Paroev also declared that there was a shortage of the specific potatoes needed for French fries in Russia this year, and other issues could arise, with only a few enterprises capable of processing potatoes for French fries in Russia.
Fuente: https://www.potatobusiness.com/market/no-foreign-french-fries-for-the-russian-vkusno-tochka/
