MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. Russian renowned film directors and brothers, Nikita Mikhalkov and Andrey Konchalovsky, are willing to create in Russia a chain of fast food restaurants, alternative to Western ones, and have asked the government to allocate one billion rubles ($18.65 million) for the purpose, the Kommersant daily wrote on Thursday citing the brothers' letter to the Russian government.
"Andrey Konchalovsky and Nikita Mikhalkov ask the government to help in establishing a nationwide chain of public catering, alternative to the Western chains of fast food," the newspaper writes. "But to launch a pilot project of cafes branded ‘Let’s Eat at Home’ the partners need 971.8 million rubles ($18.13 million)."
The Kommersant says that "today the topic will be on the table of Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich."
A nationwide chain of cafes branded "Let’s Eat at home" is supposed to be set up, the daily says, and Konchalovsky’s wife Yulia Vysotskaya, actress and TV hostess, who is the brand owner, is expected to become the face for new chain.
"The project aims to substitute imported foods and to create an alternative to Western chains of fast food restaurants," the film directors say promising to gain profit in a span of 4.8 years.
"Let’s Eat at Home" eateries are planned to combine small shops and cafes, with regional foodstuffs making up 30-40% of the menu.
Also, the eateries are expected to provide dishes to social facilities, in particular to children’s homes.