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McDonald's initiates selling its business in Russia

According to the source, restaurants will open in Russia under a new brand in mid-June, while jobs, most suppliers, and the menu will be retained

© Kirill Kukhmar/TASS

MOSCOW, May 16. /TASS/. McDonald's announced its withdrawal from the Russian market and has started selling its business in the country, according to the company’s statement published on Monday on PR Newswire website.

"After more than 30 years of operations in the country, McDonald's Corporation announced it will exit the Russian market and has initiated a process to sell its Russian business. This follows McDonald's announcement on March 8, 2022, that it had temporarily closed restaurants in Russia and paused operations in the market," the statement said.

According to the report, "As part of McDonald's decision to exit, the Company is pursuing the sale of its entire portfolio of McDonald's restaurants in Russia to a local buyer. The Company intends to initiate the process of "de-Arching" those restaurants, which entails no longer using the McDonald's name, logo, branding, and menu, though the Company will continue to retain its trademarks in Russia. McDonald's priorities include seeking to ensure the employees of McDonald's Russia continue to be paid until the close of any transaction and that employees have future employment with any potential buyer."

A source at McDonald's told TASS, restaurants will open in Russia under a new brand in mid-June, while jobs, most suppliers, and the menu will be retained.

After Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine, a number of foreign companies suspended activities in Russia.

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