18$ M to end McDonald in Russia

If two Russian filmmakers have it their way, it could mean the end of McDonald’s in Russia



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MOSCOW — A pair of internationally-renowned film-director brothers have a strategy to save Russia from the scourge of American fast food — provided the government is willing to give them a billion rubles ($18.65 million) to do it.


Nikita Mikhalkov and Andrey Konchalovsky are pitching a chain of fast-food restaurants to replace Western chains, such as McDonald’s, according to Russian newspaper Kommersant. And they plan to give this chain of native-born restaurants a pointedly fitting name: “Let’s Eat At Home.”

McDonald’s and other U.S.-based fast-food chains came under fire last year as tensions escalated between Russia and the West over hostilities in eastern Ukraine. As the West stepped up sanctions against Russia, many fast-food franchises — especially McDonald’s restaurants — were temporarily shut down for health code violations, including the original McDonald’s Pushkin Square, which opened just before the end of the Soviet Union.

McDonald’s is still slated to open more restaurants in Russia, despite Mikhalkov and Konchalovsky's plans. But Wendy’s exited the Russian market last year, and Carl’s Jr. plans to leave this year.

Mikhalkov and Konchalovsky do not have experience in the restaurant business — though Konchalovsky’s wife, Yulia Vysotskaya, is a celebrity chef in Russia. (“Let’s Eat At Home” is the name of her cooking show and a line of frozen berry mixes she markets as well.)

Konchalovsky may be best known for directing "Tango & Cash" in 1989, while Mikhalkov directed and acted in the Russian film "Burnt by the Sun," which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1995. The brothers are also descended from Russian patriotic royalty: Their father wrote the lyrics to the Soviet national anthem, and then re-wrote them for modern Russia.

Putin has already instructed his deputy prime minister to review their proposal for the $18+ million in start-up funds to get the restaurants going. According to Kommersant, the brothers believe their planned 41 “Let’s Eat At Home” restaurants and 91 “Let’s Eat At Home” stores will start to turn a profit in 4.8 years (yes, 4.8 years, not five).

No word yet on whether there will be cheeseburgers at these replacement fast-food restaurants. But only up to 40 percent of the “Let’s Eat At Home” menu will be devoted to regional specialties. So, there’s  a chance this culinary experiment could give rise to the Russian chicken nugget.