No fries until fall. Customers of the Russian fast food “Vkusno i Tochka” (delicious and that’s it) – the company that was supposed to replace Mc Donald’s left Russia after the invasion of Ukraine – will have to settle for another side dish to accompany burgers and nuggets.
The US multinational in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine closed its Russian stores by selling them to a Russian company and in June some fast food restaurants reopened their doors with a new sign. But after just a month they had to announce the stop to the sale of french fries and rustic potatoes.
In a statement released by the Russian state agency Tass, the company claims that it relies on local producers to source its supplies, but that in 2021 the harvest of the potato variety sold in fast food restaurants was poor and it is impossible to import it from foreign markets due to sanctions in place.
The rumors about a supply crisis reached the Ministry of Agriculture which in a statement released on the Telegram channel denied that there is any kind of problem, least of all linked to war and sanctions: «The potatoes are just there! “. According to the ministry, ‘the Russian market is stocked with potatoes, including processed potatoes. And the new harvest is coming, which excludes the possibility of a shortage of the product ».
What is becoming increasingly evident is how sanctions are wearing down the Russian giant. According to the latest report by the official Rosstat statistical institute, the Russian economy is undergoing a sharp contraction due to sanctions. According to the Russian central bank, GDP will fall by 7.8% at the end of the year, while the Institute of International Finance doubles the figure to -15%. The car market is symbolic, with 18 out of 20 factories closed and 97% of cars produced collapsing