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Big Mac comes to the heart of Siberia

By 0 and 0 and 0
22 January 2013

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People queuing for McDonalds' meal in Tyumen, on the western edge of Siberia. Picture: The Siberian Times

Now the world's largest food chain has received its long-awaited permission to open its first five outlets in Novosibirsk. 

The restaurants in Siberia's unofficial capital will have seating for 50 miners. 

All will open this year and another five fast food outlets are expected during 2013, said reports on Monday. 

McDonalds opened its first Russian restaurant on 31 January 1990, before the collapse of the Soviet Union, and set a world record by serving 30,000 on day one. The chain now has some 324 outlets in Russia, but none in Siberia or the Russian Far East, say media reports.

Well, not quite. 

There is one on the western edge of Siberia in Tyumen but the opening in Novosibirsk in a major leap east in McDonald's conquest of its final frontier.

McDonald's also has plans to open in Krasnoyarsk, Tomsk, Barnaul and Novokuznetsk.

Comments (7)

For those who don't like the idea of shashlik replacing McD, there's an article in RIR(Russia India Report) on Tartar cuisine including their snack options.

Here's an article on Tartar fast food and cuisine from RIR;

http://indrus.in/arts/2013/02/16/discovering_the_tatar_culinary_tradition_22309.html
Philip, UK
20/02/2013 20:26
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If we continue in this direction, in a hundred years time Siberia will look like a slightly wilder version of any British or American city. you ask what I normally eat...deer...real deer from the land. fresh meat, vegetables grown at the dacha. Occasionally some things from supermarkets, but not too often. I have noticed since moving to Siberia how much healthier people look. There are less fat people, people's skin looks healthier. this will not continue if we serve them pink goo to eat. Yes people can choose what they want but how many people fully research the crap that goes into fast food? If there were less guns in America less people would be shot and killed. By the same principle - If there are no McD's in Russia, no people contract pink goo poisoning. We already have plenty of good food in Siberia and plenty of fast food options too, we do not need any more. I wouldn't give McD to my worst enemy!
Mao Oliver-Semenov, Krasnoyarsk
02/02/2013 06:48
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John - it's not simply the health risks, it's also the taste. It is tasteless. After eating this crap I always felt very ill, it repeated on me, I wanted to throw up. Pink goo, is not meat, it is not a food product, it does not grow, it is not natural. At least shashliks are real meat, chips are potato, fish is fish. Pink goo is not a food. I agree all fast food is bad, but I enjoyed living in a land without McD goo. I enjoyed living in a land largely untouched by globalisation. It's not just the food, I don't want to see those Big M's everywhere. One of the many pleasures of Krasnoyarsk is seeing so many unique shops and cafes. My home city of Cardiff has been vandalised. the old unique shops have been forced to close. Anything with any character has been forced out by big chains. Cardiff now looks like any other city.
Mao Oliver-Semenov, Krasnoyarsk
02/02/2013 06:47
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McDonalds is cheap trash food, agree. Should be avoided. But that doesn't mean the kebab food Philip refers to in the UK is higher quality... that is just as bad for your health (in fact 100% of British fast food is dangerous, including fish and chips). Some of the trash offered in Russia is not least risky from a health perspective. McD will at least keep you immediately away from the hospital and toilet. So before anyone attacks it as plastic food, think again - what do you normally eat? How safe is that?
John, Leningrad
28/01/2013 07:59
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Mac come to Russia in first 90-ns. It`s usualy in west russian cities. In Ural and eastern, another networks and brnads. As for me, I prefer for normal food. Here is some ideas to "close fast food" and accept only normal small cafe`s.
Sergey, Russia / Moscow
28/01/2013 03:46
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I agree. Putin has banned advertising fast foods. First good step. Noow the Russians should take a leaf from the Turks and start developinh shashlik as a 'Russian' alternative to Big Mac. The Turks are being quite succesful with this.

Try this link for Turkish fastfood in Germany; http://voices.yahoo.com/germanys-favorite-fast-food-delicious-turkish-10147.html.

Even if local fast food isn't presently up to Mac taste, here's an opportunity for enterprising Siberians/Russians to beat Mac at their own game...
Philip, UK
23/01/2013 15:55
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the worst news ever. there is no need for such cardboard food here. Before we know it there will be a big yellow M on the flag. I realise someone is making a lot of money out of this deal, but they can take their plastic food and shove it.........
Mao Oliver-Semenov, Krasnoyarsk
23/01/2013 05:11
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