‘Vkusno i Tochka’ opened after McDonald’s left Russia. (File)
The fast-food chain that replaced McDonald’s in Russia has temporarily removed fries from its menu due to a lack of suitable potatoes.
Based on BBC, ‘Vkusno i Tochka’, which roughly translates to ‘Delicious and done’, claims that in the past, it has focused on purchasing products from Russian suppliers but in 2021 a poor harvest of potatoes parsley to make french fries. The company announced that the problems may persist until the fall. It also states that “wooden potatoes” may also not be available in some branches.
In a statement, the fast-food chain explained that it usually gets its potatoes from Russian suppliers, but is temporarily unable to source vegetables from abroad. This alludes to the sanctions imposed on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, which prompted McDonald’s to withdraw from the country and sell it to Russian businessman Alexander Govor.
Also read | Russia Ukraine War, Economy, Diplomacy: What you need to know right now
However, according to BBC, Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture downplayed concerns about potato shortages. In a statement on Telegram titled “There are potatoes – and that’s it,” the ministry said, “The Russian market is well-stocked with potatoes, including processed potatoes. In addition, crops from the new harvest have arrived, which rules out the possibility of a shortage.”
Meanwhile, ‘Vkusno i Tochka’ has suffered from a number of problems since opening last month following the departure of McDonald’s. Last week, some people on social media posted pictures showing moldy burgers and even insects out of some burgers. One person even shared a video showing birds pecking at a stack of burgers outside a shop.
Also read | Sanctions Risks Catastrophic Energy Prices Soar, Russia President Alert
The posts prompted the fast food chain to issue a statement. The string indicates that the entire batch of substandard product has been rejected.
McDonald’s is one of several companies that left the country after Russian President Vladimir Putin began his invasion of Ukraine.
