The first Burger King store in Russia has opened in the Metropolis shopping mall in Moscow. The new market entry is part of the company's expansion strategy in the Europe, Middle East and Africa operating region.
"We believe that our brand's entry into Russia exemplifies our company's commitment to diversifying our global restaurant portfolio and represents a milestone in our expansion strategy in the region," John W. Chidsey, chairman and CEO, Burger King Corp., said in a news release. "More than 80 percent of our net restaurant growth is realized in international markets, and we are pleased with our new strategic market entry into Russia and its future expansion potential."
Burger Rus LLC is managing the brand in Russia and is led by managing shareholder Alexander Kolobov, who successfully established the well known Russian coffee shop chain Shokoladnitsa. Together with his partners Oleg Gurkov and Mikhail Serdtsev, Kolobov will now bring the Burger King brand's flame-broiled beef burgers to the country.
Burger King Europe GmbH signed a multiunit agreement with Burger Rus LLC to develop stores in the region. A second Burger King restaurant is scheduled to open later this month in Moscow's well-known "Europeysky" shopping center. Additional Burger King restaurants are expected to open in the market throughout 2010 and beyond.
"We are very excited to be a part of a leading global QSR brand and to develop the Burger King business in Russia," Kolobov said. "The increasingly dynamic lifestyle in Russia makes us optimistic about the growth and expansion potential of the Burger King brand in the market."
The Burger King brand has expanded its presence throughout Central and Eastern Europe in the last five years with market entries into Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania. The entry into the Russian market comes only weeks after the opening of the brand's 12,000th restaurant located in Joy City, Beijing, in December 2009.
