McDonald's plans to open at least 150 restaurants in Russia in the next three years, the company's president for Russia and Eastern Europe, Khamat Khasbulatov, told a press conference.
The company opened 46 restaurants in 2011 and 37 in 2010. It opened its first diners in the Lipetsk region and cities of Saransk, Izhevsk and Surgut last year. McDonald's signed a franchisee deal with ROST Development, part of Rosinter Restaurants Holding, to set up fast food outlets at transportation hubs last year and "the first of these restaurants could open in Moscow and St Petersburg by the end of 2013."
This form of cooperation could embrace West and East Siberia and the Kaliningrad region, the company said.
McDonald's is developing franchising in Europe, Latin America and Asia, and up to 80 percent of its restaurants worldwide operate under this arrangement.
(MT)
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