Russia’s McDonald’s replacement ‘forced to stop serving fries due to potato shortage’

It comes just weeks after the first 15 restaurants opened

Vkusno i Tochka reopened former McDonald’s restaurants in Russia under new branding last month (AFP via Getty Images)

The McDonald’s replacement for Russia has temporarily taken fries off the menu in some restaurants, according to state media.

Vkusno i Tochka - which translates as Tasty and That’s It - reportedly said it was making changes due to a shortage of the right sort of potatoes.

It comes just weeks after the fast food chain reopened more than a dozen old McDonald’s restaurants in Russia under new branding, following the latter’s withdrawal from the country over the invasion in Ukraine.

The logo has been revamped to a red circle and two yellow lines, which is meant to represent a beef burger patty and french fries.

But the company appears to be facing difficulties with getting enough supplies for its trademark chips.

Some of its restaurants will temporarily be without french fries until autumn, it told Russian state news agency Tass.

The fast food chain said this was due to a poor harvest for the type of potatoes used to make its chips last year.

The McDonald’s replacement opened its first 15 restaurants in Russia last month (EPA)

It usually gets its potatoes from Russian suppliers, it explained, adding it has not been possible to temporarily source the vegetable from abroad.

Vkusno i Tochka also told the Tass state news agency “rustic potatoes” may also be unavailable in some branches.

Russia’s agriculture ministry later said there was no shortage of potatoes in Russia and new crops were already arriving, reducing the changes of future shortages.

Mcdonald’s has quit operations in Russia over the war in Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)

McDonald’s announced it would quit Russia in May and sold all of its 850 stores in the country to Russian billionaire Alexander Govor - on the condition he could not use the McDonald’s name, branding and famous ‘golden arches’.

The new owner previously ran 25 McDonald’s franchise restaurants in Siberia.

He opened the first 15 Vkusno i Tochka restaurants in the middle of the June and vowed to reopen all shuttered McDonald’s sites under the new name within two months, as well as expanding the company further.