Longest line at McDonald's. McDonalds. Opening. What is the secret of the company’s success in Russia

Today on my Facebook feed I came across a photo of the queue at the first McDonald’s in Moscow. And immediately the memories came flooding back. I remember those lines well and even the taste of those hamburgers and cheeseburgers.

Queue at McDonald's on Pushkinskaya, 1990

At that time I was in high school, in the very center of Moscow. And, of course, the construction of a grandiose restaurant (yes, that’s what it was called) could not pass us by. On January 31, 1990, its opening took place. But the queue was such that there was no point in even thinking about getting there. Therefore, we had no choice but to wait and hope that someday it would be our turn to join one of the attributes of the Western world.

And so, one sunny spring day, my school friend and I decided that our time had come. And instead of the first lessons (yep, sometimes I skipped lessons and walked around Moscow instead) we went to Pushkinskaya. If my memory serves me correctly, McDonald's opened at 10 o'clock in the morning. We were there around 9. The queue was very small. We occupied it in anticipation of the upcoming happiness. A few minutes later they called out to us. It turned out that several more guys from our class decided not to go to class. Well, that was even more fun.

And here we are inside. Unusual design, unusual queues - not one big one, but many small ones at each checkout. There's a bustle behind the counter. What to buy? Well, of course the Big Mac! And a cocktail, and, of course, fries. And then we enjoyed an unusual meal. It's good that we got a table in advance!

In the late 80s and early 90s in Moscow there was already a shortage of goods and long queues, everything was gray and tattered, so the contrast was striking. It was an island where everything is beautiful, there is no shortage and where everyone smiles at you.

Then we visited that McDonald's more than once. After school. During the day the queues were long, starting from Tverskoy Boulevard. We had to stand for about an hour. Among the people there were many who came here for the first time. And we felt like we were already experienced and loudly discussed the advantages and disadvantages of this or that sandwich.

But what prices were then (1990):

Big Mac - 3 rub. 75 k.
Filet-o-fish - 3 r. 25 k.
Double cheeseburger - 3 rub. 00 k.
Single cheeseburger - 1 rub. 75 k.
Hamburger - 1 rub. 60 k.

The average salary was about 150 rubles per month, a monthly pass cost 3 rubles.

Many years have passed since then. McDonald's are everywhere now, new ones are being built. You won't surprise anyone with them. And that McDonald's on Pushkinskaya has long been remodeled. A couple of years ago I went there. Where are those models of the Eiffel and Pisa towers, the Tower, the eastern hall, the “courtyard” that I once liked so much? Everything has changed...

Every time I go to McDonald's, I remember that spring day. And let them say that fast food is harmful. I don't eat it that often. And in food, not only calories and cholesterol are important, but also mood, right?

PS. In Russia, the Russian trademark "McDonald's" is used (without a soft sign). But the majority say and write “McDonald’s” - with a soft sign.

In Moscow, under the pretext of non-compliance with sanitary requirements, several McDonald's were closed. Among others, the oldest McDonald’s in Russia on Pushkinskaya Square has ceased operation. It opened on January 31, 1990 and was at that time the largest in the world, and until its closure on August 20, 2014 it remained the largest in Europe.

The agreement on the creation of a joint venture between the Canadian government McDonald's and the Main Directorate of Public Catering of the Moscow City Executive Committee - "Moscow-McDonald's" was signed on April 29, 1988 in Moscow. On May 3, 1989, construction began on the first McDonald's restaurant on Pushkinskaya Square in Moscow.

At dawn on January 31, 1990, over 5 thousand people gathered in front of the restaurant, waiting for the opening. In order to get into the first McDuck, you had to stand in a long queue, comparable only to the queue at the Mausoleum, for several hours.

On the first day of operation, the McDonald's restaurant on Pushkin Square served more than 30 thousand visitors, setting a world record for the first working day in the history of McDonald's.

The first fast food restaurant had 700-900 seats inside the building and another 200 in the summer outdoor area. In 1990, a hamburger cost 1.5 rubles, and a Big Mac cost 3.75 rubles, with the average salary of a Soviet person being 150 rubles. For comparison: a monthly bus pass cost 3 rubles.

As soon as the agreement on the creation of the Moscow-McDonald's joint venture was signed in 1988, the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper published an advertisement for the recruitment of workers. You had to fill out a form, attach a photo, send it and wait. There were 25 thousand people interested.

The second and third restaurants, on Ogareva Street (now Gazetny Lane) and Old Arbat, opened in the summer of 1993. Subsequently, the McDonald's network in Russia developed at an increasingly rapid pace.

The long line at the outlandish catering establishment did not dry up even several months after its opening.

Below are a few memories of those who had the opportunity to stand in the legendary lines at the first McDonald's.

“In Moscow there were no normal cafes at all in the late 80s. I remember very well how in St. Petersburg Nevsky was dotted with them at least somehow, but in Moscow you had to walk for hours to find some stinking dumpling shop or cafeteria. I remember how I went in Mak in 1990 and saw that they were washing the floor right after you - every 5 minutes. It was very unusual to remember this now because this is the standard. So the main thing here is not to forget what background it happened."

“I was in this Mac on the day of its opening along with eight friends - students of the Moscow Architectural Institute. They chipped in as much as they could - some a fiver, some a chirp, and some a torn one... We ran up 75 rubles, I don’t remember exactly. We were able to take almost everything the list, there was enough for everyone to eat something different, but they whetted their appetite! Naturally, I ate properly at home... And on the day the next scholarship was issued, I went to Mac in a good way!”

“I was there on the opening day, January 31, 1990. Due to a visit to the medical examination at the military registration and enlistment office, classes at school were canceled and a group of several of us went to see the opening of McDonald’s. We stood there for about a couple of hours, it felt like we had been abroad , about the same as visiting Sheremetyevo-2 at one time). From that time, I still have a thick plastic cup issued for the opening ceremony and memories of how I brought a Big Mac home and how my grandmother and I tried to warm it up for a joint tasting.”

“I also remember how once, also shortly after the opening, a friend and I went there just to have a snack, because we were in a hurry, and since it was very cold, we were in sheepskin coats and felt boots... and then we entered the big store, and there were people in suits , ladies in evening dresses. They looked at us very askance... To the restaurant in felt boots))".

Here and below are photos inside the establishment in 1992.

“I remember I went there with my parents a couple of times, just in 1991. We also stood until we lost our pulse... We were as tired as I don’t know who, but we were so happy) Now I can’t understand why))) And there was such a hunt there was a huge line to stand in line for french fries and cola)"

“For our first visit to this establishment, we sent a “messenger” to get in line, three hours later he called and said that we could go. We arrived by taxi from Sokolniki, we probably stood for another hour, the children were frozen, it was winter 1991. We ate our money “More than 100 rubles, it was expensive.”

“I remember how we stood in line with my parents for 3 hours. It was either autumn or winter... And when we went inside, it was like another world: bright light, the sea seemed to be on the walls, decorative iron palm trees. We tasted our hamburgers and the cheeseburgers and, as usual, the empty boxes were taken home... Eh, it’s a pity that they weren’t preserved. But in general, time is changing, maybe it’s time to say goodbye to McDuck. But it’s a must to preserve it on Pushka, it’s a museum, a symbol of the change of eras. It’s shameful and painful. ".

1. The history of Lyra began in the 1960s. The establishment opened in a spacious room on the first floor of a house built on Malaya Bronnaya in 1966.

2. It had a cafe and a cocktail bar, separated by a staircase, there was light furniture, large windows overlooking the square, there were no special decorations in the halls.

3. Perhaps such a simple, democratic appearance played a role in the fact that the cafe became very popular among young people. Lyra's popularity peaked in the 1970s. The cafe was almost the most popular establishment among young people in the center of Moscow; it was shown to friends from other cities.

4. The menu of the cafe was very ordinary: there you could, for example, buy a langet, salad or pies at reasonable prices. But young people were attracted not so much by this democratic menu as by the bar. Perhaps the most legendary local drink was the Champagne Cobbler cocktail, which cost about one and a half rubles. There was also punch, cocktails “Hello”, “Taran”, “Cognac” cup and others. However, in order to enjoy some “Anniversary” or “International” cocktail in a pleasant atmosphere, you had to stand in line. And it wasn’t even a lack of seats, but the face control performed by the doorman Kostya. He stood at the entrance and decided who to let through and who not. Usually, face control was overcome with the help of a ruble, which was given to the doorman Kostya for passing out of line.

5. It was about this cafe that was sung in the famous song of the group “Time Machine”:

« At the door of the establishment there is a crowd of people, trampling and steam.
But the crowd of people does not matter - there is a doorman behind the doors,
Impregnable and important, he stands guard like a warship,
He doesn’t know anything and only lets me through in pursuit of a long ruble,
And his behavior speaks of condescension».

6. Moscow expert, photographer Artem Zadikyan recalls that the cafe was loved not only by creative youth, but also by ordinary Soviet citizens who wanted to have a snack in the daytime. “I myself only went to Lira during the day, during breaks between work. I took tea with some buns. The prices were affordable.

In the era of the fight against alcoholism, the bar became non-alcoholic; they made interesting cocktails from juices, milk, fruits and other simple ingredients.

7. The sign from the Lyra cafe has been preserved as a relic.

8. Well, in the late 80s, “Lira” had to vacate the premises. The chairman of the board of directors of the Canadian division of McDonald's, George Cohan, brought the first Mac to the Soviet Union. Negotiations began at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. In 1988, an agreement was concluded on the emergence of the McDonald's restaurant chain.

10. It was renovated, changing the light color scheme to bright corporate colors (one article from the 1990s called the restaurant a “gingerbread house” for its brightness) and adding an extension to the building.

14. The first McDonald's was half state-owned - 51% of the company belonged to the Moscow government. Even the logo of the Russian McDonald's contained symbols of the USSR.

17. The establishment immediately broke two records. Firstly, the restaurant turned out to be the largest McDonald's in Europe - its area was designed for a maximum of 900 seats in the hall. Another −200 on the veranda.

18. Secondly, there were so many people who wanted to try American food that on the opening day there was a queue at McDuck, which became the largest in the history of the brand. According to the company, employees served more than 30,000 people in one day.

The opening of the first McDonald's in the USSR was on the last day of January 1990. It was opened in Moscow. McDonald's had a great name - a restaurant. At that time, the opening of a restaurant was a significant event even for the capital. After all, at the dawn of the 90s there was a difficult time. There was practically nothing on the store shelves; there was an eternal shortage. Our country was on the verge of great change. Therefore, the appearance of a McDonald's restaurant in Moscow made an impression that shocked people.

Thanks to many years of negotiations between the USSR and the McDonald's Corporation, McDonald's appeared on the territory of the Soviet Union. Having received permission from the Party in 1988 to do business in the USSR, the corporation in May 1989 began construction of a restaurant in Moscow, on the site of a cafe. At that time, it was planned to open about twenty such establishments in the capital. The press then was full of statements about the opening of jobs for students and high school students with shortened working hours. At the same time, wages were announced at 2 rubles per hour.

The opening of the first McDonald's was a real sensation at that time. On the day the restaurant opened, people started queuing early in the night. Over 5 thousand people stood in line, waiting for the establishment to open. The capacity of the establishment was designed to be up to 900 people in three spacious halls, and 200 on the summer area. Also, the managers of the fast food restaurant designed several dozen cash registers for quick customer service. But then, for the first time the establishment was open, this whole philosophy of express service was not crowned with success due to the large number of visitors.

The queue of a huge number of people wishing to visit Western know-how stretched for more than a kilometer. People were not afraid of prices. The average price was around 2–3 rubles per product. This was not small money. For them you could travel on public transport for a month using a pass. Everything was a wonder to people. Always smiling sellers who run around like clockwork especially attracted the attention of visitors.

Inside the establishment, everything was reminiscent of a piece of the West from the films, and at the same time it smacked of simplicity. I wanted to touch, at least for a moment, a piece of the never-before-seen West. After the gloomy and gray SOVK, where people had long been accustomed to looking at empty counters, sad and dull sellers, at gray and gloomy walls, this establishment aroused a difficult interest. It reminded me of something bright, mysterious and new. On the opening day, the first McDonald's received about 30,000 people. This was a record for the number of visitors worldwide.

The cold morning of Wednesday, January 31, 1990, marked an important event in the history of our country. On this day in Moscow on Pushkin Square opened the first McDonald's restaurant in the USSR. What makes this event unique is the fact that it was not only the first, but also the last. The following restaurants opened in a completely different country.

Even in our time, the opening of new restaurants in the regions of the country becomes a significant event by local standards. But then it was a completely different time: empty store shelves, eternal shortages, the country was on the verge of change, and the opening of the first McDonald's in Moscow had the effect of a bomb exploding.

It was the largest restaurant in the world at that time, in the very center of Moscow, and its opening was doomed to success. 900 seats inside and outside, 3 large halls - all this was erected by Yugoslav builders on the site of the former Lira cafe.

Huge queues in which people were willing to stand for hours just to touch a piece of Western culture. 30,000 visitors was served on the first day - a new world record!

On this day, McDonald's philosophy of fast service and low wait times literally collapsed. Our man at that time saw everything in a completely different light. It was a kind of attraction unknown to the village.

With an average salary of 150 rubles, prices did not scare anyone. at that time it cost 3 rubles 75 kopecks, and a hamburger cost 1 ruble 50 kopecks. For comparison, a monthly bus pass at that time cost 3 rubles.

More historical photos

Queue outside the windows

Future location of Moscow's first fast food McDonald's

How it all started

McDonald's expansion into the then Soviet Union came from the company's Canadian division. Managed the entire process George A. Cohon. 13 years of negotiations and 50 million dollars of investment - this is the price of appearing on our market.

Two years before the opening of the first restaurant, namely in 1988, the McDonald's Corporation received permission from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to expand its business in the USSR. Initially, all profits were divided in half between the company and the country's government. The company later bought all rights.

Despite the fact that Soviet people were accustomed to paying for Western goods in foreign currency, McDonald's only accepted rubles, which were practically worthless outside the country.

What is the secret of the company’s success in Russia

In Russia, McDonald's has built a completely independent organization with its own farms supplying potatoes, its own processing plants producing hamburger buns, meat, apple pies and other products for restaurants.

As it turned out, the potatoes grown in Russia did not fit McDonald's standards in size and had to start from scratch. Specialists and the necessary potato tubers for planting were brought.

At that time, the situation in the Land of the Soviets was such that one could not count on profit. And McDonald's management understood this very well. Instead, the company worked for the future, and when the Russian economy began to develop, the costs more than paid off.

All this together has helped to achieve significant success, but in fact, expansion is just beginning and many regions do not yet have restaurants, which means the opportunities for growth are simply enormous.

Our time

Today, the beginning of May 2014, it works in Russia 421 restaurants McDonald's. It's quite a bit. Almost half of all restaurants operate in the corporation’s homeland in the United States, and there are already more than 34,000 of them. The largest number of restaurants are, of course, located in Moscow and St. Petersburg: 111 and 65, respectively.

The company plans to actively expand the market, primarily in those areas where there is a need, and it is also possible to easily establish a supply chain for semi-finished products.

Until recently, all operating restaurants in Russia belonged to the McDonald's corporation, but now a decision was made to start operating franchise restaurants. This decision was made due to active pressure from competitors.

The opening of franchise enterprises will allow for even more vigorous development. The main direction is Siberia and the Far East.

2014-05-04