Russians to get Russian rival to McDonald's and Russian version of Playboy

[Larry1]

Two famous Russian film directors will get government help to finance a homegrown alternative to McDonald’s, the RBC news agency reported late Thursday.

Award-winning directors Andrei Konchalovsky and Nikita Mikhalkov requested nearly 1 billion rubles ($19 million) in a letter to President Vladimir Putin on March 16, the Kommersant newspaper reported earlier in the day, citing a copy of the letter.

The proposal for the fast-food chain, which will be called "Yedim Doma!" (“Eat at Home!”), jumps on an upswing of patriotism and new focus on local production prompted by Russia’s quarrel with the West over Ukraine...

Politician and patron of the arts Andrei Agishev on Facebook declared he and his brother’s intention to follow in the directors’ footsteps and ask the government for money to fund a domestic alternative to pornographic U.S. magazines Hustler and Playboy.

“Our magazine will be about love in its highest sense — love for the homeland,” Agishev deadpanned, adding that this love would be illustrated with pictures of Russian women ...

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/famous-russian-film-directors-get-state-backing-to-fund-rival-to-mcdonalds/518860.html

The article provides a bare-bones description of how the food stores will work. Somehow two factory kitchens, 41 cafes and 91 stores selling prepared meals doesn't sound so appealing. But then again I don't like McDonald's either.

[jone]

Reminds me of the movie, 'Coming to America' where the guy created a fast food restaurant called McDougals.  He was always reading out of a clandestinely obtained McDonald's Manager's Guide.

[Larry1]

Reminds me of the movie, 'Coming to America' where the guy created a fast food restaurant called McDougals.  He was always reading out of a clandestinely obtained McDonald's Manager's Guide.

Funny movie. The restaurant was McDowells though.  Jon Amos was great as Cleo McDowell.

There is a McFoxy's in Kiev, supposedly right next to a McDonald's. I saw it on Anthony Bourdain's show. He and Zamir went there and ordered lunch.

[Anathema]

I haven't seen that episode so I don't know if it's the same one but at the train station in Kiev, there's a McFoxy's right next to a McDonald's.

[lordtiberius]

http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/anthony-bourdain/video/foxy-balls-and-foxy-fries

[Anathema]

That's it!  If you get off the metro at Vokzalna station, it'll be directly to your left when you exit.  I've eaten at that McDonald's several times but never ventured next door.  I'll have to try it next time.

Thanks for the link, LT.  I'll have to catch the whole episode sometime.

[lordtiberius]

Its a good episode.  It begins in Crimea and introduces and foreshadows the sad future.  Zamir is an ethnic Tatar.  Bourdain is an interesting man.

[mendeleyev]

When Bourdain did his interesting interview with Boris Nemtsov for CNN, Zamir was sitting just off camera, nodding his head at most of what Nemtsov was saying.

[mendeleyev]

I think that the "Eat At Home" campaign is a thinly veiled mix of obligatory patriotism and hype for an already successful TV show.

As for unhealthy Western food, all one needs to do is visit a neighborhood RusBurger cafe (owners are connected to Kremlin). Looks vaguely familiar...








Now, as for Mr. Putin investing 18 million dollars of his own money, that would create another problem: he has never worked at anything except government payroll jobs his entire life. Since when does a Russian politician have that kind of money to invest?