"We have closely studied the region and believe Russia is an exciting, active market with a vibrant economy and the cosmopolitan city of Moscow will embrace the Burger King experience," Kevin Higgins, president of Burger King Europe, said in a statement. "It is part of our overall growth plan to increase our brand presence in existing European markets as well as in strategic new ones." The company first announced plans to enter the Russian market in the summer of 2008, and in February 2009 registered a Russian subsidiary.
The Miami-based company is partnering with Burger Rus LLC as its first franchisee in Russia. Burger Rus is owned by investors who previously successfully established a popular Russian coffee shop chain. The burger behemoth expects to open more restaurants throughout the year but did not specify how many. Thursday's opening in Moscow follows a number of new openings in Eastern Europe in the past 12 months, including two in Hungary, eight in Poland, four in Czech Republic and two in Romania.
Burger King runs more than 12,000 outlests in all 50 US states and in 73 countries and US territories world-wide. Burger King's main rival, McDonald's, opened its first outlet in the Soviet Union in 1989 and now operates 235 restaurants throughout the country.