The Russian McDonald's Menu Was Just Dealt A Huge Blow

When Vkusno & tochka ("Tasty and That's It") — the successor to McDonald's in Russia — first unveiled its new logo, the red circle followed by two plump orange lines were described by media outlets like BBC as "a burger and two French fries." Unfortunately, it now seems the logo will be the closest diners will be able to get to Vkusno & tochka's fries because the rebranded chain has been forced to take the popular salty, crunchy treat off its menu, at least for now.

The restaurant chain told Russia's state news agency Tass, per Insider, that the right potatoes for making the fries are currently hard to come by thanks to the previous year's bad harvest. As an added complication, the restaurant chain said that it is "impossible to import from markets that could become temporary suppliers of potatoes for enterprises in Russia." 

Experiencing problems with the potato supply chain is not unique to Russia. Mcdonald's itself has had problems meeting French fry demand in other countries, including Japan, Earlier this year the chain had to stop selling medium and large fries for nearly a month at its 2,900 Japanese restaurants, per Japan Times. This also isn't the first hiccup Vkusno & tochka has experienced since it opened its doors in June as a rebranded, homegrown version of the Golden Arches.

Russian users on the social media site Telegram have been sharing images of moldy burger buns and expired sauce packets. Per Insider, a Russian TV personality took to social media with complaints, saying, "IIt seems that 'Vkusno' does not exactly honor the covenants held by McDonald's. At least with regard to [the] quality of the product. ... Guys, figure it out over there, there is no need to poison people."

The chain says it has since found and pulled the expired sauce packets, while the bun supplier has said it is trying to get to the bottom of the problem, which could involve distribution. Russia's Ministry of Agriculture may think the potato problem could be just as easy to resolve because it claims via Telegram (as translated by Google), "The Russian market is fully provided with potatoes, including processed ones. In addition, the products of the new crop are already arriving, which eliminates the possibility of a shortage. According to the Potato Union, there is currently no need to import french fries."

Still and all, that doesn't seem to be enough for Vkusno & tochka, which has said fries are off the menu, at least until the fall.