Teremok
Teremok (Russian: Теремок) is a Russian fast food chain that primarily specialises in traditional Russian dishes such as blini, pelmeni, kvass and borscht.[2] Founded in 1998 by Mikhail Goncharov, their menu was adapted from the recipes of Goncharov's mother.[3]
Type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Fast food restaurant |
Founded | 1998 in Moscow, Russia |
Founder | Mikhail Goncharov |
Headquarters | Moscow , Russia[1] |
Number of locations | ~300[1] (2017) |
Areas served | |
Key people | Mikhail Goncharov (CEO) Andrey Narkevich (COO) |
Revenue | $135,000,000[1] (2017) |
Their restaurants operate in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Ural, Southern Russia and Siberia.[4] As of 2017 it has grown to 300 restaurants, which formerly included two in New York City that closed in 2018.[3][5]
History
The first Teremok opened in 1998 in a street kiosk in Moscow.[6] It offered a limited set of blinis, and it was one of the first fast food chains in Russia that were offering Russian food, trying to compete with McDonald's.[3] There are currently three types of Teremok outlets: restaurants, street kiosks,[7] and food court outlets in shopping malls, metro stations or airports.[8]
The chain opened two branches in Union Square and Chelsea in New York City in 2017, their first ventures outside of Russia.[9] In an interview with a Russian magazine, Goncharov said his reason for expanding to America was because "it’s the motherland of fast food."[9] In June 2018, Goncharov announced it was closing its two restaurants in the States, accusing New York City inspectors of "open hostility" towards his restaurants and staff.[5]
Concept
The official concept of Teremok is to offer traditional cuisine as fast food but to be at the same time more natural and healthy.[2] Teremok specializes in Russian-style home cooking with recipes developed by the mother of Goncharov.[1] Menu items include blini (thin crepe-like pancakes), borscht (beet soup with cabbage), and kasha (a buckwheat dish served with meat, fish or mushrooms).[1] They also experiment with unusual and outlandish dishes.[2]
References
- Weber, Toby (1 February 2018). "Teremok Hopes Home Cooking Has No Borders". FE&S Magazine.
- "Про "Теремок"". teremok.ru. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- Johnson, Hollis; Taylor, Kate (13 October 2017). "We visited the 'McDonald's of Russia' that's trying to take over America — here's what it was like". Business Insider.
- "Адреса". www.teremok.com. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
- "Russia's Teremok fast food chain gives up on the U.S. market, citing geopolitical hostility". Meduza. 14 June 2018.
- Elias, M. (2014). Lunch: A History. The Meals Series. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 51–52. ISBN 978-1-4422-2747-7. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- Publishing, DK (2011). Ultimate Food Journeys: The World's Best Dishes and Where to Eat Them. DK Publishing. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-7566-9588-0. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- Steves, R.; Hewitt, C. (2013). Rick Steves' Northern European Cruise Ports. Rick Steves. Avalon Travel. p. 428. ISBN 978-1-61238-589-1. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
- Lavin, Talia (13 April 2017). "A Russian Fast-Food Chain Tries Its Luck in America". The New Yorker.
External links
- Official website
- Teremok goes west. Russia Beyond The Headlines.