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]

Teremok
Company typePrivate
IndustryFast food restaurant
Founded1998 in Moscow, Russia
FounderMikhail 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)
Teremok in Moscow near Bratislavskaya metro station
Inside a Teremok restaurant in Saint Petersburg.
Mors and blini

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

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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 his two restaurants in the States, accusing New York City inspectors of "open hostility" towards his restaurants and staff.[5]

Concept

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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

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  1. ^ a b c d e Weber, Toby (1 February 2018). "Teremok Hopes Home Cooking Has No Borders". FE&S Magazine.
  2. ^ a b c "Про "Теремок"". teremok.ru. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  3. ^ a b c 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.
  4. ^ "Адреса". www.teremok.com. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Russia's Teremok fast food chain gives up on the U.S. market, citing geopolitical hostility". Meduza. 14 June 2018.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Steves, R.; Hewitt, C. (2013). Rick Steves' Northern European Cruise Ports. Avalon Travel. p. 428. ISBN 978-1-61238-589-1. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
  9. ^ a b Lavin, Talia (13 April 2017). "A Russian Fast-Food Chain Tries Its Luck in America". The New Yorker.
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