Timati is a very famous rapper in Russia. Teenagers love it. A few weeks ago, when the American coffee chain Starbucks was considering abandoning the Russian market in reaction to the war in Ukraine, the star, a supporter of Vladimir Putin, and already owner of a chain of restaurants, offered to buy out all of its Russian premises. A new ersatz was born, the Stars Coffee. “A certain company left the market, we took our chance to start this business”poses Anton Gouseev, representative of the rapper’s company.
“Our two companies discussed, then we decided to do exactly the same thing but, in our opinion, more modern.”
Anton Gouseev, representative of Stars Coffeeat franceinfo
On Novy Arbat Avenue in Moscow, the rapper is surrounded by big guys, and the tables are full of bloggers. The celebrity invited his fans to promote his new business. “Everything is good and stylish. Now everything is fine, we have our coffee”smiles Natalia, a young client.
A few weeks earlier, McDonald’s had been replaced by local ersartz. The directors of Stars Coffee have decided to keep more or less the same graphic charter as that of the American brand. The siren in the Starbucks logo has been replaced by a woman and her kokoshnik, Russian traditional headdress.
There remains a taboo, the reason for all these changes, on which customers find it difficult to put words. “The company left because of the situation, this complicated, difficult situation, this military operation. That’s all, I can’t say more”confides a half-worded client.
These cafes reflect the many challenges facing Russia. Crushed by sanctions since the start of its offensive on Ukraine, Moscow is looking for solutions to replace everything it is now lacking. From foreign cafes and restaurants, to spare parts for planes, today taken from other dismantled planes. It will also be necessary to find solutions to maintain the country’s fast trains. A real challenge for the Kremlin.
Stars Coffee, the Russian replacement for Starbucks – report from Moscow by Paul Gogo
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