Following the rebranding and departure of McDonald’s Kazakhstan earlier this year due to supply constraints, the former fast food chain is now under a new name, “I’m”. The 24 restaurants opened in 2016 as McDonald’s serve the same fast food under this new name.
Restaurants that were previously part of the McDonald’s fast food chain have acquired a new brand name in Kazakhstan — I’m. This was announced by the General Director of Food Solutions KZ, Aset Mashanov, at a presentation in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Food Solutions is the current franchise license owner of McDonald’s in Kazakhstan.
“The process of transition to a new brand for our network was not easy for the company and for the entire team. But now I am pleased to present to you the result of this enormous work — the I’M brand,” said Aset Mashanov.
In November 2022, it was reported that American fast food brand McDonald’s would be suspended from Kazakhstan after being in the Kazakh market for six years. In January 2023, it became known that McDonald’s was ceasing to operate as the McDonald’s brand. All McDonald’s restaurants in Kazakhstan promptly reopened, lacking the McDonald’s branding, but serving the same food. They were recognizable via the sign “We are open”.
In January 2023, the fast-food company acknowledged that it made the decision to leave the country due to supply issues, but has not elaborated on what has caused the scarcity. However, the Kazakh Agricultural Ministry claimed that it was linked to the Western sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
The Kazakh licensee of McDonald’s which operates fast food chains, Food Solutions KZ, could not source its beef patties locally and imported them from Russia until the war forced them to stop and ultimately got shut down. The Kazakh company stated back then that it would reopen McDonald’s under a new brand.
The new restaurants, now rebranded as I’m, are still owned by Food Solutions KZ. Mashanov said that their partners remain the same.
“Despite the changes inside and outside the company, our employees, partners and suppliers remain with us,” said Mashanov at the restaurants’ presentation.
Many Kazakh businesses faced supply problems due to the Western sanctions against Russia. The neighboring Russia is Kazakhstan’s main trading partner.
Kazakhstan has a meat-rich cultural cuisine, at the time, many Kazakhs, expressed disbelief that Food Solutions KZ, could not source its beef patties locally and imported them from Russia.
Maksut Baktibaev, general director of the Kazakh meat union, had commented that it takes “hundreds of millions of dollars” to establish a facility matching McDonald’s quality requirements, and that some Kazakh farmers failed to reach certain requirements.
There were no negotiations with the Russian chain “Vkusno i tochka” (Tasty, full stop), which replaced McDonald’s in Russia, about working under the same brand. Aset Mashanov said it is a Russian chain and network and that the Kazakh company operates independently.
Alexander Saraff Marcos contributed reporting
