August 19, 2022 13:42 GMT

Updated

August 31, 2023 11:46 GMT

By RFE/RL

As Western companies exit the Russian market, some very familiar-looking brands are replacing them. The latest example is Domino's Pizza, which reopened its Moscow outlets under a new name, "Domиno Pizza," with the Latin "i" in the name replaced with the equivalent Cyrillic letter "и."

In late August, Domino's became the third major Western brand to leave Russia after Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. The pizza chain had been operating in Russia since 1997.

However, a new player has emerged to fill the gap: Domиno Pizza, which claims to be an independent Russian company with its own unique recipes and menu. The new brand's outlets are located in the same places as the original Domino's stores, and the staff is said to have been trained by the same team.

Domіno Pizza is not alone in this effort. Other Western brands that have left Russia have also seen their products and services replaced by local copycats. For example, Burger King's Russian franchisee has rebranded itself as "King's Pizza" and introduced its own menu items.

This trend of replicating Western brands with a Russian twist is not new, but it has gained momentum in recent years. With Western companies leaving Russia due to sanctions and other factors, local entrepreneurs are seeing an opportunity to capitalize on the demand for familiar brands at home.

However, this trend also raises questions about intellectual property rights and brand identity. Can a company truly be considered independent if it is copying another brand's concept and menu? Or is it simply a matter of adapting to changing market conditions?

As Russia continues to grapple with the fallout from Western companies' departures, the rise of replica brands like Domіno Pizza is likely to be a significant development in the country's food landscape.