* This content was produced in Russia where the law
restricts
coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine
MOSCOW, June 29 (Reuters) - With Coke and Pepsi having
suspended sales in Russia, the makers of Cola Chernogolovka hope
to slake the thirsts of Russians including at big American fast
food chains.
Chernogolovka, a drinks company named for a town outside
Moscow where it was founded in 1998, told Reuters on Wednesday
it has more than doubled its presence in hotels, restaurants and
cafes so far this year, and is now supplying Russian outlets of
Burger King and KFC.
"We think this is far from the limit," the company told
Reuters in response to questions.
"Since April, Burger King and KFC have been supplied with
Chernogolovka drinks," the company said. In addition to Cola
Chernogolovka, its brands include Baikal, an energy drink named
after a Siberian lake, and Duchess, a lemonade, both of which it
sells at Burger King and KFC.
"We are in talks about widening the range of drinks that we
supply to this chain," Chernogolovka said of Burger King.
Coca-Cola Co and PepsiCo Inc suspended soda
sales in Russia early March, joining the many Western consumer
brands to curtail operations there in opposition to Moscow's
actions in Ukraine.
Pepsi in particular had a long history in Russia, dating
back to the Cold War when then-U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon
was photographed introducing it to Soviet leader Nikita
Khrushchev at an exhibition in Moscow. Pepsi sent cola to the
Soviets in return for Stolichnaya vodka to sell in America.
Burger King, run by parent company Restaurant Brands
International Inc (RBI), halted corporate support for
its Russia locations in March, but, caught in a complex legal
web, it hasn't been able to exit its partnership or close its
roughly 800 franchised locations.
KFC, owned by Yum Brands Inc, has paused investment
in Russia and suspended operations of its 70 KFC company-owned
restaurants there, but Yum has limited control over the
independent franchisees that run most of the 1,000 locations,
which have remained open.
An RBI spokesperson said Burger King was not involved in
daily operations in Russia. Yum Brands did not immediately
respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Reuters
Editing by Peter Graff)