The Teremok restaurant chain has received several offers to enter the Chinese market, company founder Mikhail Goncharov announced at a press conference. Chinese partners are currently the most active in inviting the chain, with proposals coming from provincial governors and city mayors.
However, Goncharov noted that Chinese partners currently view the project primarily as a tourist attraction featuring Russian cuisine. “I believe the business should be for everyone. Just like exotic, this is not very interesting,” he said, emphasizing the need for a broader commercial approach.
Within Russia, the chain is considering expansion into cities with populations exceeding one million, including Samara and Novosibirsk, where a potential local partner has already been identified. The expansion model will be partnership-based franchising.
Goncharov plans to meet with potential Chinese partners to discuss investment support. “Entering a new country means huge investments because you offer an unknown product,” he noted. The company is evaluating opportunities that include genuine investment backing rather than purely ethnic-themed projects.
The potential entry of Teremok into China represents a significant step in Russian-Chinese culinary exchange, bringing authentic Russian fast-casual dining to the world’s largest restaurant market.
