Teremok (Russian: Теремок) is a Russian fast food chain that primarily specialises in traditional Russian dishes such as blini, pelmeni, kvass and borscht.[2] Founded in 1998 by Mikhail Goncharov, their menu was adapted from the recipes of Goncharov's mother.[3]
The first Teremok opened in 1998 in a street kiosk in Moscow.[6] It offered a limited set of blinis, and it was one of the first fast food chains in Russia that were offering Russian food, trying to compete with McDonald's.[3] There are currently three types of Teremok outlets: restaurants, street kiosks,[7] and food court outlets in shopping malls, metro stations or airports.[8]
The chain opened two branches in Union Square and Chelsea in New York City in 2017, their first ventures outside of Russia.[9] In an interview with a Russian magazine, Goncharov said his reason for expanding to America was because "it’s the motherland of fast food."[9] In June 2018, Goncharov announced it was closing his two restaurants in the States, accusing New York City inspectors of "open hostility" towards his restaurants and staff.[5]
The official concept of Teremok is to offer traditional cuisine as fast food but to be at the same time more natural and healthy.[2] Teremok specializes in Russian-style home cooking with recipes developed by the mother of Goncharov.[1] Menu items include blini (thin crepe-like pancakes), borscht (beet soup with cabbage), and kasha (abuckwheat dish served with meat, fish or mushrooms).[1] They also experiment with unusual and outlandish dishes.[2]
