A restaurant named after Donald Trump is building a loyal following in the middle of Russia.
The restaurant has been growing in popularity in Siberia, its manager said on Wednesday. He spoke at a time of increased Russian interest in the U.S. president after his meetings this week with Vladimir Putin.
Trump Burger opened in the city of Krasnoyarsk last December. The restaurant is now trying to use all the talk about the U.S. leader to expand its business.
Trump spoke of wanting to improve ties between the countries during his talks on Monday in Helsinki with President Putin.
The walls of the eatery are covered with paintings of the U.S. president. The food it offers includes such choices as a Trump Burger with bacon and a Melania chicken burger, named after Melania Trump, the president’s wife.
“Demand is really not bad for a restaurant that opened just recently,” manager Igor Vinogradov told the Reuters News Agency. He noted that some customers drink too much alcohol and have no great liking for the United States. They sometimes are critical of the restaurant’s theme and have demonstrated rowdy behavior, he added.
There were celebrations in Russia after Trump won the U.S. presidential election in 2016. As a candidate, Trump had called for improved relations with Russia and praised Putin.
At Monday’s summit meeting, Trump shocked the world by questioning the findings of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia had interfered in the 2016 elections. Trump also praised Putin’s “strong and powerful” claim that Russia was not involved in the vote.
I’m Phil Dierking.
The Reuters News Agency reported on this story. Phil Dierking adapted the report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
Do know of any other restaurants named after politicians? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
_________________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
burger - n. a sandwich usually made with grilled beef
manager - n. someone who is in charge of a business, department, etc.
bacon - n. thin strips of salted and smoked meat from the sides and the back of a pig
rowdy - adj. rough or noisy
theme - n. the main subject that is being discussed or described in a piece of writing, a movie, etc.
customer - n. someone who buys goods or services from a business
