By Jessica DiNapoli and Alexander Marrow
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Coca Cola HBC AG has started making a local cola, Dobry Cola, in Russia after stopping production and sales of Coca-Cola Co products after Western companies left the country en masse earlier this year.
Dobry has been a juice brand in Russia but Coca-Cola HBC, which is independent of the Coca-Cola Co, said earlier this month it was exploring extending existing local brands.
‘Dobry Cola’ has no connection with Coca-Cola or the Coca-Cola Co, Coca-Cola HBC said in a statement.
The Coca-Cola Co has a 23% stake in Coca-Cola HBC.
The Interfax news agency on Friday quoted the founder of Russian fast-food chain Teremok as saying he had received notification from the company about ‘Dobry Cola,’ and was trying to sell it in his restaurants.
(Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in New York and Alex Marrow in Moscow; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
