McDonald’s said Tuesday it is temporarily closing all of its 850 restaurants in Russia in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine.
FILE - A sign is displayed outside a McDonald's restaurant, Tuesday, April 27, 2021, in Des Moines, Iowa. McDonalds said Tuesday, March 8, 2022, it is temporarily closing all of its 850 restaurants in Russia in response to the country's invasion of Ukraine. The burger giant said it will continue paying its 62,000 employees in Russia.
“Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine,” Kempczinski said.“The situation is extraordinarily challenging for a global brand like ours, and there are many considerations,” Kempczinski wrote in the letter. McDonald's works with hundreds of Russian suppliers, for example, and serves millions of customers each day.McDonald’s has also temporarily closed 108 restaurants in Ukraine and continues to pay those employees.
Unlike other big fast food brands in Russia that are owned by franchisees __ including KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks and Burger King __ McDonald’s owns 84% of its Russian locations. When McDonald's opened its first store in Moscow, in Jan. 31, 1990, it was hailed as a sign of the thawing Cold War. Thousands of Russians lined up before dawn to try hamburgers __ many for the first time. By the end of the day, 30,000 meals had been rung up on 27 cash registers, an opening-day record for the company.in Russia in protest of the Ukraine invasion.