Courtesy of Raymond Cunningham, Flickr
On Thursday, McDonald’s announced their intent to reopen locations in Ukraine in the coming months. The move comes as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues.
McDonald’s temporarily closed all of its restaurants in Russia and Ukraine in March in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, the industry giant followed up on March 16, saying that its closure in Russia would become permanent as they began selling the business within the country in May.
The company confirmed suspicions after they released a statement: “The humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and the precipitating unpredictable operating environment, have led McDonald’s to conclude that continued ownership of the business in Russia is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald’s values.”
Other major Western food chains like KFC and Pizza Hut have already reopened their restaurants. McDonald’s is working with contractors and suppliers to ensure the restaurants are ready to reopen.
McDonald’s will reopen in Ukraine, particularly in Kyiv and Western parts of the country that have not been as affected by the war. This is a part of a government program put in place to shift businesses in the country to the West, away from areas that have been devastated during the war.
It is unclear how many McDonald’s restaurants in Ukraine will reopen.
