McDonald’s to reopen in Ukraine
Following the American fast-food chain’s exit from Russia, McDonald’s will begin reopening locations in Ukraine in the coming months as a sign of support and a return to some semblance of normalcy for the war-torn nation.
Despite closing its Ukrainian locations after Russia’s invasion nearly six months ago, McDonald’s has continued to pay its more than 10,000 local employees.
On Thursday, McDonald’s announced that it would start progressively reopening some of its locations in Kyiv, the country’s capital, and western Ukraine, where other businesses are operating outside of the violence. In Kiev, there are Western establishments like the Spanish apparel stores Zara and Mango.
In a message to staff members, Paul Pomroy, corporate senior vice president of foreign operated markets, stated that “we have spoken extensively with our employees who have indicated a strong desire to return to work and see our restaurants in Ukraine reopen.”
“The conviction that this would promote a little but crucial sense of normalcy has become stronger in recent months.”
The war has badly harmed the Ukrainian economy, therefore resuming business, even in a small way, would be beneficial.
The Ukrainian economy is predicted by the International Monetary Fund to contract by 35% this year.
There are 109 McDonald’s outlets in Ukraine, but the chain didn’t specify on Thursday how many of them will reopen, when that would happen, or which ones would be the first to accept customers.
As the battle in the east continues, the business said it will begin working with vendors in the coming months to get supplies into restaurants, prepare those stores, bring back personnel, and introduce safety protocols.
In protest of the war, McDonald’s sold its 850 shops there to a Russian franchisee this year, three decades after it established its first location in Moscow and became a potent symbol of lowering Cold War tensions.
For the first time, the business “de-arched,” or left, a significant market. In March, it closed hundreds of sites in Russia, costing the business roughly USD 55 million a month.
Using the moniker Vkusno-i Tochka, or Tasty-period, Alexander Govor, who had a licence for 25 McDonald’s outlets in Siberia, has been reopening previous McDonald’s sites.