McDonald’s Is Quitting Russia For Good
(LibertySociety.com) – On May 16, McDonald’s announced it would sell nearly 850 of its restaurants in Russia, joining the many other companies refusing to do business in the country. McDonald’s President Chris Kempczinski told his workers while some people wanted the company to keep its doors open in Russia for the sake of the citizens who live there, the corporation couldn’t “ignore the humanitarian crisis” the country caused any longer.
McDonald’s said it will leave Russia for good after 30+ years, stepping up the corporate response to the invasion of Ukraine.
The decision comes after @McDonalds announced temporary closures of its 850 outlets in March https://t.co/roSekvfUlF pic.twitter.com/O5MR3ZAy2A
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) May 17, 2022
The home of the Big Mac and golden arches has been in Russia for over 30 years, and this is the first time McDonald’s has ever walked out on a major market. The corporation owns 84% of the restaurants in the country, with the remaining 16% run as franchises. Soon after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, McDonald’s closed its stores temporarily, but as the war waged on, it decided to leave the area entirely. The company plans to remove any signs or symbols representing them from Russia shortly.
However, the move may not be permanent, as Kempczinski left the possibility open for a return in the future. Instead of saying a hearty “goodbye,” the CEO said the closures are more of an “until we meet again” vibe.
Despite its exit from Russia, McDonald’s plans to open 1,300 restaurants in 2022.
Copyright 2022, LibertySociety.com
