{"id":418250,"date":"2022-03-18T23:32:40","date_gmt":"2022-03-18T20:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/will-mcdonalds-ever-come-back-to-russia-after-war-with-ukraine-closed-outlets\/"},"modified":"2022-03-18T23:32:40","modified_gmt":"2022-03-18T20:32:40","slug":"will-mcdonalds-ever-come-back-to-russia-after-war-with-ukraine-closed-outlets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/will-mcdonalds-ever-come-back-to-russia-after-war-with-ukraine-closed-outlets\/","title":{"rendered":"#Will McDonald&#8217;s ever come back to Russia after war with Ukraine closed outlets?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4097748db4e\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4097748db4e\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/will-mcdonalds-ever-come-back-to-russia-after-war-with-ukraine-closed-outlets\/#%E2%80%9CWill_McDonalds_ever_come_back_to_Russia_after_war_with_Ukraine_closed_outlets%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Will McDonald&#8217;s ever come back to Russia after war with Ukraine closed outlets?&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWill_McDonalds_ever_come_back_to_Russia_after_war_with_Ukraine_closed_outlets%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Will McDonald&#8217;s ever come back to Russia after war with Ukraine closed outlets?&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>The era of the Big Mac in Russia may be over for years and possibly for good \u2014 even if the war in Ukraine ends in the coming weeks or months, experts tell The Post.<\/p>\n<p>McDonald\u2019s, which opened 850 restaurants in Russia over the past three decades, temporarily closed them all this month because of the war in Ukraine. Now, as the Russian government threatens to forcibly reopen them, the fast-food giant looks increasingly unlikely to rebuild itself in Russia, experts say.<\/p>\n<p>Just four days after McDonald\u2019s announced its store closures, a trademark filing was made in Russia for a knockoff burger chain called \u201cUncle Vanya,\u201d whose red and yellow logo looks like a sideways Golden Arches.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lication \u2014 which neither the company nor Russian officials have yet commented on officially \u2014 came on the heels of Russian officials advocating for the removal of patent protections for companies linked to countries deemed hostile to Russia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPutin and his cronies are not going to follow international laws or norms,\u201d said Edward Rensi, a former president and chief executive of McDonald\u2019s in the 1990s when the company opened its first restaurant in Moscow. \u201cI think it\u2019s very probable that McDonald\u2019s will not reopen \u2014 and if they do it\u2019ll be 10 or 15 years.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-61-MCD-in-russia.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"A man walking away from a cordoned off McDonald's eatery.\" class=\"wp-image-21547036\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-61-MCD-in-russia.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-61-MCD-in-russia.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-61-MCD-in-russia.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>McDonald\u2019s is paying its 66,000 employees in Russia even while the stores are closed.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A key question is when Vladimir Putin\u2019s regime winds down \u2014 and whether the one that succeeds it actively seeks to rebuild diplomatic ties with the US, according to experts. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe big question for me is how does this end? I don\u2019t think the western corporations rush to reopen in Russia if Russia and Ukraine reach a peace deal,\u201d said Tim Fenton, a former chief operating officer for McDonald\u2019s who also headed up the company\u2019s Middle Eastern business, including Turkey and Greece.<\/p>\n<p>To be sure, dozens of corporations have already announced plans to permanently leave Russia, including PwC, Accenture, Uber and TJMaxx. There is also the question of how Russia will fight back against these efforts, including its threat to seize the assets of foreign entities that have left the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf this situation gets resolved,\u201d restaurant analyst Mark Kalinowski said, \u201cI think a lot of industries might give it some hard thought as to whether they want to operate in such a country.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-60-inside-a-MCD.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Diners sitting at tables inside a McDonald's restaurant in a shopping mall.\" class=\"wp-image-21547189\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-60-inside-a-MCD.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-60-inside-a-MCD.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-60-inside-a-MCD.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>A McDonald\u2019s restaurant at a shopping mall in Russia.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Russians have become huge fans of the McD\u2019s brand as evidenced by the long lines at the restaurants before they were set to close and the demand for the menu items on the secondary market, where Russians were hawking Big Macs for the equivalent of $44. <\/p>\n<p>Still, it\u2019s not clear how feasible a Russian-operated McDonald\u2019s would be, experts say. While most of the menu items are produced in Russia at manufacturing facilities that McDonald\u2019s set up many years ago, there are still some ingredients that are imported into the country that have become impossible to get while sanctions are in place.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, it would be difficult to procure the exact products that contribute to the signature taste of McDonald\u2019s French fries, Big Macs, buns, sauces and other menu items without the corporation\u2019s assistance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Russia \u201cwould still need to set up a supply chain and I\u2019d guess they\u2019d need to [come up with their own] formula for a Big Mac sauce,\u201d said Jim Lewis, a franchisee who formerly ran McDonald\u2019s outlets in the US.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-57-big-macs-on-a-tray.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Big Mac boxes being served on a silver tray.\" class=\"wp-image-21547068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-57-big-macs-on-a-tray.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-57-big-macs-on-a-tray.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-57-big-macs-on-a-tray.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Russian consumers have become big fans of the fast food chain since the first one opened in Moscow in 1990.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the moment McDonald\u2019s has said it will pay its 66,000 Russian employees even while the stores are closed. The fast food giant owns 84% of its restaurants and has said the cost to support its workforce there and other expenses will amount to $50 million a month.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There are still 136 McDonald\u2019s stores in Russia that are not owned by the company, but rather franchisees. Those are the ones that likely are among the stores that haven\u2019t yet closed, as per McDonald\u2019s edict. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe reality is that Putin could order the McDonald\u2019s workers back to work and order them to run it,\u201d Rensi said, \u201cBut will the people be willing to do it and does the government have a list of all the employees?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-59-window.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"A view of a McDonald's restaurant in Moscow from the outside window.\" class=\"wp-image-21547106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-59-window.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-59-window.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-59-window.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Most of the menu items are produced in Russia and local manufacturing facilities.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>McDonald\u2019s declined to comment for this story.<\/p>\n<p>The original McD\u2019s restaurant in Moscow, a massive 23,000 square foot eatery that seated 700 customers, was set up by the company\u2019s Canada operation in 1990 because the Russian government was still angry over president Carter\u2019s decision to boycott the 1980 summer Olympics in Russia, said Rensi, the former corporate CEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere were 27,000 job applications for that store and we had people who had PhDs who were applying, because Russia\u2019s economy was in terrible shape then,\u201d Rensi said.\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/03\/18\/will-mcdonalds-ever-come-back-to-russia-after-war-with-ukraine-closed-outlets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Will McDonald&#8217;s ever come back to Russia after war with Ukraine closed outlets?&#8221; The era of the Big Mac in Russia may be over for years and possibly for good \u2014 even if the war in Ukraine ends in the coming weeks or months, experts tell The Post. McDonald\u2019s, which opened 850 restaurants in Russia&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":418251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/mcdonalds-russia-58-feature.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[126943,70384,4975,71523,126128,73234],"class_list":["post-418250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-3-18-22","tag-mcdonalds","tag-russia","tag-sanctions","tag-ukraine-war","tag-vladimir-putin"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=418250"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418250\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/418251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=418250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=418250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=418250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}