McDonald’s Leaving Russia for Good Amid Ongoing Conflict
After more than three decades of serving Big Macs in Russia, McDonald's is permanently leaving the country following its invasion of Ukraine.
In an official statement to the press, the company said their decision to exit Russia was "extremely difficult," however, due to the environmental instability of Russia amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, "continued ownership of the business in Russia is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald's values."
"We have a long history of establishing deep, local roots wherever the Arches shine. We're exceptionally proud of the 62,000 employees who work in our restaurants," McDonald's president and CEO Chris Kempczinski said.
"Their dedication and loyalty to McDonald's make today's announcement extremely difficult," he continued. "However, we have a commitment to our global community and must remain steadfast in our values. And our commitment to our values means that we can no longer keep the Arches shining there."
The McDonald's Company temporarily closed the doors of 847 Russian locations in March. Now McDonald's plans to "de-Arch" its entire slate of restaurants in the country with hopes to sell all of its locations to a local buyer.
According to the press release, McDonald's is committed to offering Russian employees full salaries until the close of all sales and will continue to support local relief efforts organized by Ronald McDonald House Charities.
The hamburger chain's exit is the end of an era that began in January 1990 when McDonald's opened its first store in Moscow's Pushkin Square.