Six months after restaurants were forced to shut due to Russian invasion, McDonald’s has said it would reopen outlets in Ukraine to bring about an “essential feeling of normality” in the nation.
On Thursday, it announced that it will reopen a few eateries in Kyiv and western Ukraine, where trade is thriving despite the violence. Nike, KFC, and Mango are among the companies with locations in Kiev.
Due to the fighting, McDonald’s shut down its locations in Ukraine, although it has been paying its more than 10,000 workers there.
Following the March decision to halt McDonald’s operations in Russia, the company’s decision to reopen some of its locations is also meant to show support for Ukraine.
In a statement to staff members, Paul Pomroy, corporate senior vice president of internationally operated markets, stated: “We’ve talked with our workers extensively, and they have shown a strong desire to get back to work and see our restaurants in Ukraine reopen.
The conviction that this would foster a little but significant feeling of normality has become stronger in recent months.
In Ukraine, there are 109 McDonald’s locations, but the chain hasn’t said how many will open, when, or which ones would welcome back customers first.
The firm said that, while the conflict in the east rages, it would work with suppliers over the next months to get supplies into restaurants, prepare locations, and bring back personnel in addition to activating safety protocols.
The decision by McDonald’s to reopen in Ukraine comes after the conflict did significant economic harm to the nation.
Restarting enterprises would be beneficial, even in small doses. The International Monetary Fund has estimated that Ukraine’s GDP might contract by 35% this year.
In the meanwhile, a franchise owner purchased McDonald’s 850 outlets in Russia.
It happens thirty years after the business launched its first site in Moscow, which turned into a potent representation of the de-escalation of Cold War hostilities.
The fast food chain lost almost $55 million a month after shuttering its Russian facilities in March.
It was the first time the business had “de-arched,” or exited, a significant market, when it sold its Russian restaurants.
Millions of former McDonald’s restaurants in Russia were purchased by Alexander Govor, who has been reopening them as Vkusno-i Tochka, or Tasty-full Stop.