American fast food chain McDonald’s is leaving Russia after thirty years, the company says on Monday known† The world-famous chain has started selling its 850 Russian restaurants that employ some 62,000 people. The reason for the departure is the war in Ukraine.
The departure is not a complete surprise: McDonald’s restaurants in Russia have been closed since early March. The company then decided to close its doors indefinitely “out of disgust” at the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine is also the reason for the final departure of the fast food chain. “The humanitarian crisis created by the war in Ukraine and the subsequent uncertain environment has led McDonald’s to conclude that pursuing our cases in Russia is no longer tenable,” the chain said in a press release.
McDonald’s has now started selling all Russian restaurants to a local buyer. The potential buyer is then no longer allowed to use the name, the well-known yellow logo, or names of products – such as a Happy Meal or a Big Mac.
It is not yet known what will happen to the 62,000 employees, although the chain hopes that a potential buyer will take over as many McDonald’s employees as possible. The tens of thousands of employees continue to be paid until the entire sales process is completed.
CEO Chris Kempczinski says he is disappointed with the departure from Russia, but believes that the company should remain true to its own values. “And because of that loyalty to our values, we can no longer open McDonald’s restaurants here,” Kempczinski said.