Operations
McDonald's corp stores likely won't reopen in Russia any time soon
March 21, 2022
It's unlikely the now shuttered McDonald's locations in Russia will reopen in quick fashion once the Russian war on Ukraine ends.
In fact, one former brand executive believes it could take anywhere from 10 to 15 years before the 850 stores begin operating after being temporarily closed earlier this month.
"Putin and his cronies are not going to follow international laws or norms," Edward Rensi, a former president and chief executive of McDonald's, told the New York Post. "I think it's very probable that McDonald's will not reopen — and if they do it'll be 10 or 15 years," said the former brand leader who worked for the company when it launched its first store in Moscow in the 1990s.
In the meantime, the Russian government is threatening to reopen the stores and there is a trademark filing that indicates a burger chain with a similar logo, according to the Post.
The brand has stated it will continue to pay the 66,000 Russian employees that were working in its stores.
The closings prompted one McDonald fan to chain himself to a Moscow location.
