News reports and videos on social media show some locations operating as usual
Article content
McDonald’s may have announced the end of operations in Russia, but a number locations in the country continue to remain open.
Article content
The company told Russian state news outlet RIA Nvosoti that some of its restaurants, owned on a franchise basis, are still running.
“A number of McDonald’s restaurants operating in Moscow on a franchising basis continue to provide services to visitors. In particular, restaurants have been opened at airports and at Leningradsky railway station, as well as MakExpress windows near Moscow metro stations,” the company said in a statement.
McDonald’s Russia announced that it would temporarily close all 847 restaurants in Russia on March 8, close to two weeks after the country’s forces attacked Ukraine.
-
Burger King says rogue franchisee won’t shut down Russian restaurants
-
As McDonald’s pulls out of Russia, here’s the wild story of how they got there
Article content
“Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine,” CEO Chris Kempczinski said in an email at the time.
However, the fast food chain has been unable to close down completely because the company doesn’t fully own some of the locations. News reports and videos on social media show some restaurants operating as usual. A McDonald’s employee told Moscow news outlet Lenta.ru that one restaurant that continues to operate at Moskovsky railway station in Saint Petersburg was offering the full menu and had people lining up outside.
Similarly on Thursday, Burger King’s parent company said it has not been able to close its 800 restaurants in Russia because its independent operator there “refused” to do so.
Article content
Restaurant Brands International Inc. said that to enforce its contracts with the franchisee, Alexander Kolobov, it would need the help of the Russian government, but “we know that will not practically happen anytime soon,” according to a letter to employees from David Shear, president, international, of the company.
Similarly, franchising terms have allowed Papa John’s 190 restaurants in the country to remain open, The New York Times reported.
One of franchisees said he would keep the 190 Papa John’s locations operational. He added that he had plans to open 20 to 40 more restaurants in the country this year.
