McDonald’s Russia Serves Far East Region After Ice Storm

Did you know that McDonald’s has had restaurants in Russia for more than 30 years?

This past December, we opened the first-ever McDonald’s restaurants in Russia’s Far East Region. The (socially distant) Grand Opening celebrations in Vladivostok and Khabarovsk were a blast – and many locals ate McDonald’s food for the very first time.

Some customers had tried McDonald’s food a few weeks earlier, though, under different circumstances.

Back in November, an ice storm hit Russia’s Far East Region and impacted local infrastructure, including residents’ electricity and heat. Though our restaurants in Vladivostok and Khabarovsk had not yet opened, McDonald's Russia worked with government officials to determine how they could best support local residents in their time of need. Within two days, McDonald’s Russia had planned, packed and delivered more than 3,000 lunches to the island village of Pospelovo, where many resources had been cut off due to the ice storm (and roads had been closed).

For some longtime residents of Russia’s Far East Region, this was the first time they’d ever tasted McDonald’s food.

We’re glad to have expanded into a new part of Russia. But more importantly, we’re grateful we could serve our community in their time of need.