The Story of the First McDonald’s in Moscow

“Once inside we were blown away by the number of young cashiers behind the huge counter, smiling, moving like bees, serving one meal after another”

Even in our time, the opening of new restaurants in the regions of the country is becoming a significant event for local standards. But then it was a completely different time: empty store shelves, an eternal deficit, the country stood on the verge of change and the opening of the first McDonald’s in Moscow produced the effect of a bomb exploding. Expansion of McDonald’s into the territory of the Soviet Union came from the Canadian division of the company. The whole process was led by George A. Cohon.