McDonald’s is shutting down its 847 locations in Russia, and pausing all operations in the market, the company’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a statement reported by CNN.
“In Russia, we employ 62,000 people who have poured their heart and soul into our McDonald’s brand to serve their communities. We work with hundreds of local, Russian suppliers and partners who produce the food for our menu and support our brand,” Kempczinski said. “And we serve millions of Russian customers each day who count on McDonald’s. In the thirty-plus years that McDonald’s has operated in Russia, we’ve become an essential part of the 850 communities in which we operate.”
“Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine,” and therefore, “McDonald’s has decided to temporarily close all our restaurants in Russia and pause all operations in the market,” he said.
The move came after Yum Brands (YUM), which owns KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and the Habit Grill, announced that it “has suspended all investment and restaurant development in Russia.”
