Lukashenko on McDonald’s leaving Belarus: ‘Good riddance,’ ‘we know how to cut a bun in half’
Alexander Lukashenko spoke before the Belarusian industrial farmers. In a passing comment on the closing of McDonald’s restaurants in Belarus, the president said that its place should be filled by local entrepreneurs:
Some people, particularly the youth, and maybe even the middle-aged people, and perhaps even the elderly, began to ooh and aah: “McDonald’s is leaving.” And I think to myself, “Good riddance, thank God.” The place of McDonald’s should be occupied by Belarusians, our own people, our own specialists, our own goods. Belarusians, mark it, and no one else. If somebody needs what this McDonald’s has been making, then we should make it ourselves. Don’t tell me that we don’t know how to cut a bun in half and stuff it with a little piece of meat, lettuce, and potato.
Last May, McDonald’s announced that it was leaving Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine. Later, the Russian McDonald’s restaurants were rebranded by Alexander Govor, who reopened them in June, under the new Russian brand name “Vkusno i tochka” (“Tasty, full stop”).
In November, Vkusno i tochka announced that it had signed a franchise agreement with the Belarusian Victory Restarants currently managing the Belarusian McDonald’s chain. According to the deal, all Belarusian McDonald’s restaurants will be rebranded as “Tasty, full stop.”
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