McDonald's Has Shared Its Official Plan To Reopen In Ukraine

On Tuesday, September 20, a tiny glimmer of hope will appear in Ukraine, signaling that someday, perhaps, the war-torn country will return to normal. According to the New York Times, McDonald's head of communications in Ukraine, Alesya Mudzhyri, shared the news via Facebook. It's been a long time since Ukrainian residents have been able to visit the golden arches. Store closures started in February 2022 due to the Russian invasion, which devastated the areas surrounding the 109 McDonald's locations throughout Ukraine.

McDonald's decisions about how to handle the temporary closure of restaurants in Ukraine have been, as highlighted by Inc., an example of decisions guided by emotional intelligence. During the chain's halt of Ukrainian operations, for example, McDonald's continued to pay more than 10,000 workers, and the company's decisions about how and when to reopen have been guided both by input from workers and by a desire to support the economy of Ukraine as it struggles to survive and recover from the Russian invasion.

Following through on McDonald's promise in August to begin a phased reopening of its restaurants, Alesya Mudzhyri announced that three Kyiv locations would open for delivery service only beginning September 20. In the next week, seven more locations should open in Kyiv, again, just for orders placed for delivery. Other restaurant locations will follow in the capital and throughout western Ukraine. Consumers can expect to be able to visit McDonald's in person in early October when stores will open dining rooms, drive-thrus, and express windows. Mudzhyri notes that the newly reopened locations will operate from 9 am to 9 pm and close as needed to comply with air raid safety measures.

McDonald's operations in both Ukraine and Russia have been disrupted because of the Russian invasion and its fallout. McDonald's permanently closed its more than 800 Russian locations in May 2022, and in June 2022, 15 locations reopened in Russia, albeit under new ownership and with a new logo. Closing restaurants in Ukraine and Russia cost McDonald's roughly $127 million in the first quarter of 2022 alone (per CNN). While Ukraine will struggle with rebuilding from the Russian invasion, McDonald's return to operation is a promising sign of future economic recovery.