McDonald's Kazakh licensee, Food Solutions KZ, could not source its beef patties locally and imported them from Russia until the war forced it to stop and ultimately shut down.
ADVERTISEMENTWorkers removed the branding from McDonald's outlets in Kazakhstan's biggest city, Almaty, on Friday after the fast food giant's local business appeared to fall victim to collateral damage from the Russia-Ukraine war.
Many Kazakhs, proud of their meat-focused cuisine, expressed incredulity that McDonald's Kazakh licensee, Food Solutions KZ, could not source its beef patties locally and imported them from Russia until the war forced it to stop and ultimately shut down.
The Kazakh company said on Thursday it would soon reopen its restaurants under a new brand due to "supply issues".
Many Kazakh businesses have faced supply problems in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Western sanctions against Moscow that followed. Neighbouring Russia is Kazakhstan's main trading partner.
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