When McDonald's First Opened In The Soviet Union 30,000 Stood In Line For Hours

[Pardus]

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On January 31, 1990, the first McDonald’s opened it doors in the Soviet Union with a restaurant in Moscow after 14 years of navigating Soviet red tape. Over 30,000 Muscovites stood in line for hours to wait the chance to be served McDonald’s.

At the time, the Moscow location was the largest McDonald’s in the world, with seating for over 700 people and capable of serving over 15,000 patrons a day. For political reasons, McDonald’s Canada was responsible for the restaurant, with little input from the U.S. parent company — a wall display within the restaurant shows the Canadian and Soviet flags. To overcome Soviet supply problems, the company creates its own supply chain, including farms and distribution networks, inside the USSR along with a $40 million food processing center in Moscow.

 

[dpodblood]

Later that day 30,000 stood in the line to get into the bathroom.

 

[Ns1]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,969321,00.html

 

[I Saw OJ]

LOL at that guy near the end who thinks hes gonna find a place to sit down and eat.

 

[mooncancook]

I was in ShenZhen China when the first ever McDonalds opened in mainland China there. Ppl were super excited and it was crazy for the first month (or months). But I didn't think there were ever 30,000 ppl in line

 

[Bateluer]

LOL at that guy near the end who thinks hes gonna find a place to sit down and eat.

Might be able to. MCDs isn't exactly a long meal to eat, and there were likely a lot of people who got food to go.

 

[zinfamous]

Later that day 30,000 stood in the line to get into the bathroom.

another 10,000 stood in line to receive their toilet paper rations.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

It was 1990 Russia. The people could have stood in line for hours to *maybe* get a chance to buy some green meat and bread with maggots in it or they could have stood in line for hours to be assured of getting something that was at least marginally edible. The 30,000 that picked McDonalds made the smart choice, you could eat out of a McDonalds dumpster and get a better meal than what could be cooked with the garbage available in Russian grocery stores.

 

[zinfamous]

I was in ShenZhen China when the first ever McDonalds opened in mainland China there. Ppl were super excited and it was crazy for the first month (or months). But I didn't think there were ever 30,000 ppl in line

Of course there weren't--there are no lines in China. People don't understand queues there.

I bet there was a mob of 50,000, though, pushing, shoving, elbowing each other out of the way.

 

[dainthomas]

In Soviet Russia, Big Mac eats you!

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

In Soviet Russia, Big Mac eats you!

In Soviet Russia, Hamburglurs you.

 

[mooncancook]

Of course there weren't--there are no lines in China. People don't understand queues there.

I bet there was a mob of 50,000, though, pushing, shoving, elbowing each other out of the way.

very true, I don't think the concept of queue is taught in school, but Darwin will be proud of their teaching of natural selection and survival of the fittest.

 

[mmntech]

Thats nothing. Remember the line for the iPhone 4?

 

[clamum]

Later that day 30,000 stood in the line to get into the bathroom.

Pussies.

Also, LOL Soviet Union.

 

[Platypus]

My friend from Belarus told me about how crazy it was when the first McDonalds opened there, they waited for 4 hours to get a Big Mac.

 

[Albatross]

Ah the memories:being a kid and waking up in the morning to stand in line with my parents to get some extra eggs in the winter;they served 4 eggs per capita.The joys of socialism!

 

[Platypus]

The joys of socialism!

you mean communism?

 

[Martin]

Yeah, I remember the first McD's opening up in Bulgaria in '94.

Of course, there it was a never-before-seen Western novelty and not the cheap place to stuff yourself with corn-filled crap it is here.

 

[Albatross]

you mean communism?

Same stuff,the same cretinous ideologues.

 

[cirrrocco]

The song is beautiful as well. very folksy and no fucking auto tuner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFBMX5a0aec

 

[illusion88]

The song is beautiful as well. very folksy and no fucking auto tuner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFBMX5a0aec

This song is better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl7trL03BLA

 

[Fritzo]

Notice how sad all the people looked that got their food?

 

[sdifox]

I remember that... They even put out a burger worldwide called Moskva.

 

[zinfamous]

Same stuff,the same cretinous ideologues.

not at all.

or do you also think that fascism = conservatism?

 

[alkemyst]

how'd they serve 30,000 in for hours?