Tristin Hopper: Selling hamburgers in the heart of the Soviet Union was an insane idea, but that didn\u0027t stop Canadian George Cohon
The story of how McDonald’s first came to Russia 32 years ago is far more compelling than the usual tale of a multinational brand expanding into a new market. It’s a Cold War thriller involving grand dreams and geopolitical intrigue — and it stars a cast of Canadians. Watch theOh hello, and welcome to National Post Maker Nation, a look at notable Canadian inventions.
Well, Sundback set up the first dedicated zipper factory in St. Catharines, Ont., so all Canada can really lay claim to is being the place where the actual zipper inventor outsourced his manufacturing. It would be like if China suddenly started claiming to have invented the iPhone.Remember the first Moscow McDonald’s? It was the first fast food restaurant to open its doors in the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union was a country that had a 10-year waiting list just to buy a car. The Soviet food system was such an unreliable disaster that McDonald’s had to set up their own supply chains, including contracts with farms, and a dedicated food processing plant in the Moscow suburbs. Cohon’s plan seems particularly nutty when you remember that McDonald’s was a luxury item in the Soviet Union. At roughly eight rubles for a meal, it was half a day’s wages for the average Soviet worker.
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