Fast food chain McDonald’s has ceased all operations in Iceland, citing high operational costs of importing goods for making their products. In its place, the restaurant Metro will open.
Metro will also be fast food, but will use all Icelandic ingredients in their food. McDonald’s in Iceland imported all their material from abroad, and the current economic situation had rendered the cost of doing so prohibitively high – twice the operation costs as before the crash of the banks.
A statement from Lyst ehf., the company in overseeing the change, makes a point to emphasize that the closing of McDonald’s will actually result in more jobs – 10 to 15 more – and that the restaurant will purchase raw materials – such as beef, chicken, dairy products, sauces, ice cream, bread, vegetables and packaging – all from Icelandic producers.
The downtown restaurant Hressó was also at one time a McDonald’s. The company has arguably long been having a difficult time of it in Iceland.
Photo unrelated to the story.