McD not only has almost 100k employees it also has over 95% of its supply chain from domestic (Russian) sources. McD is irreplaceable, any other fast food business already have their supplier and not even retail supermarkets won’t be able to absorb the influx of foodstuff, not to mention settle in multi-year contracts.<p>The ripple effect might put ~500k out of the workforce!<p>And this before considering the symbolism of McD having opened in Moscow in 1990!
The younger generation may not be familiar with the name Thomas Friedman (NYT) as his popularity seemed to peak decades ago but he had this "McDonald's theory of no war" that people quoted:<p><i>>In Friedman’s hands, the sophisticated flavors of Cobden and Smith were homogenized into a quick-serve dish, which he called the “Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention.” His thesis, originally expounded in a 1996 column, proposed to explain the decline in war as a result of the expansion of global capitalism: “No two countries that both have a McDonald’s have ever fought a war against each other.”</i> -- from : <a href="https://archive.ph/lNwNQ" rel="nofollow">https://archive.ph/lNwNQ</a><p>Moscow Russia has McDonald's. Kyiv Ukraine also has McDonald's. Well, here we are.
Well, they can have 850 open restaurants with various protests worldwide or they can have 850 restaurants closed that might even increase business... Hmm...