PETTY

Russia Shuts Down McDonald's Franchises

After random checks.

In a move that has been widely seen as retaliatory, the Russian government has kicked off a series of random checks at McDonald's around the country, and has already shut down four prime locations in Moscow. Government officials from Siberia to Sochi have announced they will be launching their own investigations. No information has been given about what has been found at the restaurants. One of the restaurants closed included the company's oldest in the country, just off Pushkinskaya Square that was seen as symbolic when it opened 24 years ago upon the end of the Cold War. McDonald's took the high road in a public statement, making no reference to politics, saying: “We are looking at the substance of the allegations to work out what measures are needed to open our restaurants to visitors as soon as possible.”