Why there's almost no McDonald's in the Balkans
25 January 2025
Did you know there are some countries in Europe without a McDonald's restaurant? Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Montenegro – alongside countries like North Korea, Bermuda, and Iran – are McDonald's-free. This is largely due to the lack of franchising opportunities, and relatively low income, which means a McDonald's meal is considered a luxury Western take-out treat, rather than a cheap grab-and-go lunch.
Small market sizes and small populations compared to other parts of Europe also play a role. Also, local fast food is already thriving in the Western Balkans, selling meat heavy and traditional dishes – such as Cevapi, Pljeskavica, and Burek with meat (or just ‘Burek' to avoid offending any Bosnians reading) – at affordable prices.
 | Nadja Lovadinov The Balkans are also somewhat of a ‘wild west', and the business environment is rife with corruption and lawlessness, which poses challenges for established chains like McDonald's. It was recently reported that the KFC chain, which has been linked to the Albanian-Georgian mafia, sold chicken with salmonella. Meanwhile, McDonald's in Bosnia closed permanently in 2023, after the local owner's corruption scheme that cost the chain 500.000 euros. It was also reported that the franchise provided marketing space to one of the main political parties during an election campaign. Conveniently, when the franchise shut down, a restaurant chain called Bash Burger appeared, offering their customers a menu identical to the McDonald's one, with the same people in managerial positions. Even in Croatia, which has McDonald's, the Costa coffee brand fell through as coffee drinking is almost a ceremony there, not something you take in paper cups and walk out. |
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