McDonald's restaurants in Kazakhstan reopen as 'I am Daniyar,' 'I am Yulia,' 'I am Aray' etc

Former McDonald's restaurants in Kazakhstan have changed signs yet again. "We're Open" signs have been replaced with new "I am…" signs that contain proper names (in Kazakh language). For example, the signs of a restaurant in the city of Alma-Ata says "I am Madiyar."

Other restaurants were called "I am Daniyar," I am Yulia," "I am Aray," I am Alexander," etc.

Food Solutions KZ restaurant management company confirmed that the signs of former McDonald's restaurants were changed in six cities.

“Instead of the old inscriptions "Biz ashykpyz/We are open", the new signs appear as: “Men Araymyn”, “Men Aruzhanmyn”, “Men Daniyarmyn”, “Men Yuliamyn” and the like. Food Solutions KZ prepared a surprise for its guests related to the name of the restaurants,” company representatives told Nur.kz.

There are 24 McDonald's restaurants in Kazakhstan: in Astana, Alma-Ata, Atyrau, Aktobe, Kostanay and Karaganda. The food chain came to the republic in 2016.

In November 2022, McDonald's restaurants in Kazakhstan were closed due to "local supply restrictions". In early January, Bloomberg reported that the chain was about to pull out of Kazakhstan due to supply chain disruptions. The US-based corporation banned the Kazakh franchisee from buying minced meat from Russian suppliers after McDonald's had left the Russian market.

Two days later, McDonald's signs in Kazakhstan were removed and Food Solutions KZ said that it would announce the opening of new restaurants in the near future.

In late January, former McDonald's restaurants in Kazakhstan reopened without a name. The signs said "We are open". Neither the venue nor the pricing policy changed - only the branding was gone.