McDonald's announces official opening of its first restaurant in Vietnam; location marks burger chain's 10,000th restaurant in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region

Nevin Barich

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam , February 10, 2014 (press release) – 10,000th McDonald's Restaurant in the Asia Pacific Region

McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) today announced the opening of its first restaurant in Vietnam, which also marks the 10,000th restaurant for the chain in the Asia, Pacific, Middle East, and Africa region.

The opening of the 24-hour Drive-Thru McDonald's restaurant -- the first drive-thru restaurant ever in Vietnam -- heralds an entirely new level of dining convenience for customers in Ho Chi Minh City. Strategically located at the busy roundabout at intersection of Dien Bien Phu and Nguyen Binh Khiem Streets in District 1, the two-story standalone restaurant is easily accessible for commuters to purchase a McDonald's meal on the go using the Drive-Thru service.

"We're proud to open our 10,000th regional McDonald's restaurant in Vietnam, a country which offers tremendous opportunity to grow our Brand," said Don Thompson, McDonald's President and CEO. "I'm thrilled to be here to celebrate with our local team and welcome our new employees and customers together. Our commitment in this part of the world and everywhere is to deliver a modern and exciting restaurant experience with delicious food and drinks, at the convenience our customers expect from McDonald's."

"Our relationship with our Vietnamese partner is strong and firmly rooted in McDonald's values. We look forward to building our brand and our business responsibly, as part of our growth strategy in Asia, and to making a positive impact in the local Vietnamese community," added Dave Hoffmann, President of McDonald's Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

McDonald's 350-seat restaurant in the Da Kao ward of District 1 reflects best-in-class design with a full range of amenities and services unique to McDonald's restaurants around the world. With a total floor area more than 1,300 square metres on a property close to 3,000 square metres, the restaurant is designed as a modern dining destination. In addition to Drive-Thru service, customers will enjoy a multitude of offerings around the clock including delicious McDonald's food, free Wifi internet access, family-friendly amenities like a children's Playplace and party rooms, and parking facilities for cars and more than 250 motorbikes.

On the menu front, in addition to McDonald's iconic choices such as the Big Mac and world-famous French fries, the first restaurant in Vietnam will launch the McPork line of burgers, which was especially created to reflect local Vietnamese tastes.

"Today is a very special day for the entire McDonald's Vietnam team. All of us have been highly inspired by the tremendous support we have received from the global McDonald's team and the rigorous operational training our team has experienced over the past year. We are extremely proud to serve our customers who have long waited for the arrival of McDonald's here," said Henry Nguyen, founder of Good Day Hospitality and developmental licensee of Vietnam.

"We want our restaurants to be places within the communities they serve where friends and families can enjoy a special McDonald's experience made memorable by fresh, great-tasting food, fast and friendly service, and a comfortable and welcoming environment. The opening of our first restaurant in Vietnam is just the beginning of a journey with our customers. We will work hard to continually stay relevant to our customers' needs and exceed their expectations," added Nguyen.

ABOUT McDONALD'S

McDonald's is the world's leading global food service retailer with more than 35,000 locations serving approximately 70 million customers in more than 100 countries each day. More than 80% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business men and women. To learn more about the company, please visit: www.aboutmcdonalds.com and follow us on Facebook

Vietnam is one of over 65 markets worldwide where the McDonald's Development Licensee (DL) structure has been deployed. The developmental license model is a form of franchising that McDonald's has been using for more than 30 years around the world to grow the Brand.

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