Social media posts have been circulating claiming that McDonald’s closed its branches in Iceland due to a public boycott related to the Israel-Hamas war. However, this information is false. The closure of McDonald’s in Iceland actually occurred on 30 October 2009, following the Icelandic financial crisis in 2008. The depreciation of the Icelandic currency made imports necessary for McDonald’s products too expensive, leading to the closure of the restaurants. McDonald’s Iceland was heavily reliant on importing meat from Germany, further contributing to the financial challenges. Despite the closure, an image of the last cheeseburger and fries sold in the country is displayed at Snotra House, attracting a live stream audience of up to 400,000 views.
Due to its perceived support of Israel, McDonald’s has been a target for boycotts since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October of last year. The fast-food chain faced criticism for providing free meals to Israeli soldiers, leading to protests around the world. Sales in the Middle East, Indonesia, and France have been particularly impacted by the boycotts. McDonald’s eventually repurchased its Israeli restaurants after experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the boycott. The boycott has been described by CEO Chris Kempczinski as “disheartening and ill-founded”, with significant impact on the company’s financial results in the final quarter of 2023. Misinformation about McDonald’s position on the conflict in the Middle East has also contributed to the negative impact on sales.
Social media posts connecting the closure of McDonald’s in Iceland to a public boycott related to the Israel-Hamas war have been circulating, but these claims are inaccurate. The closure of McDonald’s in Iceland was not due to such a boycott, but rather a result of the Icelandic financial crisis in 2008. The devaluation of the Icelandic currency made imports for McDonald’s products too expensive, leading to the closure of the restaurants in the country. McDonald’s Iceland, reliant on importing meat from Germany, faced financial challenges that contributed to its closure in 2009.
McDonald’s closure in Iceland has been falsely linked to a public boycott related to the Israel-Hamas war, despite the actual cause being the country’s financial crisis in 2008. The closure of McDonald’s in Iceland occurred on 30 October 2009, with the fast-food chain attributing its departure to the financial challenges posed by the devaluation of the Icelandic currency. McDonald’s was replaced by a local fast-food chain called Metro, which offered similar items using cheaper, locally sourced ingredients. As of now, there are no more McDonald’s restaurants in Iceland, with the last cheeseburger and fries sold in the country displayed at Snotra House and garnering up to 400,000 live stream views.
Boycotts against McDonald’s have been a prominent issue since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war, with the fast-food chain facing criticism for giving away free meals to Israeli soldiers. This led to global protests and boycotts that significantly affected sales in various countries, including the Middle East, Indonesia, and France. As a consequence of the boycotts, McDonald’s bought back its Israeli restaurants after experiencing financial difficulties attributed to the negative impact. CEO Chris Kempczinski expressed disappointment in the boycotts, describing them as ill-founded and emphasizing the misinformation surrounding McDonald’s position on the Israel-Hamas conflict. The boycotts were noted to have materially affected the company’s financial results in the final quarter of 2023.