Nizhny Novgorod's First McDonald's Closed for 'Technical Reasons'

Sep. 28, 2014

A McDonald's restaurant in downtown Nizhny Novgorod was shut down Saturday, the latest in a series of fast-food restaurant closures, state-run news agency Interfax reported.

Hungry patrons hoping to grab a snack on Saturday from Nizhny Novgorod's first McDonald's restaurant — opened in 1997 — were shocked to find the doors bolted shut, along with a sign explaining that the restaurant had been closed for "technical reasons."

The sign did not provide a timeline for its anticipated reopening, nor did it specify the nature of the technical issues the fast-food restaurant has allegedly encountered.

McDonald's has yet to comment on the outlet's closure, Interfax reported.

Last month, Russia's Federal Consumer Protection Service ordered inspections of the fast-food chain's outlets across the country. The initiative, which has been viewed as a response to Western sanctions against Russia, has led to at the closure of at least 12 outlets on the basis of sanitary violations.

In response to the crackdown, McDonald's announced earlier this month that it would temporarily close 22 of its outlets to allow for their "modernization."

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