McDonald's on April 29 celebrated its second anniversary in Ukraine by serving up a product new to the country – the McChicken sandwich.
The McChicken, which has been available in McDonald's restaurants since May 1, is priced at Hr 6.20 ($1.55), 30 kopecks cheaper than the BigMac, the company's trademark hamburger.
Since arriving in Ukraine the company has expanded rapidly, opening 20 restaurants in six cities around Ukraine and investing $12 million.
But according to Peter Hnatiuk, the company's director for public relations, McDonald's isn't making a profit in Ukraine and probably won't do so for the next five to seven years.
'We had no profit last year. Every kopeck that we earned was invested into increasing our network,' he told a press conference on April 29.
He refused to disclose the turnover figures, but said the restaurants are performing as expected – last year they served 12 million customers across the country.
The company is currently working to develop its local supplies network. Currently, 35 percent of supplies for the restaurants are produced in Ukraine, and the figure is expected to reach 90 percent in another two years.
