Hundreds of Sarajevans waited in lines in heavy rain for hamburgers and french fries at the first Bosnian branch of the McDonald’s fast-food empire, RFE/RL’s Balkan Service reports.
Sarajevo Mayor Alija Behmen officially opened the restaurant on the Bosnian capital’s main street, named after Marshall Tito, and made the first food order.
Behmen said McDonald’s presence sent a strong signal to badly needed foreign investors.
He also dismissed fears that hamburgers would undermine the lofty place of cevapcici, a traditional grilled minced-meat dish that is revered in the Balkans and beyond.
“Has McDonald’s put pizza in danger in Italy or sausages in Munich? This will only broaden the choice,” Behmen said.