Not Lovin' It: Iconic First McDonald's Branch in Indonesia Closes for Good
Jakarta. After nearly 30 years of serving millions of customers at Sarinah in Central Jakarta – the oldest mall in the capital – the first McDonald's branch in Indonesia will close its doors permanently on Sunday.
McDonald's Indonesia's marketing communications director, Michael Hartono, said the decision to close the iconic branch, which was stormed by thousands of curious Jakartans on the day it was opened on Valentine's Day in 1991, was made at the request of the mall's management.
The state-owned shopping center Sarinah will undergo its first major renovation since it was opened in 1967 and will be turned into an Indonesia-themed mall.
McDonald's will officially close the restaurant in Sarinah on Jalan Thamrin permanently on May 10.
"McDonald's Sarinah Thamrin is our flagship store. It was a milestone in McDonald's' history in Indonesia. Millions of our customers have dined at the restaurant, sharing beautiful memories and unforgettable moments across generations," Michael said in a statement on Friday.
The American fast-food chain opened its first branch on the ground floor of the Sarinah mall on Feb. 14, 1991. The restaurant was temporarily closed in 2009 and reopened in 2011 after a bidding process.
Michael said all the McDonald's employees from the Sarinah Thamrin branch would keep their jobs and be relocated to other McDonald's branches.
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