For many Lithuanians, a visit to the new restaurant on Seinų Street became not just a meal, but also an opportunity to get closer to the still little-known Western world.
This 15min article is about the first “McDonald’s,” what the opening day looked like, what the burger prices were at the time, how much the employees earned, and what their routine was like.
We prepared it based on old articles from “Lietuvos rytas” and “Respublika” and an LTV report, as well as memories from an employee who worked in the first restaurant.
From Luxembourg Gardens to a restaurant for the whole family
Until 1996, where “McDonald’s” operates now, there were trade kiosks. Piles of garbage were an eyesore around, and the area was favored by drunks and vagrants.
All this led to the area being ironically nicknamed “Luxembourg Gardens.”
“As a Vilnius resident, I am happy and amazed that in that district near the station, the famous Luxembourg Garden, which was really known as such an acupuncture point of Vilnius, suddenly it got cleaned up, refreshed, purified, tanned, and now there stands such a beautiful and cool American thing,” Vytautas Kernagis said with joy to LTV television before the restaurant opening.
On the day of the restaurant opening, Lithuanian newspapers featured a large advertisement inviting people to a “restaurant for the whole family.”
The advertisement also emphasized that “McDrive” was operating – visitors could eat without leaving their car.
As the press at the time wrote, the restaurant, which was supposed to open its doors at 6 a.m., opened fifteen minutes earlier.
People were allowed into the restaurant in small groups, and 15 security guards monitored order inside and around the restaurant.
People had to stand in line for 15-20 minutes outside the restaurant.
