Which communist country was the first to have a McDonald's restaurant?

The golden arches of McDonald's spanned the communist world for the first time on March 24, 1988 as they opened their fast-food restaurant in the Yugoslavian capital city of Belgrade. There are nearly 10,000 McDonald’s restaurants in the world, but the Belgrade outlet is the first in a communist country.

The restaurant featured a plush interior which can seat 350 visitors and serve up to 2,500 meals an hour, operators said. It is set in a neatly decorated, old building that has been extensively renovated with an interior of amber-colored marble floors and tables, soft illumination, pastel-colored upholstery, and modern art paintings.

The Belgrade media has said the success of McDonald’s in Yugoslavia depends on its acceptance by people long accustomed to a hamburger-like fast food dish called the Pljeskavica. The traditional dish is made with ground pork and onions instead of the beef used in Big Macs and other American hamburgers. It is also served in a bun and sold throughout the country in fast-food outlets and other restaurants.