OAK BROOK, Ill., July 17 (UPI) -- Hamburger chain McDonald's said it would open its first store in Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City in early 2014.

The Guardian reported Wednesday that McDonald's is a step behind a few other brand name restaurant chains that have already opened outlets in Vietnam, including KFC, which has 130 outlets in the country.


Among U.S. companies, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut and Starbucks already have a presence in the country, that began loosening restrictions on foreign investors in the 1990s, the Guardian said.

The first McDonald's in the country will be operated by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's son-in-law Henry Nguyen, who, along with his political connections, has experience at McDonald's on his resume.

Henry Nguyen worked at McDonald's for two summers as a teenager, the newspaper said.

Nguyen told the BBC that Vietnam was "a young, dynamic country."

"More than half the people here in Vietnam are under the age of 25 and I think they're looking for a new experience. Bringing in ... international brands like McDonald's helps meet that market demand and aspiration," he said.