Last Friday, international burger giant, McDonald’s confirmed what has been predicted for years – its opening its first store in Vietnam, just after Tet.

The chain’s Vietnam representative, Good Day Hospitality Company, announced that the first location will be at the Dien Bien Phu roundabout in District 1 (just across the canal from Binh Thanh District) and will even feature a 24-hour drive-thru, also the first in Vietnam.

Nguyen Huy Thinh, managing director of McDonald’s Vietnam, said that 80 – 90% of ingredients will be imported.

The last decade has seen the vast expansion of global fast food brands in Vietnam including KFC, Burger King and Dunkin’ Doughnuts, among others.

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McDonald's first considered Vietnam over ten years ago but a poor supply chain and lack of domestic beef forced the Vietnamese market to the back burner. Additionally, in the 1990s, the Hanoi People’s Committee briefly banned McDonald's from the city due to its strong connection to US culture.

Many have raised concerns about the amount of fast food being consumed by Vietnamese who are already experiencing skyrocketing diabetes and obesity rates.

Since abiding by driving rules and queuing aren’t exactly Vietnamese strongpoints, we’re very curious to see how the drive-thru functions.

[Thanh Nien // Photo via _skynet]