site.btaDecember 12, 1994: Bulgaria's First McDonald's Restaurant Opens in Plovdiv

The first McDonald's restaurant in Bulgaria was opened in Plovdiv on December 12, 1994. Thus Bulgaria became the 75th country in which the brand opened an outlet.

In Bulgaria, the world-famous company provides over 1,000 jobs, serving more than 7 million people a year. McDonald's Bulgaria ranked first in the "Large Companies" category in the country's 2006 Best Employers survey. Globally, the chain operates a network of over 35,000 locations in more than 100 countries.

The Bulgarian News Agency's (BTA) coverage of the opening day in 1994 notes that some 4,000 customers were served by 18 p.m. as the city's main street was packed with people since early morning. The restaurant had a capacity of 100 seats and about 40 standing places.

"McDonald's offers its guests the traditional menu for the chain - hamburgers, ice creams, shakes, fruit juices and carbonated drinks of Coca-Cola Bulgaria. The meats, cheeses and potatoes are imported from Germany and Hungary. The company gets the bread rolls, lettuce, fruit juices from Bulgarian suppliers," BTA's newsletter adds.