Finnish fast food company Hesburger announces plans to close all offices in Russia and Belarus "as soon as possible".
In a press release on Tuesday, Hesburger CEO Kari Salmela said the chain plans to close down both countries this summer, as many other international companies have done since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
However, many Finns have criticized the timeline of the fast food chain as too slow on social media.
"We will do our best to close the doors of Russian restaurants as soon as possible," Salmela said.
Hesburger has 38 restaurants in Russia and four in Belarus. The fast food chain also has seven stores in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
The company announced plans to withdraw from Russia in early March, but has so far closed only one of its stores.
Legal obligations
Food companies operating in Russia have different legal obligations than companies operating in other industries, as they provide essential services to the public.
Salmela said the closure of the offices has been slow because the company is forced to ensure the safety of local workers and cannot retreat without proper planning and negotiation.
The Finnish food company Fazer announced on Monday that it would face obstacles for similar reasons when closing down its bakery operations in Russia.
Dozens of Finnish companies have announced that they have withdrawn or are withdrawing from Russia after the president Vladimir Putin‘s decided to launch a military offensive against Ukraine just over a month ago.
In addition to Hesburger and other well-known Finnish brands, the retailer S Group and the coffee company Paulig have announced plans to suspend operations in Russia.
Source: The Nordic Page