McDonald’s closes HCMC store in prime location after 10 years

McDonald’s Ben Thanh outlet will reluctantly close its doors at 2 a.m, Thursday, September 19, “ending a decade-long journey,” according to a Monday announcement on its fanpage.

No reason was mentioned for the closure of the outlet that is one of the chain’s oldest in Vietnam and its second in Ho Chi Minh City.

"Although we don’t want to say goodbye, McDonald’s Ben Thanh will end its 10-year journey full of emotions at 2 a.m. on September 19, 2024," said the statement on the international chain’s fanpage which has over 82 million followers.

Opened in May 2014, McDonald’s Ben Thanh was the second store of the chain to be launched in HCMC, just three months after the launch of the first.

The three-storied restaurant, which covers nearly 660 square meters and operates 24 hours a day, has a seating capacity of around 260 (180 indoors and 80 outdoors) with views of the green space at 23/9 Park.

Instead of a drive-thru, the Ben Thanh location offered a unique “To Go” ordering counter, allowing busy customers to quickly purchase food, drinks and desserts without entering the restaurant.

Although McDonald’s had previously announced plans to open 100 stores in Vietnam over a decade, it operates just 36 locations in major cities like HCMC, Hanoi, Binh Duong province and Khanh Hoa province.

Another international food and beverage chain that has closed an outlet at a prime, “legendary” location in the city is Starbucks. It closed its Reserve Han Thuyen store in District 1 after seven years. It was one of only two Starbucks Reserve stores in Vietnam, with the other located on Nha Tho Street in Hanoi.