Iceland’s McDonald’s-Free Landscape

Iceland is a country devoid of McDonald’s restaurants. The fast-food giant ceased operations in Iceland on October 30, 2009, following the 2008-2011 Icelandic financial crisis and elevated import tariffs on foreign ingredients. These factors necessitated a price hike for McDonald’s products, making it difficult to maintain a presence in the country. Interestingly, Icelanders can still enjoy fast food through local chains such as Hamborgarabúllan and Aktu Taktu, which have filled the gap left by McDonald’s. Additionally, the absence of McDonald’s has contributed to Iceland’s reputation for having a healthy lifestyle, with the country consistently ranking high in global life expectancy and wellbeing indices.

The Hula Burger was a meatless burger introduced in the 1960’s by….

The Hula Burger was a meatless burger introduced in the 1960’s by Ray Kroc to McDonald’s. It was a substitute for American Catholics that would not eat meat on Fridays. The burger was a slice of grilled pineapple with cheese on a bun. But this was designed to go up against the Filet-O-Fish, which was created by a Catholic McDonald’s Franchisee Lou Groen. McDonald’s ended production of the Hula Burger early on, as it became quickly evident that its alternative, the Filet-O-Fish, was getting much better traction.