McDonald's Ben Thanh store suddenly announced its closure after 10 years

Images of McDonald's Ben Thanh during its early days of opening - Photo: McDonald's Vietnam Fanpage

As one of the first McDonald's stores in Vietnam, Ben Thanh is considered to be in an "extremely central" location, being both near the bustling Ben Thanh Market and not far from the Bui Vien tourist area, which is often crowded with visitors. Therefore, the news that McDonald's Ben Thanh will officially close after 10 years of operation has attracted a wave of public attention.

On the McDonald's Vietnam fanpage on September 16, the fast food chain suddenly announced that McDonald's Ben Thanh store will officially close at 2am on September 19. The reason was not announced, but once again the online community pointed to the reason "unable to afford the rent of the central location".

With its prime location and 24/7 opening hours, McDonald's Ben Thanh is not only a place for fast food but also a meeting and gathering spot for young people and tourists late at night. Many people once hoped that this outlet would "try to hold on" until the first metro line became operational. At that point, it would be an unmissable destination for locals.

With the announcement of McDonald's Ben Thanh closure, the American fast food chain will have 35 locations nationwide in Vietnam, with about 17 locations in Ho Chi Minh City alone.

After Starbucks, McDonald's closure of its central location has marked another upheaval in the food and beverage (F&B) market in Vietnam.

The fact that these two "giants" in the culinary industry have consecutively stopped operating a number of key branches in the center of Ho Chi Minh City shows a change in development strategy, as well as an increasingly fierce competition in the F&B industry.

International brands are facing high operating costs, pressure from central rental prices and changes in Vietnamese consumer behavior, not to mention fierce competition from domestic and regional brands.

"Both Starbucks and McDonald's may have restructuring plans to optimize business efficiency, but closing prominent locations like Ben Thanh suggests they are adjusting their strategies to adapt to market fluctuations," commented an expert in the F&B industry.

However, the closure of long-standing stores and outlets inevitably makes consumers regret a new experience and change in service style that appeared many years ago.

The question is whether the withdrawal of these major brands will pave the way for other F&B giants to enter the same market.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cua-hang-mcdonald-s-ben-thanh-bat-ngo-thong-bao-dong-cua-sau-10-nam-20240916180510321.htm