LOOK: These 4 Major F&B Brands Halt Operations in Russia

From temporarily closing their stores to suspending their businesses, these major F&B brands buckle up in the united front against Russia.

Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, many major players and brands have exited the market in a move to cripple Russia's economy. These include well-known brands like McDonald’s, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Starbucks, who have all stopped sales effective Tuesday, March 8, 2022.

And these 4 companies all have major operations in Russia.

With Starbucks and McDonald's temporarily closing hundreds of stores, PepsiCo stopping the sale of its drinks brands, and Coca-Cola suspending its business in Russia, the bold move by these big brands in the Food and Beverage (F&B) industry will undoubtedly impact the country and its citizens.

End of an Era: McDonald's

Despite temporarily closing all 847 of its restaurants, McDonald's said in a statement that it will still continue paying the salaries of its 62,000 employees in Russia. But this closure also carries a symbolic message, since its first branch in central Moscow’s Pushkin Square—a symbol of flourishing American capitalism as the Soviet Union fell—will also be closed.

"We serve millions of Russian customers each day who count on McDonald's. In the thirty-plus years that McDonald's has operated in Russia, we've become an essential part of the 850 communities in which we operate," CEO Chris Kempczinski says in a statement. "[But] at the same time, our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine."

A United Front