Analytics, Lithuania, Markets and Companies

A few years ago, the most world-known fast food restaurant McDonald's wanted to leave the Lithuanian market due to financial difficulties. Meanwhile, today representatives of the company share only good news about their business in this country. The restaurant together with other such kind of establishments plans to expand its network here next year, writes ELTA.

Kebab restaurants which have started emerging like mushrooms in various Lithuanian towns and villages, are also expanding their business.

"Recently, prices for our products have been growing slower than in other restaurants and cafes. This is why these restaurants are becoming relatively cheaper than others," Virginija Girulska, Marketing Manager for the McDonald's network in the Baltic countries, says.

There used to be times when not everyone could afford to buy a burger. Everything has changed after Lithuania joined the EU, when 40% of customs tax for imported food products that the company had to pay, was lowered. According to Girulska's estimates, food prices at McDonald's grew by about 10% this year – much less comparing to other catering facilities in the cities.

The fact that people are served right at the counter in fast food restaurants helps the restaurants lower their expenditure. They do not need waiters and crockery because people carry food to tables themselves; besides, the food is served in recyclable packages.

Burgers, French fries or sweet dishes are made of frozen products which are made abroad in large factories, and only certain vegetables are bought in Lithuania.

It is expected that more fast food restaurants will open in Lithuania in the nearest future.

"The economic situation is worsening, and people will likely prefer fast food restaurants more and more often," said Marketing Head of Hesburger branch in Finland, Kari Salmela.

The first Hesburger restaurant in Lithuania was opened a year ago. Now there are 11 of them over the country's biggest cities and towns. What is more, next year, the corporation plans to open four or even five fast food restaurants.

KFC fast food representatives also plan to open their restaurants in Vilnius and Klaipeda, because so far there has been only one such restaurant in Kaunas.

"After investigating the market, we are ready to develop our restaurant network in Lithuania," the head of the KFC restaurant network in Lithuania, Lijana Balseviciene maintained.

Due to constant discussions on the impact of fast food on people's health, businessmen emphasize that they have been paying much attention to healthy eating. According to them, rich sauces, dishes of pork, and calorific food are not popular in their restaurants – they offer only quality products with low content of fat.

The factory Esca Food Solutions in Poland makes chicken and beef burgers from minced beef rump, chicken legs and breasts for the Mac Donald's restaurants in the Baltic countries, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Germany. No spices, pepper or salt are added to this minced meat. The made burgers are later frozen and kept no longer than three months in the fridge.

"Our food is of the highest quality and there is no ground to say it is unhealthy. Everything depends on the quantity of food we eat," Valdemaras Kowalkowskis, the director of the food factory asserted.

McDonald's and other fast food chains usually order food products in other countries, because so far it is not worth taking small orders to the restaurant. However, its representatives hope that in the future, Lithuanian chicken growing farms will take their orders and the chicken meat will not have to be brought from Germany Russia, or Poland.

People used to think that fast food would not gain popularity in this country. However, those who did so, were wrong, because now that Lithuanians travel more, they get used to various kinds of food, so their eating habits have also changed, and, although not every day, but now they are not against eating some fast food from time to time.

In the opinion of the Hesburger representative Salmela, life tempo of Lithuanians reflected on their eating habits, making them choose fast food.