Living in Peru : your everyday companion

McDonald's opens fast food restaurant in Cusco, Peru

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Just months after it was announced that a McDonald's, Starbucks and KFC would be opened in Cusco's historic main square, representatives of the golden arches in Peru announced the fast food restaurant was now open for business.

With a $900,000 investment, Cusco's first McDonald's, which is located in the Imperial City's Plaza de Armas, is to open its doors to the public today, announced Fernando de la Flor, Peru's general manager of the multinational.

"We are happy that Cusco is receiving us on this opportunity. Cusco is our country's historic capital and has the most important historic monuments such as Machu Picchu or Coricancha," said De la Flor, explaining the city was also Peru's tourism capital.

"Today we have the chance to meet the people of Cusco, who will always be received well in our McDonald's home," affirmed the general manager.

The international fast food chain has nineteen restaurants in Peru and employs over 1,000 people.

It has been reported that the coffeehouse chain Starbucks will also have an establishment in the city's main square.

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# Rachel says :
11 September, 2008 [ 14:26 ]

Next McDonald's will have a French Fry snack stand INSIDE the MP Sanctuary like they do at Disney.

In honor of opening their newest location in Cuzco, they will now serve Cuy McNuggets and NOT chicken.

# peloflex says :
11 September, 2008 [ 14:32 ]

LOL Rachel... you beat me at asking them to include cuy on their menu.... I was going to ask for Crispy Cuy Sandwish though...

Good one!

# Mike says :
11 September, 2008 [ 14:59 ]

Yeah!  Mickey-D's!  Woo-Hoo!

# Gary Brightman says :
11 September, 2008 [ 23:13 ]

As an American, I can't tell you how pleased I am that there is now something to eat in Cuzco.

# Xavi says :
12 September, 2008 [ 02:53 ]

Gary, you've got to be kidding, there are so many good restaurants in this city, even if you stick to diners or chinese or fast food, you will find plenty to eat. Peru has a great cousin, one of the bests in the world, but i guess that openning a McDonald there is no more offensive than having one in Paris.
Cuy Burger a la Parilla!!

i dont eat cuy, too cute..

# martin says :
12 September, 2008 [ 10:49 ]

hey gary, you must be tripping dude.
i always eat like a king in cusco. tacos, pizza(cusco's style), burgers. i even go to the israely joint at the top of procuradores street.
damn, i miss cusco.

i hate mcdonalds, horrible pre-cooked food. there's a bembos in cusco thank God.

cheers.

# Mike says :
12 September, 2008 [ 10:56 ]

I think the burning question we are all thinking about is whether or not the this Mickey-D's will have Monopoly.

# Cajob Elod says :
12 September, 2008 [ 11:05 ]

**** Micky D's...
Seriously.
Worst food in the World. And it's ugly. And bad for you.
Seriously.
Would you eat something a Clown had cooked for you?
Seriously, would you?

# martin says :
12 September, 2008 [ 11:11 ]

i don't mind the clown. the food is not good though. i hope mcdonalds respects the architecture of the place at least. it would be horrible to see neon lights and a flamboyant design in the main plaza.

# Rev says :
14 September, 2008 [ 01:27 ]

I feel like a ronald McDonald right now

# Lisa says :
19 September, 2008 [ 14:18 ]

Just got back from Peru a few days before this....  gee.  So sorry I missed it.  Actually I was very pleased to not see McDonald's anywhere I went in Peru!  Although I did see several KFC's...   I didn't check that was chicken or cuy??  We ate so well in Cusco; they had great variety of food, very cheap and it was great.  I highly recommend Tupananchi's - directly across from La Merced.  Excellent food. 

# Chad says :
19 September, 2008 [ 14:41 ]

                             McDonald's sucks

# An American in Lima says :
24 September, 2008 [ 15:45 ]

I'm disturbed that the archbishop of Cusco (whose institution owns the building that is being leased to McDonald's) is leasing prime real estate on a historic site to a mega-conglomerate like McDonald's. The Plaza de Armas is recognized as one of the 60 Greatest Public Spaces in the world; having a McDonald's there cheapens the plaza and, of course, the profits made there funnel back to the U.S., not to Peru.

McDonald's belongs anywhere in Cusco BUT the Plaza de Armas.

Meanwhile, longstanding Cusco businesses like the Ayllu Cafe are being forced out of the Plaza de Armas due to impending rent increases. The Ayllu had its doors open when Shining Path activity scared many foreigners from Cusco, and the city's tourism was mainly sustained by young backpackers. The Ayllu was a meeting place for families, locals, artists and intellectuals; the Ayllu nurtured the city's sense of community.

Where was McDonald's during those long, hard years?

Now that the archbishop of Cusco can command $10,000 a month rent for a site like the Ayllu, he's letting the spaces go to the highest bidders. What a shame.

See my post about this topic:  http://americaninlima.com/2008/09/24/totally-offensive-mcdonalds-opens-at-cusco-plaza-de-armas/

# xavi says :
24 September, 2008 [ 16:51 ]

spot on, america in lima.
kinda miss lima. just not the limean air.
Cusco is beautiful and special. you just look at the roads
pavements and houses and you realise this is a place that
was glourios in past times.
i guess money can buy pride and morals, not just realestates.
you cant argue with taste, though. some people prefer eating
a chease burger then roasted cuy and seviche.
i just dont wanna see that big M revolving in that square next
time i come to cusco.

# martin says :
26 September, 2008 [ 14:48 ]

i hate cuy. i hate hate hate it.
lima's and northern's food is far better than andes food or jungle food.
lomo saltado, aji de gallina, seco.....that's real (good) peruvian food.
cuy is just not tasteful. i get it, it's ancient food, and we have to protect culture and all that crap. but let's call a spade a spade, mouse meat is NOT good.
cuy is just as bad as mcdonalds. you want a good cheese burger or a good taco, procuradores street is the place in cusco. and YES, fast food is good (i'm not a snob) just not mcdonalds.

if you live in lima on the other hand, well, all i can say is: bon apetit. lima's in the top 5 culinary cities in the WORLD.
cheers brothers

# Nick says :
27 October, 2008 [ 23:35 ]

Cuy is delicious bro.As is every other peruvian dish you just named.

# an American in Lima says :
28 October, 2008 [ 09:44 ]

Xavi -- I like your comment about how present-day Cusco still gives off some of the aura of "glorious" days gone by in imperial Inca. It was the site of the largest and most well organized precolombian empire, and the Plaza de Armas was the center of it all,literally.

The Spaniards decreased the size of the Inca's main square by 1/2, but that land still marks the epicenter of Tayuantinsuyo (sorry if I'm not spelling it right). The fountain and park in the center are lovely, as are the surrounding mountains.

McDonald's on that historic site? It's so out of place.

# martin says :
28 October, 2008 [ 09:48 ]

hey nick.

lets agree to disagree.
i hate that mouse meat as much as i hate the "micros" and "combis".
anyway cheers everybody.

# Matt says :
1 November, 2008 [ 05:41 ]

what a disgrace...get these bastards out of there.No business there whatsoever. My blood boils when I hear this news

# Rich says :
1 November, 2008 [ 07:40 ]

Matt: too many McDonalds coffees this morning?

# Jessica says :
17 November, 2008 [ 18:26 ]

as a cusqueña girl, i must say... this the worst thing that could ever happend to cusco, there are sooo many good and cheap restaurants in cusco, i cant believe it .....mc donalds sucks!!! 
please join us with this cause
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/120623m=159b17c9&recruiter_id=8763120

# mericorps says :
17 November, 2008 [ 23:01 ]

It is a free society and a free-market economy.

I frown on the McDonalds as well, but the only legitimate way to respond to it is to not eat there.  If enough people don't eat, it will close, if enough people want it, then the people have spoken.

# c. schmidt says :
18 November, 2008 [ 15:23 ]

Mc Donalds in Cusco- not bad- at least it is there, on the plaza del Armas- well…? Not exactly my style, but it is there – at least something.  

Can t they come to the northern sierra and make some kind of sierra burgers with papas and mais  like investing in little towns and make a nice loocking cadena there but in second line streets - it would create jobs and also tourists and may be somehow attract other investment because many foreigners are used to their home food and want this even when they visit other places. Just the idea that it is not there- something what not remembers them on home makes many people stay away some time even not to invest.

(I have to admit it- just between us Mc and so on- only once in a while- hopefully the company does not take me wrong)  

# Matthew Billington says :
18 November, 2008 [ 17:06 ]

I'm so, so sad about this....I look at it like a fat man eating and eating until he pukes up and then carries on eating some more just for the sake of it...why don't they all just f*ck off and go piss in a pool that they've already contaminated -like a shopping centre in milwaukee or somewhere like that..........I'm sooooooooooooo angry aaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!!
KFC, Mcdonalds AND Starbucks in the middle of the breathtaking plaza de armas....you can argue many points on this historically or otherwise, but in this day and age, cultural heritage needs to be protected rather than gradually eroded away by revolting plastic global corporations making their mark (as if it wasn't already stamped across out faces like a giant size 12 shoe made from lead!)

# Matthew Billington says :
18 November, 2008 [ 17:07 ]

I'm so, so sad about this....I look at it like a fat man eating and eating until he pukes up and then carries on eating some more just for the sake of it...why don't they all just f*ck off and go piss in a pool that they've already contaminated -like a shopping centre in milwaukee or somewhere like that..........I'm sooooooooooooo angry aaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!!
KFC, Mcdonalds AND Starbucks in the middle of the breathtaking plaza de armas....you can argue many points on this historically or otherwise, but in this day and age, cultural heritage needs to be protected rather than gradually eroded away by revolting plastic global corporations making their mark (as if it wasn't already stamped across out faces like a giant size 12 shoe made from lead!)

# mericorps says :
18 November, 2008 [ 18:41 ]

Matthew,

Can you show me that their building is not conforming to the local area? Most McDonalds that I have seen in historic areas do comply with local building codes..  Again, i do nto like McDonalds, but I think if we are going to criticize, we need to be fair and honest.

# Francisco says :
11 February, 2009 [ 02:39 ]

Extra! Extra! This just in fellas...


Disney Corp. plans to open a new theme park in Peru! Disney is looking foward to open a South American Disneyland and Peru is being considered a top priority.

The possible sites Disney has enquired about have been: Lima and Cuzco....

So far Cuzco is calling the shots... (due to the constant arrival of 1st world tourists and wealthy Peruvians/Latinos)

Who knows, soon we're gonna have in Cuzco, McD`s KFC`s Pizza Hut`s Starbucks, Wendy`s Denny`s Sbarro`s IHOP`s and of course our local Disneyland...

What you guys think?

Soon I'll post the incumbent URL...

Pancho

# Barbara says :
22 June, 2009 [ 09:52 ]

As an update to this story (June 2009):

The downstairs Ayllu has closed and is being converted into a Starbucks. There is an upstairs site that overlooks the Plaza which is still open but will be closing in 2 or 3 months.

I talked to two restaurant owners whose eateries are located not on the Plaza de Armas but on side streets where the Church owns real estate. The archbishop of Cusco is raising their rents too -- so much that these classic local restaurants cannot afford to stay and are planning to leave. These are established businesses that cater to both locals and to tourists, serving up good, healthy Peruvian fare.

the story isn't over yet: http://americaninlima.com/2009/06/21/archbishop-cusco-to-evict-local/

# Joe says :
17 November, 2009 [ 21:39 ]

Now who the hell would travel to the cuisine meca of the world and eat McDonalds!!! Peruvian food is world renound and McDonalds is well just that, McDonalds. Only stupid Americans will fill this restaurant in Cuzco.

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