Does Iceland have McDonald’s?
Does Iceland have McDonald’s? No. McDonald’s closed its restaurants in Iceland in 2009, after the financial crash, and hasn’t reopened. A burger and fries bought shortly before the closure became a long-running display.
Why did McDonald’s leave Iceland?
When Iceland’s banks collapsed in 2008, the króna lost around half its value. McDonald’s required its ingredients to be imported, and suddenly they cost too much to sell at a sensible price. The three Icelandic restaurants closed at the end of October 2009.
What happened to the burger that was kept?
Shortly before the restaurants closed, an Icelander named Hjörtur Smárason bought a burger and fries and kept them. The meal has changed very little since. It spent time at the National Museum of Iceland and then at a Reykjavík hostel, and was later put on display at Snotra House, a guesthouse in Þykkvibær in South Iceland, which has streamed it online, last we checked. Check before you travel out to see it.
Will McDonald’s come back?
There are no announced plans. In 2025 a fan ran a one-day pop-up with burgers brought in from abroad, but that was a one-off stunt, not a reopening.
So what do Icelanders eat instead?
The hot dog is the real national fast food (see how to order one). Reykjavík also has plenty of local burger places, many using Icelandic beef or lamb. There are also Icelandic burger places and some other international chains.
Quick answers
Is there a McDonald’s in Iceland?
No. McDonald’s left Iceland in 2009 after the financial crash and has not returned.
Why did McDonald’s close in Iceland?
After the 2008 crash, the króna lost about half its value, which made the imported ingredients McDonald’s required too expensive.
Where is the last McDonald’s burger in Iceland?
A burger and fries bought shortly before the 2009 closure were kept and later displayed at Snotra House in South Iceland. Check before visiting.
Sources
Written by Elfar Tjörfi Steinason. We checked the facts in this article against these sources on 19 October 2026:
