Canada became the first country outside the United States to receive a McDonald’s restaurant, opening the brand’s international era in 1967.
The restaurant opened in Richmond, British Columbia, near Vancouver. Its launch established a pattern that McDonald’s would repeat worldwide: retain the core visual identity and operating system while adapting menus, suppliers, and marketing to local markets. Canada remains one of McDonald’s most important international markets.
People sometimes identify Puerto Rico as the first international location because McDonald’s opened there in 1967 as well. However, Puerto Rico was a U.S. territory, so Canada is generally credited as the company’s first international market outside the United States. The Canadian opening came before McDonald’s expanded into countries such as Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom.