Canada became the first country outside the United States to have a McDonald’s restaurant, opening one in 1967.
The first Canadian restaurant opened in Richmond, British Columbia. This expansion marked the beginning of McDonald’s international growth and showed how the company could carry its visual identity, operating standards, and menu concept beyond the United States.
Canada was a natural early market because of its geographic proximity and close economic ties with the United States. The opening also provided an important test of how a standardized restaurant brand could operate across a national border while adapting to local business conditions.
Canada is sometimes overlooked because McDonald’s later international milestones, including openings in Japan, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, received substantial publicity. Those launches occurred after the Canadian expansion. The 1967 Canadian opening therefore represents McDonald’s first step into international restaurant branding.