Brazil got South America’s first McDonald’s restaurant in 1979.
The first Brazilian location opened on February 13, 1979, in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. That opening marked McDonald’s arrival in South America and made Brazil the first Portuguese-speaking country to receive the chain. The restaurant’s launch came as McDonald’s was expanding beyond its early international footholds in Canada, Puerto Rico and Central America.
The year can cause confusion because several other international milestones also occurred in 1979. Singapore received Southeast Asia’s first McDonald’s that year, while Brazil’s opening was the South American milestone. Argentina did not get its first restaurant until 1986, and Colombia and Chile joined the regional network later.
McDonald’s initially concentrated in Brazil’s major urban markets. A second Brazilian restaurant opened in São Paulo in 1981, before the company broadened its national presence. Today, Brazilian operations are associated with Arcos Dorados, McDonald’s major Latin American franchise operator.