Which country was the first to receive a McDonald's restaurant in Europe?

The Netherlands was the first European country to receive a McDonald’s restaurant, in 1971.

McDonald’s opened its first European location in Zaandam, near Amsterdam, as the company expanded after establishing operations in Canada. The opening brought the chain’s American visual system and fast-service format into Europe while beginning the regional adaptation that would characterize later growth.

The Netherlands is often confused with Germany, France, or the United Kingdom because each became an important European market. The United Kingdom did not receive its first McDonald’s until 1974. Europe’s first location therefore belongs to the Netherlands, not to one of the continent’s larger or more frequently cited markets.