McDonald's is set to expand into the Central Asian market with the establishment of two outlets in Astana, Kazakhstan, BNN has reported.

The decision marks a significant step in the American fast-food chain's expansion into the region.

The two venues are planned for the opposite banks of the Ishim River at 26 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue and 49 Bogenbay Batyr Street and will serve a diverse customer base.

Food Solutions KZ, the franchise holder of McDonald's in Kazakhstan, has received the licences for construction, indicating the official start of the projects.

Their opening dates have not yet been announced.

The move will create new employment opportunities and intensify competition in the local foodservice sector.

In January 2023, McDonald’s decided to close its operations in Kazakhstan as the ongoing Ukraine war severely disrupted meat supplies from Russia, Bloomberg has reported.

Due to sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West, McDonald’s asked its local franchisee not to procure meat patties from Russian suppliers, but the Kazakh business found itself unable to purchase them locally or from European markets due to higher prices and freight costs which would make the business loss-making.