When McDonald’s opened their first restaurant in Moscow back in 1990, it was a global phenomenon. It was the Andre the Giant of Mcdonald’s at the time, a 900-seat behemoth with 600 employees. On the first day, they expected to serve about 1,000 customers; instead, 30,000 people showed up with a line that wrapped around Pushkinskaya Square. This was manifest destiny McDonald’s-style. Gone was the Russia of Tolstoy and Lenin—this was the pure, uncut infiltration of capitalism.

Today, McDonald’s operates over 36,000 restaurants throughout the world. You expect to see the golden arches damn near everywhere.