McDonald's is opening its first burger joint in Vietnam, the company announced on Tuesday.
The opening is set to take place early next year. The new location will be in Ho Chi Minh City, where the U.S.-backed government was based until it fell to Communist forces 38 years ago.
According to the Huffington Post, the new location represents the latest chapter in the march of McDonalds's across the world.
The news comes after awarding the franchise to the son-in-law of the Communist-ruled nation's prime minister, Henry Nguyen. The company said it chose Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American investor, as the franchises partner by a "rigorous" selection process.
"I have dreamed of one day opening a McDonald's restaurant in my native country ever since my return to Vietnam more than a decade ago," said Nguyen, who's first job as a teenager was at the fast food chain as a teenager. "I have been in contact with McDonald's over the years sharing the opportunity that exists in our country."
The fast-food chain will have some competition. Vietnam also carried other fast-food franchise such as Starbucks, Subway, and Pizza Hut. Starbucks was the first café in Ho Chi Minh city to open earlier this year.
The country began opening economy to the world in the early 1990s. McDonald's operates in more than 100 countries across the world, including 38 in Asia.
