McDonald's going kosher?

For several yeshiva boys from Monsey, NY, the glatt kosher McDonald’s was the ultimate tourist attraction. They took turns posing in front of the huge kosher sign that is surrounded by the chain’s golden arches logos. They asked the clerk for more souvenirs of the only glatt kosher McDonald’s anywhere in the world, including Israel. The souvenirs were the placemats with kosher in the center and an explanation in Spanish of what kosher is all about.

Located in the Albasto Mall, the glatt kosher McDonald’s is one of three McDonald’s restaurants in the mall, but the landmark for the Orthodox Jewish tourists was clearly the glatt kosher stand with its washing station to the left and benshers in a small corner.

Jewish shoppers, local businessmen, tourists and even ordinary Argentineans made up a steady flow of customers at the stand. KosherToday has learned that the franchise owner of several South American markets is considering duplicating the stand in other markets as well. There has already been talk that Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is the next stop with Sao Paulo an obvious candidate as well.

One of the American boys said, “It is embarrassing that the U.S. does not even have one kosher Mcdonald’s, even if it now has at least two kosher Subway stores.” While they dreamed of the day when they could take a bite out of a Big Mac back home in Monsey, for now the only glatt kosher McDonald’s burger is approximately 6,000 miles away.