No, there are no McDonald’s in Antarctica. The closest McDonald’s to Antarctica would be in Chile or Argentina.
Which McDonald’s is Closest to Antarctica?
McDonald’s Invercargill in New Zealand or McDonald’s Puerto Montt in Chile is the closest McDonald’s to Antarctica. The one in Puerto Montt is 1,535 miles as the crow flies from Antarctica. The One in Invercargill is 1,734 miles from Antarctica as the crow flies.
Why Are There No McDonald’s in Antarctica?
There are lots of reasons why there are no McDonald’s in Antarctica but here are the major ones:
- There is no one living there permanently. This means that there would be no returning customers or a large enough customer base for them to invest in building a McDonald’s.
- The weather conditions would make it difficult to operate. Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth which means that especially in the winter season there would be no way for them to restock.
- There is no infrastructure to support a McDonald’s restaurant.
- It would be too expensive to build and maintain a McDonald’s in Antarctica. There are no trees or even bushes in Antarctica which means that they would have to bring all the building supplies over by boat which would cost a lot.
- No one country owns Antarctica and there is no government which means that there is no one that would be able to sell land or regulate McDonald’s.
- There are no roads or airports in Antarctica, so it would be difficult for customers to reach a McDonald’s.
- The cost of a trip to Antarctica is already very expensive, so adding the cost of a McDonald’s would make it even more expensive.
- There are no other restaurants in Antarctica so they alone would have to pay for all the restocking and infrastructure.
- Antarctica is protected by the Antarctic Treaty and the Protocol on Environmental Protection which states that Antarctica is a place of peace and science. McDonald’s would essentially have to start a war with the rest of the world to put a McDonald’s in Antarctica.
How to Get to Antarctica
The only way to get to Antarctica is by ship or plane. There are no roads or airports on the continent. Most people who travel to Antarctica do so for research purposes or to experience the unique landscape and wildlife.
Tourism is also a popular reason for travel to Antarctica. Visitors can take part in activities such as hiking, camping, and kayaking. Traveling to Antarctica is not easy or cheap, but it is an amazing experience that you will never forget.
Every year there are more than 56,000 people travel to Antarctica so if you think about it, a McDonald’s in Antarctica would not be worth it with how few visitors they have each year.
Should there be a McDonald’s in Antarctica?
To sum everything up, no, there should not be a McDonald’s in Antarctica. It makes no sense for McDonald’s to set up a location in Antarctica and they literally are not allowed to.
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Dayna Brockbank is a travel and language-learning blogger who has lived around the world but has now settled in Nice, France. She speaks 3 languages at varying levels of fluency: Spanish, Italian, and French, and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Spanish Education. She and her husband focus on making travel part of life by living cheaply and traveling on a budget.