Burger King still hasn't closed its Russian restaurants 18 months after its parent company said it would

• Burger King's roughly 800 Russian restaurants remain open.
• Its parent company said in March 2022 it had started the process to dispose of its ownership stake.

Burger King still hasn't closed its Russian restaurants, more than 18 months after parent company Restaurant Brands International said it would.

A spokesperson for RBI told the BBC that it has "no new updates to share" regarding its exit from Russia, where the burger giant has 800 restaurants.

Burger King's franchise restaurants in Russia are run by a joint venture partnership in which RBI has a 15% stake. RBI President David Shear said in March 2022 that it had started the process to dispose of its ownership stake, but that this would "take some time" because of the terms of its joint venture agreement.

Shear added that RBI had "demanded" that the main operator of Russia's Burger King restaurants stop operations, but that it "refused to do so." The operator told the BBC that he owned a 30% stake in the business and that he himself didn't have the "authority or power" to stop the operations.

The RBI spokesperson told the BBC that the company wasn't providing new investment and supply-chain support to the Russian restaurants and hadn't made any profits from them since early 2022, echoing Shear's statement from last March as well as remarks in RBI's financial filings.

Dishes on Burger King's Russian menu include a spicy shrimp and horseradish wrap, Angus burgers with Parmigiano or truffle sauce, spicy onion rings, and Whoppers served as both burgers and wraps.

But it doesn't sell Coca Cola beverages — the company pulled out of Russia last year. And if you want a paper bag or wet wipe, you have to pay.

RBI's three other fast-food brands — Popeyes, Tim Hortons, and Firehouse Subs — don't have any locations in Russia.

McDonald's was the first major fast-food chain to pull out of Russia last year after the invasion of Ukraine. A rebranded restaurant chain, Vkusno & tochka, took over the majority of Russia's McDonald's restaurants, with the first opening last June.

Though Vkusno & tochka is unable to sell iconic items such as the Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish, and McFlurry, it filled its menu with replacements, largely made with the same ingredients and equipment as when it was McDonald's. Diners are divided on whether it's as good as the original.