McDonald’s Outlets Shut in Sri Lanka over Poor Hygiene Case

McDonald's restaurants across Sri Lanka closed on Sunday due to a legal dispute between the US-based fast-food chain and its local franchise holder over concerns about cleanliness, according to court officials.

The Commercial High Court of Colombo ordered the closures until April 4, following allegations from the parent company that the local franchisee didn't meet international hygiene standards.

"The closure was ordered pending an investigation," a court official stated.

Lawyers representing McDonald's informed the court that they had terminated the franchise agreement with the local company, Abans, last week. The hearing is scheduled to continue in early April.

There has been no immediate comment from either McDonald's or Abans, which has operated the franchise with 12 outlets since McDonald's entered Sri Lanka in 1998. Notices posted outside McDonald's outlets on Sunday indicated they were closed, with no indication of when they might reopen.

Despite a recent technology issue disrupting ordering at McDonald's stores across much of East Asia, the outlets in Sri Lanka were unaffected.