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To Russia With Fries: My Journey from Chicago's South Side to Moscow's Red Square - Having Fun Along the Way
You might think that an autobiography by the senior chairman of McDonald’s in Canada and Russia would be a modestly boastful, ho-hum business story of expansion and board-room debates, wrapped in some nice reminiscences about his family. You would be very wrong. Because this is George Cohon’s autobiography, and George Cohon (“Call me George, please!”) is not an ordinary man…not in his approach to business and not in his approach to telling his life story.
It’s true that George Cohon is one of the most successful businessmen of his generation and that he’s also one of the most colourful. But the man you’ll meet in the pages of To Russia With Fries is considerably more complex than that description suggests. Here, you’ll encounter a man who not only dreamed the impossible dream of opening a McDonald’s restaurant in the heart of the Soviet Union (of all places), but had the patience, the persistence, and above all the good humour to navigate the maze of obstacles set in his course by a scornful communist bureaucracy. You’ll meet a man whose heart is bigger than his assets (he’s donating all the royalties from this book to charity); a man with a serious sense of fun, who loves (and is frequently on the receiving end of) practical jokes; a man whose life so far has been extraordinary by any standard. You’ll discover a man who is a natural and creative entrepreneur and an acknowledged expert on starting a business in Russia. He’s been there and done that – long before the crash of the Iron Curtain.
From a man who can think and do six things at once (he’s been told he has a mind like a butterfly), comes a very lively and hugely entertaining story that has universal appeal.
It’s true that George Cohon is one of the most successful businessmen of his generation and that he’s also one of the most colourful. But the man you’ll meet in the pages of To Russia With Fries is considerably more complex than that description suggests. Here, you’ll encounter a man who not only dreamed the impossible dream of opening a McDonald’s restaurant in the heart of the Soviet Union (of all places), but had the patience, the persistence, and above all the good humour to navigate the maze of obstacles set in his course by a scornful communist bureaucracy. You’ll meet a man whose heart is bigger than his assets (he’s donating all the royalties from this book to charity); a man with a serious sense of fun, who loves (and is frequently on the receiving end of) practical jokes; a man whose life so far has been extraordinary by any standard. You’ll discover a man who is a natural and creative entrepreneur and an acknowledged expert on starting a business in Russia. He’s been there and done that – long before the crash of the Iron Curtain.
From a man who can think and do six things at once (he’s been told he has a mind like a butterfly), comes a very lively and hugely entertaining story that has universal appeal.
- GenresRussiaNonfiction
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 6, 2023
Dabartiniame kontekste perskaityti tokią knygą labai super.
McDonald's Canada Chairmano memuarai, kaip jis 15 metų dirbo ant projekto atidaryti McDonald's Sovietojų Sąjungoje. Ir atidarė: sausio 31, 1990-ų. Jelcinas nežinojo kaip valgyti, nuėmė viršutinę bandelę nuo BicMaco ir valgė kaip buterbrodą. "Trūksta druskos", dar pridėjo.
Knyga realiai yra dvi knygos: 1) Nuotykiai CCCP; 2) Autoriaus autobiografija. Pirma 6* iš 5*, antra 3*.
Pagal šių dienų kontekstą, tai autorius akivaizdžiai vatnikas ir gorbačiov-romantikas, bet knyga parašyta 1997 m., tai nurašykime tai tiesiog naivumui ir wishful thinking.
McDonald's Canada Chairmano memuarai, kaip jis 15 metų dirbo ant projekto atidaryti McDonald's Sovietojų Sąjungoje. Ir atidarė: sausio 31, 1990-ų. Jelcinas nežinojo kaip valgyti, nuėmė viršutinę bandelę nuo BicMaco ir valgė kaip buterbrodą. "Trūksta druskos", dar pridėjo.
Knyga realiai yra dvi knygos: 1) Nuotykiai CCCP; 2) Autoriaus autobiografija. Pirma 6* iš 5*, antra 3*.
Pagal šių dienų kontekstą, tai autorius akivaizdžiai vatnikas ir gorbačiov-romantikas, bet knyga parašyta 1997 m., tai nurašykime tai tiesiog naivumui ir wishful thinking.
January 14, 2022
This book, published in 1999 and written by George Cohon the President of MacDonald’s Canada with ghost writer David MacFarlane, is no longer available in book stores but can sometimes be purchased second hand. It was not a book I would normally pick up, but was given as a free copy at a conference on leadership I attended where George Cohon was a speaker. So when I was in the mood, I tucked into this different book on leadership, a combination of Cohon’s autobiography, a slice of his own personal philosophy, a shout out to the MacDonald’s corporation and the story of how he established the first MacDonald’s in Russia, a feat many said he would never accomplish.
Cohon first conceived the idea of a MacDonald’s in Russia in 1976, the year Montreal hosted the Olympics, but it took over fourteen years to accomplish his goal. Ten of those years he spent in endless meetings with bureaucrats for various agencies but his persistence paid off, helped along during the dying days of the Soviet Union by glasnost, perestroika and Mikhail Gorbachev. Finally on January 31 1990, MacDonald’s Moscow opened in Pushkin Square and was a resounding success with long line-ups, happy satisfied customers and one million in profits which Cohon donated to the Soviet Children’s Fund.
Cohon details the barriers he faced, the hoops he had to jump through and the last minute disappointments in this long process, when the Kremlin changed its mind or pulled back on a promise. His greatest challenge was building the infrastructure required so MacDonald’s Moscow could function according to American standards. That included building an entire system to deliver the steady stream of supplies required, providing staff training and ensuring the restaurant was clean and inviting. If there is one theme that underlies Cohon’s entire narrative, it is that persistence and determination pay off, more important than talent, genius or education. It is a philosophy he picked up from Ray Kroc, the creator of the MacDonald’s franchise and which he integrated with his own personal philosophy of life and work.
Cohon also uses these pages to defend MacDonald’s record when confronted and questioned by environmentalists, nutritionists and the labour unions, convinced in the merits of the company.
This is an easy read, full of humourous anecdotes, showing Cohon as a very down to earth guy who could talk to anyone. He is clearly someone who likes being out and about with people, striking up a conversation with whoever he meets, either in the street or at a MacDonald’s restaurant. He enjoys talking with customers and going behind the counter to talk with the work crew as well as the store managers. He is what many would describe as a “people person”.
This is a book in which Cohon toots his own horn and shouts out to the world, “See what I did!”. But it is also a fun read filled with so many interesting stories that what he is trying to say about leadership is almost overwhelmed by his marketing, salesmanship and enthusiasm. It speaks to the issue of leadership in an entirely unacademic way, adding an important piece to the literature and complementing other volumes by those who stand back from the real world and describe a more theoretical approach. Both have merit, providing important lessons for those who learn more by doing and showing what it takes to accomplish your goals.
Cohon first conceived the idea of a MacDonald’s in Russia in 1976, the year Montreal hosted the Olympics, but it took over fourteen years to accomplish his goal. Ten of those years he spent in endless meetings with bureaucrats for various agencies but his persistence paid off, helped along during the dying days of the Soviet Union by glasnost, perestroika and Mikhail Gorbachev. Finally on January 31 1990, MacDonald’s Moscow opened in Pushkin Square and was a resounding success with long line-ups, happy satisfied customers and one million in profits which Cohon donated to the Soviet Children’s Fund.
Cohon details the barriers he faced, the hoops he had to jump through and the last minute disappointments in this long process, when the Kremlin changed its mind or pulled back on a promise. His greatest challenge was building the infrastructure required so MacDonald’s Moscow could function according to American standards. That included building an entire system to deliver the steady stream of supplies required, providing staff training and ensuring the restaurant was clean and inviting. If there is one theme that underlies Cohon’s entire narrative, it is that persistence and determination pay off, more important than talent, genius or education. It is a philosophy he picked up from Ray Kroc, the creator of the MacDonald’s franchise and which he integrated with his own personal philosophy of life and work.
Cohon also uses these pages to defend MacDonald’s record when confronted and questioned by environmentalists, nutritionists and the labour unions, convinced in the merits of the company.
This is an easy read, full of humourous anecdotes, showing Cohon as a very down to earth guy who could talk to anyone. He is clearly someone who likes being out and about with people, striking up a conversation with whoever he meets, either in the street or at a MacDonald’s restaurant. He enjoys talking with customers and going behind the counter to talk with the work crew as well as the store managers. He is what many would describe as a “people person”.
This is a book in which Cohon toots his own horn and shouts out to the world, “See what I did!”. But it is also a fun read filled with so many interesting stories that what he is trying to say about leadership is almost overwhelmed by his marketing, salesmanship and enthusiasm. It speaks to the issue of leadership in an entirely unacademic way, adding an important piece to the literature and complementing other volumes by those who stand back from the real world and describe a more theoretical approach. Both have merit, providing important lessons for those who learn more by doing and showing what it takes to accomplish your goals.
March 31, 2020
im lovin it. Cohon tells his own story through the lens of his work to bring McDonald’s to the USSR. It’s a smart device in an otherwise unstructured, almost chaotic narrative. But that chaos works, overall, for sheer conversation flow. Cohon is frequently more self-effacing than you’d expect, though there are still a couple of moments where his what-we-now-call “privilege” is on ostentatious display. And you know what? The man has *great* anecdotes. Combined with business insights and a fascinating case study of a nation teetering between planned and free market economies, To Russia With Fries is a tasty, cosmetically-enhanced little corporate snack.
June 15, 2022
This book is a blast. Recommended to me by my fave used bookstore guy, it's one of the most engaging business memoirs I've ever read. It's a really interesting peek into Soviet Russia at a very unique and turbulent time -- and reading it just as McDonald's pulls out of Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine makes for even stranger reading.
There's definitely some corporate cheerleading here but it comes off as really honest. Cohon is funny and genuine, and full of great stories.
There's definitely some corporate cheerleading here but it comes off as really honest. Cohon is funny and genuine, and full of great stories.
April 7, 2023
Loved this book!
Read
October 10, 2024Guy has a lot of stories
November 16, 2025
super interesting and great read 5/5 burgers 🍔
July 8, 2023
started out good but
This was a interesting story but it felt like it turned into a self promotional memoir. Am interesting life, nonetheless
This was a interesting story but it felt like it turned into a self promotional memoir. Am interesting life, nonetheless
September 8, 2015
See my review here: To Russia With Fries
November 22, 2019
Interesting story. The descriptions of trying to do business with Russia pre-glastnost were eye opening.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews