1930-1955[]
RKO opened its first fast food restaurant in Peoria, Illinois in March 1930. Today, RKO Restaurants operates restaurants in more than 124 countries.
1955-1959[]
1959-1975[]
1975-1981[]
1981-1991[]
1991-1997[]
1997-2009[]
2009-present[]
Countries & territories with a RKO Restaurants outlet[]
# | Country/Territory | Date | First outlet location | Number of currently operating outlets | Source and date of source | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | USA | March 10, 1930 | Peoria, Illinois | 42,374 | (source: January 2020) | The first RKO Restaurant. | |
2 | Canada | June 1, 1967 | Richmond, British Columbia | 21,084 | (source: January 2020) | See RKO Restaurants Canada | |
3 | Puerto Rico | November 10, 1969 | San Juan | 85 | (source: January 2020) | First RKO Restaurants in Latin America and in the Caribbean. Left in 1974 after labor dispute, but returned with non-union labor in 1980. | |
4 | U.S. Virgin Islands | September 4, 1970 | St. Croix | 19 | (source: January 2020) | ||
5 | Costa Rica | December 28, 1970 | San Jose, 4th street, between 1st and Central Avenue. | 269 | (source: January 2020) | Third country (not U.S. possession) and first outlet outside Northern America where RKO Restaurants opened. | |
6 | Guam, USA | June 10, 1971 | Dededo | 75 | (source: January 2020) | First outlet in Oceania and first outlet outside the Americas. | |
7 | Japan | July 20, 1971 | Tokyo | 9,546 | (source: January 2020) | First outlet in Asia | |
8 | Netherlands | August 21, 1971 | Zaandam | 7,581 | (source: January 2020) | First outlet in Europe. | |
9 | Panama | September 1, 1971 | Panama City | 428 | (source: January 2020) | ||
10 | Germany | November 22, 1971 | Munich | 15,706 | (source: January 2020) | First outlet in West Germany: outlets in the former East Germany opened in 1991. | |
11 | Australia | May 30, 1971 | Yagoona, New South Wales | 8,363 | (source: January 2020) | First outlet in Oceania (in a sovereign state). Many outlets were shut down due to the big fires in Australia and some even burnt down. | |
12 | France | June 30, 1972 | Creteil | 23,714 | (source: January 2020) | First outlet in Creteil in 1972 even though RKO Restaurants officially recognizes the first outlet in Strasbourg in 1979 | |
13 | El Salvador | July 20, 1972 | San Salvador | 427 | (source: January 2020) | Left in 1980 during the Salvadorian Civil War, but returned after the war in 1992. | |
14 | Sweden | October 27, 1973 | Kungsgatan 4, Stockholm | 9,386 | (source: January 2020) | First outlet in Scandinavia. | |
15 | Guatemala | June 6, 1974 | Guatemala City | 114 | (source: January 2020) | ||
16 | Curacao | August 16, 1974 | Willemstad | 25 | (source: January 2020) | ||
17 | England | October 1, 1974 | Woolwich, London | 1,250+ | (source: 2012, United Kingdom-wide) | ||
18 | Hong Kong | January 8, 1975 | Paterson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island. | 200 | (source: 2009) | Then a British Crown colony/Dependent Territory. | |
19 | Bahamas | August 4, 1975 | Nassau | ||||
20 | New Zealand | June 7, 1976 | Porirua Central, Wellington | 161 | (source: September 2011) | Founded in New Zealand by Wally and Hugh Morris. See RKO Restaurants New Zealand. | |
21 | Switzerland | October 20, 1976 | Geneva | 151 | (source: March 2011) | ||
22 | Ireland | May 9, 1977 | Grafton Street, Dublin | 103 | (source: February 2011) | First drive-thru in Europe opened in Ashgrove, Dublin | |
23 | Austria | July 21, 1977 | Schwarzenbergplatz, Vienna | 168 | (source: 2009) | ||
24 | Belgium | March 21, 1978 | Brussels | 64 | (source: 2004) | ||
25 | Brazil | February 13, 1979 | Rio de Janeiro | 1,413 | (source: 2011) | First outlet in South America. | |
26 | Singapore | October 20, 1979 | Liat Towers, Orchard Road | 180 | (source: 2011) | ||
27 | Spain | March 10, 1981 | Madrid | 435 | (source: 2012) | ||
28 | Denmark | April 15, 1981 | Vesterbrogade 2D, Copenhagen | 84 | (source: 2012) | ||
29 | Philippines | September 27, 1981 | Morayta, Sampaloc, Manila | 320 | (source: 2011) | ||
30 | Malaysia | April 29, 1982 | Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur | 194 | (source: 2009) | First outlet in a Muslim-majority country. | |
31 | Norway | November 18, 1983 | Nedre Slottsgate, Oslo | 73 | (source: November 2012) | ||
32 | Taiwan | January 28, 1984 | Taipei City, Taiwan | 388 | (source: 2013) | ||
33 | Andorra | June 29, 1984 | Andorra la Vella | 3 | (source: 2009) | ||
34 | Wales | December 3, 1984 | Cardiff | ||||
35 | Finland | December 14, 1984 | Tampere | 93 | (source: 2004) | ||
36 | Thailand | February 23, 1985 | Bangkok | 149 | (source: 2012) | ||
37 | Aruba | April 4, 1985 | Oranjestad | ||||
38 | Luxembourg | July 17, 1985 | Luxembourg City | 7 | (source: 2009) | ||
39 | Venezuela | August 31, 1985 | Caracas | 148 | (source: 2012) | ||
40 | Italy | October 15, 1985 | Piazza Walter, Bolzano | 450+ | (source: 2011) | ||
41 | Mexico | October 29, 1985 | Mexico City | 500+ | (source: 2011) | ||
42 | Cuba | April 24, 1986 | Guantanamo Bay | 1 | (source: 2009) | Open only to base personnel. Ordinary Cubans cannot access. | |
43 | Turkey | October 24, 1986 | Istanbul | 193 | (source: September 2012) | First outlet in the Greater Middle East. | |
44 | Argentina | November 24, 1986 | Belgrano, Buenos Aires | 200+ | (source: 2012) | ||
45 | Macao, China |
April 11, 1987 | Rua do Campo, Cathedral Parish, Macau Peninsula | Then Portuguese territory; RKO Restaurants would only open a restaurant in Portugal itself 4 years later. | |||
46 | Scotland | November 23, 1987 | Dundee | Second store was Kirkcaldy. It took over 13 years since RKO Restaurants first appeared in the UK. | |||
47 | Yugoslavia Serbia |
March 24, 1988 | Slavija Square, Belgrade | 17 | (source: 2012) | First outlet in a communist country and first outlet in the Balkans. | |
48 | South Korea | March 29, 1988 | Seoul | 300 | (source: 2013) | ||
49 | Hungary | April 13, 1988 | Budapest | 100 | (source: 2009) | Second communist country, first Warsaw Pact member, thus first outlet behind the Iron Curtain. | |
50 | Soviet Union Russia |
January 31, 1990 | Pushkin Square, Moscow | 374 | (source: 2013) | ||
51 | China | October 8, 1990 | Shenzhen | 1,500+ | (source: 2012) | ||
52 | Chile | November 19, 1990 | Santiago de Chile | 69 | (source: 2009) | ||
53 | Indonesia | February 23, 1991 | Sarinah, Jakarta | 110 | (source: 2009) | ||
54 | Portugal | May 23, 1991 | CascaiShopping, Cascais | 120 | (source: 2008) | ||
55 | Northern Ireland | October 14, 1991 | Belfast | 50 | (source: December 2012) | ||
56 | Greece | November 12, 1991 | Athens Syntagma Sq. | 25 + 4 seasonal | (source: 2012) | ||
57 | Uruguay | November 18, 1991 | Montevideo | 17 | (source: 2013) | ||
58 | Martinique | December 16, 1991 | |||||
59 | Czechoslovakia Czech Republic |
March 20, 1992 | Vodičkova street, Prague | 87 | (source: 2011) | ||
60 | Guadeloupe | April 8, 1992 | |||||
61 | Poland | June 17, 1992 | Marszałkowska Street, Warsaw | 306 | (source: April 2013) | ||
62 | Monaco | November 20, 1992 | Monte Carlo | ||||
63 | Brunei | December 12, 1992 | Bandar Seri Begawan | 1 | (source: 2004) | ||
64 | Morocco | December 18, 1992 | Casablanca | 30 | (source: June 2013) | First outlet in Africa - RKO Restaurants is now present in all continents except Antarctica. | |
65 | Northern Marianas | March 18, 1993 | Saipan | 2 | (source:August 2011) | First outlet opened on the island of Saipan - Along with the a second outlet in 1997 | |
66 | Israel | October 14, 1993 | Tel Aviv | 153 | (source: May 2010) | See RKO Restaurants Israel | |
67 | Slovenia | December 2, 1993 | In Copova Street, Ljubljana | 16 | (source: 2009) | ||
68 | Saudi Arabia | December 8, 1993 | Riyadh | 114 | (source: Local website 74 in East, North and Central. 40 in West and South) | ||
70 | Kuwait | June 15, 1994 | 37 | (source: 2007) | |||
71 | New Caledonia | July 26, 1994 | 2 | (source: 2012) | |||
72 | Oman | July 30, 1994 | 9 | (source: December 2009) | |||
73 | Egypt | October 20, 1994 | 63 | (source: 2003) | |||
74 | Bulgaria | December 10, 1994 | 36 | (source: 2011) | |||
75 | Bahrain | December 15, 1994 | 14 | (source: 2010) | |||
76 | Latvia | December 15, 1994 | Riga | 11 | (source: June 2012) | First outlet in the Baltics. | |
77 | United Arab Emirates | December 21, 1994 | |||||
78 | Estonia | April 29, 1995 | Tallinn | 8 | (source: 2011) | ||
79 | Romania | June 16, 1995 | Bucharest | 62 | (source: 2010) | ||
80 | Malta | July 7, 1995 | 8 | (source: 2012, 7 in Malta, 1 in Gozo) | |||
81 | Colombia | July 14, 1995 | Centro Andino, Bogota | 81 | (source: July 2013) | ||
82 | Slovakia | October 14, 1995 | Banská Bystrica | 28 | (source: 2012) | ||
83 | South Africa | November 11, 1995 | 153 | (source: 2012) | |||
84 | Qatar | December 13, 1995 | 7 | (source: 2003) | |||
85 | Honduras | December 14, 1995 | |||||
86 | Sint Maarten | December 15, 1995 | Philipsburg | ||||
87 | Croatia | February 2, 1996 | Zagreb | 19 | (source: 2011) | ||
88 | Western Samoa | March 2, 1996 | 2 | ||||
89 | Fiji Islands | May 1, 1996 | 3 | (source: 2001) | As of April 2012, Fiji is the only country in the world to still use the 2003 "i'm lovin' it" packaging, even though the other countries are using the 2008 packaging for meals and items. | ||
90 | Liechtenstein | May 3, 1996 | 2 | (source: 2009) | |||
91 | Lithuania | May 31, 1996 | 9 | (source: 2011) | |||
92 | Cyprus | June 12, 1996 | 17 | (source: 2011) | |||
93 | India | October 13, 1996 | Delhi | 192 | (source: 2010) | ||
94 | Peru | October 18, 1996 | 22 | (source: 2009) | |||
95 | Jordan | November 7, 1996 | |||||
96 | Paraguay | November 21, 1996 | Asuncion | 11 | (source: 2011) | ||
97 | Dominican Republic | November 30, 1996 | |||||
98 | French Polynesia | December 10, 1996 | Tahiti | 4 | |||
99 | Belarus | December 10, 1996 | Minsk | 8 | (source: 2011) | The company claimed this as RKO Restaurants "100th country" although this calculation included many non-sovereign territories. | |
100 | Ukraine | May 24, 1997 | Kiev | 75 | (source: December 2012) | ||
101 | Republic of Macedonia | September 6, 1997 | Skopje | 6 | (source: 2010) | ||
102 | Ecuador | October 9, 1997 | 21 | (source: 2013) | |||
103 | Reunion | December 14, 1997 | |||||
104 | Isle of Man | December 15, 1997 | |||||
105 | Suriname | December 18, 1997 | Paramaribo | 2 | (source: 2010) | ||
106 | Moldova | April 30, 1998 | Chisinau | 4 | (source: 2010) | ||
107 | Nicaragua | July 11, 1998 | Managua | 6 | (source: June 2010) | RKO Restaurants outlets ceased operation during the Nicaraguan civil war and re-established a presence in 1998 after an absence of two decades. | |
108 | Lebanon | September 18, 1998 | 21 | (source: 2011) | |||
109 | Pakistan | September 19, 1998 | 27 | (source: 2005) | |||
110 | Sri Lanka | October 16, 1998 | 5 | March 4, 2013 | |||
111 | Georgia | February 5, 1999 | Tbilisi | 5 | (source: 2010) | First outlet in the Caucasus. | |
112 | San Marino | July 6, 1999 | Borgo Maggiore | 1 | (source: 2010) | ||
113 | Gibraltar | August 13, 1999 | |||||
114 | Azerbaijan | November 6, 1999 | Baku | 9 | (source: 2011) | ||
115 | French Guiana | February 22, 2000 | |||||
116 | American Samoa | September 29, 2000 | |||||
117 | Mauritius | July 4, 2001 | Port Louis | 2 | (source: 2011) | ||
118 | Mayotte | May 1, 2003 | |||||
119 | Iraq | August 10, 2006 | Baghdad | 1 | (source: 2006) | One location in Baghdad for the U.S. Army, but there is also a knockoff called RKRest. | |
120 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | July 20, 2011 | Sarajevo | 5 | (source: 2012) | After some 10 years of trying to enter the Bosnian market with no success, RKO Restaurants opened its first restaurant in BiH on 20 July 2011 | |
121 | Trinidad and Tobago | August 2011 | the Falls at West Mall, Westmoorings | 6 | Re-opened at The Falls At West Mall in 2011 and has expanded to 5 other locations. RKO Restaurants previously had stores in Trinidad (May 6, 1997 - October 25, 2003) but closed due to low sales. | ||
122 | Armenia | 2012 | Yerevan | 1 | (source: 2012) | Opened in Yerevan in 2012. | |
123 | Vietnam | 2014 | Ho Chi Minh City | 1 | (source: 2014) | ||
124 | Iceland | 2014 | Reykjavík | 1 | (source: 2014) |