McD

Fast food giant McDonald's Corp. will speed up its expansion drive in central and eastern Europe to tap into the region's vibrant growth and increasingly affluent middle class, its #2 official said. Over the last several years, McDonald's has not grown significantly in Europe's emerging economies such as Poland or Romania as it focused on improving its image in the continent's more established markets, like France and Britain. The group plans to invest another $1-$1.1 billion in its European restaurants next year, McDonald's President and COO told Reuters in an interview at a newly remodeled restaurant in Poznan, western Poland. But after revamping 4 out 5 outlets in western Europe, the hamburger chain is shifting focus to former communist nations to the east, which unlike many of the more developed markets, have so far been mostly immune to the global slowdown. He said in central and eastern Europe opportunity for growth's tremendous. Between Ukraine, Poland and Romania, with more than 100 million people and thriving economies, all they have is 350 restaurants.