Icelandic Display Rumored to Show Last McDonald's Cheeseburger Sold There. Here's What We Know
"I am THE LAST McDonald's ® CHEESEBURGER SOLD IN ICELAND IN 2009," reads a sign on a display case that allegedly holds the last cheeseburger and french fry order sold in the Scandinavian nation more than a decade ago.
Posts of the sign have been shared across social media channels, including Facebook (archive), X (archive) and Reddit (archive), in the years since the final sale, garnering millions of views, likes and engagements.
(Screenshot/Facebook)
Other online social media users have since asked if the last McDonald's meal was still is still on display.
Yes, while the sign and the encased meal are still on display in Iceland, Snopes was unable to independently verify the circumstances of the rumored last order, such as who bought it, when it was purchased, and whether it was indeed the last McDonald's meal sold in Iceland.
That being said, the photographed meal shared on social platforms is truly on display.
The meal was previously on display at the Bus Hostel Reykjavik. However, the hostel website noted that it was moved to another display at the Snotra House, a hostel in Þykkvibær, Iceland. Snopes contacted Snotra House for further information about the meal, including whether it was still there.
Snotra House owner Siggi Sigurdur told Snopes in an email that "the burger is still alive and kicking," so to speak. At the time of this writing, Siggi said the burger was still housed at Snotra House and "will be there in the future."
"We are preparing a new live stream that will hopefully be ready within weeks," wrote Siggi.
Snopes asked for updated photos of the burger and fries and a link to the livestream once it is running. We will update this article accordingly.
The Iceland Review reported in 2019 that the last McDonald's burger sold in Iceland was bought in 2009 by Hjörtur Smárason.
In 2009, three of the McDonald's restaurant locations operating in Iceland closed because the country's financial crisis made it too expensive to operate the franchise, reported BBC at the time. The online Icelandic newspaper Visir.is reported that the company Lyst, which owned the franchise at the time, had to "buy supplies abroad due to McDonald's specific standards."
In a Google-translated article, Visir.is reported that Lyst had published at the time the below statement, in part:
Lyst ehf. will end its partnership with the McDonald's fast food chain at the end of the month, but the company operates three restaurants under a franchise from McDonald's. The locations will continue to operate under the name Metro.
The Metro locations will continue to offer similar products and a similar menu at comparable prices. The emphasis will be on Icelandic ingredients, quality and speed of service as before. The change is made in good agreement with McDonald's.
The reason for the change is the difficult economic environment in this country. The collapse of the Icelandic króna is the main factor. In recent years, Lyst ehf. has purchased most of the ingredients for McDonald's dishes, meat, cheese, vegetables and other supplies from foreign suppliers, according to McDonald's requirements and standards. The collapse of the exchange rate, together with high tariffs on imported agricultural products, has doubled the company's raw material costs and made the results difficult. The parties do not believe that the economic conditions here will improve sufficiently for the operation of restaurants under the McDonald's brand to be profitable in the long term.
[...]Starting Sunday, November 1, Metro customers will be able to enjoy a similar menu to that at McDonald's locations. Children's boxes with fun toys will be in place. Strict quality control, fast service and low prices will continue to be the focus. This will be based on the experience that Lyst ehf. has from its long and successful collaboration with McDonald's. In the first few weeks, customers will also be aware of innovations, such as an increased emphasis on salads and other healthy foods.
Some social media posts point to the meal's lack of decay as being due to preservatives used by McDonald's. Snopes contacted McDonald's for a comment.
Various factors can spoil food, writes the U.S. Department of Agriculture on its website. These might include light, oxygen, heat, humidity, and exposure to bacteria, gradually causing food to deteriorate over time. Depending on the conditions in which the meal is being held, decay or deterioration might be prevented much like, for example, sealed food in a can or freezer can be preserved for years.
Sources:
"Former Home of the Last McDonald's in Iceland." Bus Hostel, https://www.bushostelreykjavik.com/last-mcdonalds-in-iceland. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
"McDonalds hættir á Íslandi - Vísir." visir.is, 26 Oct. 2009, https://www.visir.is/g/20091845945d/mcdonalds-haettir-a-islandi.
McDonald's Pulls out of Iceland. 27 Oct. 2009. news.bbc.co.uk, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8327185.stm#:~:text=Besides%20the%20economy%2C%20McDonald%27s%20blamed%20the%20%22unique%20operational%20complexity%22%20of%20doing%20business%20in%20an%20isolated%20nation%20with%20a%20population%20of%20just%20300%2C000.
Protecting Your Family from Food Spoilage | Home. 27 Jan. 2025, https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/blog/protecting-your-family-food-spoilage.
Snotra House. https://snotrahouse.is/. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
