Anyone remember when the very first McDonald’s opened in Taipei?
(the exact date)
IIRC, it was the early 1980’s.(81 or 82, perhaps) It was the one
located on Min-Shen East Road, at the intersection with Tun-Hwa N. Rd.
I believe it’s still there, right?
Thanks for any infromation!
Minsheng E Rd. near Dunhua N. Rd.
Still there.
Yep, around summer of 1984. I still remember that my friends took two busses from Shita (a huge undertaking in those days for us as our Chinese was truly abysmal) up to McDonald’s to buy me a Big Mac for my 21st birthday. In those days any Western food was like gold. 
After my time in Taipei. But I remember when the first McD opened in Germany. Munich, 1973 I think. Kids in my military unit would drive 8 hourd to Munich to get a Big Mac, eat it, and then drive back 8 hours to their unit. Now that is cravin a Big Mac!
I’ve heard there was a McDonald’s rip off that was by the train station that had to close when the real McDonald’s opened. They even ripped off the yellow arches. Does anyone know about this?
I seem to remember the store you mean, but I don’t recall why it closed.
Because next to Microsoft McDonalds has enough money, power and Corp Lawyers to sue anybody back into the stone age.
That might have something to do with it.
Even early nineties, half nineties it’s difficult to get decent western food in Taipei … not to speak about outside Taipei … even nowadays it’s not easy yet …
Do you remember when they blew-up that McDonalds?
yeah, it was the tienmou mcd’s i think, year was 1991 or 1992. mcd’s shops around the country closed for a few days or so. stupid shit similar to how ppl who used to throw acid at pedestrians in front of the taipei main station mitsukoshi.
yeah, it was the Tianmu mcd’s I think, year was 1991 or 1992. mcd’s shops around the country closed for a few days or so. stupid shit similar to how people who used to throw acid at pedestrians in front of the Taipei main station mitsukoshi.[/quote]
Why? Anti-American
Anyone else ever go to the little Western restaurant at the end of Yongkang St. at Jinhua St.? Run by someone who apparently used to cook for the US Navy or something. I still remember painfully getting through the Chinese for “lettuce-bacon-and-tomato-sandwich” and having them look at me and snap, “BLT?” in English. 
[quote=“JadeEmpirePlaya”]
Why? Anti-American[/quote]
maybe you were joking but nothing like that at all, it was an extortion attempt.
Once riding in a taxi the driver pointed out the first McD’s to open, said he queued for hours for the opening then had to take the next day off work due to la duzi. Yup.
When will the last Mc D close down in Taipei? :s
1981 my Dad drove us 3 hours from Taichung just to get a Big Mac which was a"big" Big Mac.
The place downtown was Dairy King. I think there was more than one location at one point. I hate to say it “wasn’t bad” as we’re talking about comparison to McDonald’s, but it was an authentic fastfood burger.
Minsheng rd. for the first McDonald’s, but I would go with the earlier dates in this thread - right around 1980. Shakey’s Pizza was around at the same time. What happened at the first McDonald’s was an acid attack, no? Underworld made trouble. No protection.
No, it was Burger Queen.
Didn’t there used to be an A&W Root Beer in Tienmu?
I remember seeing one in Hsimen–where Tower used to be.