AT least 13 McDonald’s restaurants have shut down after a buying frenzy for K-Pop themed meals sparked Covid fears.
Closure stickers were slapped on at least 13 outlets across Jakarta and other cities across Indonesia that were inundated with online food delivery drivers picking up the new BTS-themed meal.
BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a seven-member boy band from South Korea which rocketed to stardom after launching in 2013.
The new McDonalds meal set named after the band consists of 10 Chicken McNuggets, a large fries, large soft drink and limited-edition sweet chilli and cajun dipping sauces – which are inspired by the group.
The standard McDonalds yellow and red packaging has been modified to feature the band’s signature lilac and pink colours, with hype around the packaging leading to a market for the paper bags and cups on Ebay.
Others have gone as far as to enshrine the limited-edition packaging in frames and glass cases.
While the meal was first made available in Indonesia on Wednesday, it has been on offer in dozens of countries since May.
Fajar Purwoto, the city’s public order agency head, said: “We temporarily closed four of six McDonald’s stores here in Semarang for a couple of days.”
“I don’t want Semarang to be in the Covid-19 red zone again”.
Indonesia is one of the nations in Asia that has been hardest-hit by the pandemic.
The meal set marked the first time McDonalds – which had collaborated with Travis Scott in the past, sparking a Quarter Pounder shortage in the US – had sold a specialised celebrity meal in more than one market, according to reports from News.com.au.
“The band has great memories with McDonald’s. We’re excited about the collaboration and can’t wait to share the BTS Meal with the world,” a statement from Bighit Music, BTS’ label said.
