Front of Harley’s seen here on Mahabandoola Road downtown on Monday, March 25, 2015. PHOTO/COCONUTS MEDIA
Sending shockwaves throughout the community of people who get drunk and eat unhealthy food well past dinnertime, Harley’s, one of Yangon’s only late-night burger joints, is no longer open 24 hours a day.
The devastating announcement was recently posted on the entrance to the Malaysia-owned chain’s branch on Mahabandoola Road and 37th street downtown.
From March 20, Harley’s, which offers the standard comfort food combos of burgers and fries – and even has chili – will be open from 7am until 11pm. The other branch dozens of blocks to the west and also on Mahabandoola, lacks the sign, but an employee there confirmed the sad state of affairs while taking an order for a cheeseburger combo.
Myanmar may have opened up to the outside world, but global fast food chains aren’t flooding into the market. So far only KFC has lined up plans to open its first store this year. Regional chains such as Freshness Burger from Japan and Lotteria from South Korea are more in evidence.
Harley’s office did not return a phone call seeking comment about its profoundly upsetting business move.
After-hours restaurants and bars are limited in Yangon. 365, a late-night spot next to the Park View hotel, has decent, reasonably priced burgers and is open all night, but does not offer the fast food dining experience that Harley’s brings to the mix, with its plastic chairs, salty fries and R&B jams as soundtrack.
