by Nastassja Martin and Nina Vaclavikova
McDonald’s is set to open a new restaurant on Trieste’s Rive by February 2027, bringing the fast-food chain to a prominent waterfront location near the Maritime Station and aquarium.
The 650-square-meter premises at Riva Nazario Sauro 14 were until recently occupied by Spiller. Work is expected to begin in September, with the new restaurant becoming the city’s largest McDonald’s.
The location will be operated by the same company that runs the chain’s restaurants in Piazza Goldoni and Via Flavia.
The move is expected to attract a mix of tourists, cruise passengers, workers and local customers to a stretch of the waterfront that generally sees less pedestrian traffic than nearby Piazza Unità and Cavana.
McDonald’s first arrived in Trieste in 1991. After several locations opened and closed over the years, the chain established a renewed presence with its Piazza Goldoni restaurant in 2015 and Via Flavia location in 2020.
Now, the familiar golden arches are heading to the Rive. The question is whether they will also help reshape the flow of people along Trieste’s waterfront.
