MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. Almost half of the population in Russia have approved an idea to close all the McDonald's fast food restaurants in Russia, according to a public opinion poll conducted by the All-Russia Center for Studies of Public Opinion (VTSIOM) which released the results of the poll on Monday.

The idea to close all the McDonald’s catering establishments has been more welcomed by the respondents who have never been to these restaurants, rather than regular visitors (53% against 44%, respectively). The main reason behind the suggested closure is that the food served at McDonald's is not tasty and is of poor nutrition value, said 41% of the respondents interviewed. 20% of the respondents said that the state should, above all, support Russia's own catering establishments.

Nonetheless, almost every third out of ten respondents said that they are against shutting down the McDonald's restaurants. Incidentally, the number of McDonald’s supporters this time was considerably down their number in April ( 45%). The McDonald’s network still remains popular among young people aged 18-24 (47%) and 44% of the population who have frequented Mc Donald's in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

What a McDonald's is like is known to almost half of the Russian population (45%). Moscow and St. Petersburg are in the lead, accounting for 83% of the overall number of McDonald's visitors in Russia. Young people aged 18-24, well-to-do respondents and institute students are a second big group of McDonald's frequenters with their number estimated at 67%, 65% and 61%, respectively, the poll showed.

The poll was conducted in different regions of the Russian Federation where 1,600 respondents were interviewed. A statistical margin error was no more than 3.4%.