THE NEARLY FREE MARKETS OF GUATEMALA

EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT the McDonald's Happy Meal—a global icon, with its bright box, its golden arches, and a toy that keeps kids entertained long after the fries are gone. What most don't know is this worldwide sensation was born in Guatemala, a small Central American country more often associated with coffee, bananas, and (unfortunately) crime.

- KATARINA HALL

In the mid-1970s, Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño, who founded the first McDonald's in Guatemala, noticed that kids struggled to finish their meals. She created “Ronald's Menu,” a kid-friendly meal that included a smaller hamburger, a little batch of fries, a drink, a sundae, and a toy she picked up from local markets. Her idea caught the attention of McDonald's corporate offices, and by 1979 it had evolved into the Happy Meal we know today.

It’s remarkable that a product so central to McDonald's global empire had its beginnings in Guatemala. But it's not surprising. Beneath the headlines of corruption, violence, and poverty, the country pulses with entrepreneurial energy.

Walk through downtown Guatemala City, and you'll feel it. Vendors line the sidewalks, selling everything from shucos (Guatemalan hot dogs) to handcrafted jewelry—often just steps away from sleek shopping centers filled with local luxury brands. This is a country where people don’t wait for permission or perfect conditions. They improvise, adapt, and build.

Visitors can see this spirit in action at Grab a drink at places like the Mercado Central (the central market), where generations of merchants have set up shop in the city’s historic center, or the Mercado de Artesanías La Aurora (the handcrafts market), where artisans from across the country sell handwoven textiles, ceramics, and leather goods. It's also alive in Cuatro Grados Norte, a once-neglected neighborhood now revived by artists, restauranters, and small businesses. And on Sundays, the city’s Pasos y Pedales program transforms two of its main boulevards into lively pedestrian zones, buzzing with cyclists, food carts, and families browsing handmade goods.