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salvorhardin

(9,995 posts)
Tue Jan 24, 2012, 06:05 PM Jan 2012

Why McDonald's In France Doesn't Feel Like Fast Food [View all]

Publicité payée NPR pour MacDo? Il semble que oui!

The beauty of McDonald's in France is that it doesn't feel like a fast food joint, where hordes of people shuffle in and out and tables turn at a fast clip...

Naturally, the U.S. is its no. 1 market, but guess who is no. 2? You got it: France. A paper out this month by three graduates of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business says McDonald's is such a success in the land of Michelin three-star restaurants because it has adapted to French eating habits and tastes. There are now 1,200 franchises in France; the company opened 30 restaurants per year in the past five years alone.

Even in these harried times, the French spend more than two hours a day at the table. Sitting down to a meal is a cornerstone of French culture, and McDonald's seems to get that. French McDonald's are spacious, tastefully decorated restaurants that encourage people to take their time while eating. And the cozy McCafe's with their plush chairs and sofas have become an extension to many restaurants...

Another reason McDonald's works so well here is that the food is locally sourced and very high quality... And if you like good meat (who doesn't?!), then McDonald's France is clearly superior. In the U.S., McDonald's says its cattle are mostly corn-fed. While the company doesn't address on its site whether growth hormones and growth-promoting antibiotics are added to the animal feed consumed by the animals it buys, it's a reasonable assumption that they are.

Full post: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/01/24/145698222/why-mcdonalds-in-france-doesnt-feel-like-fast-food


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Over here, they treat us like the cattle we eat, and I guess we're OK with that. TwilightGardener Jan 2012 #1
They give what the public demands JitterbugPerfume Jan 2012 #2
I think the public in many other countries also wants the less healthy end of it too RZM Jan 2012 #7
You mean socialized... Jkid Jan 2012 #18
actually I meant classical conditioning JitterbugPerfume Jan 2012 #20
I've been to Paris (heaven on earth) & never xchrom Jan 2012 #3
Been to Paris many years ago, RebelOne Jan 2012 #9
Same here. Mojorabbit Jan 2012 #10
Ashamed to admit it, but we ate in McD's in the Louvre food court lapislzi Jan 2012 #4
It's called a "Royale with Cheese" because of the metric system? n/t Nuclear Unicorn Jan 2012 #5
Damn you. I had this all cued up and ready.... msanthrope Jan 2012 #8
There was an article showing the McDonalds here uses some pink shit Thrill Jan 2012 #6
That's mainly because of the McSnails. n/t customerserviceguy Jan 2012 #11
There are some (in Paris and elsewhere) that are like USA McDo's uppityperson Jan 2012 #12
i wonder those ones are more for American Tourists JI7 Jan 2012 #13
The Paris one was near Place de la Republique, near a hostel but a bunch of other stuff. uppityperson Jan 2012 #14
There are some cafe-style McDonald's in the US too salvorhardin Jan 2012 #16
Royale with Cheese . . . . no_hypocrisy Jan 2012 #15
A shitburger by any other name, with Moondog Jan 2012 #17
Ditto. I'd never eat anything from that craphole. nt Honeycombe8 Jan 2012 #19
Cheese eating surrender monkeys won't be treated like steerage! flvegan Jan 2012 #21
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