Last year, McDonald's sales in France grew by 8%, almost doubling its growth in American sales.Seems half the population (literally) eats at Mickey D's. I love the explanation proffered:
We're very anti-American in principle, but individually, if you're going to the movies and have to eat in 10 minutes, you go to McDonald's.My dear, you should look up that word "principle." If the French position is to scorn McDonald's and eat there anyway, don't look now, but that's even more American than fast food.
The yummy part is catching the French in a bit of hypocrisy, and that's what lots of sources have picked up on, but the rest of the 4pp article is interesting as a triumph of capitalism. The McDonald's turn-around in Europe has come at the hands of a Frenchman, the first non-American president of McDonald's Europe. The Big Mac & fries remain virtually unchanged, but he's changed the look of the restaurants, offered more local fare and introduced a "Mcpassport" program that allows employees to transfer anywhere within the EU. Well worth reading.
