McDonald's, meanwhile, offers all kinds of Frenchified dishes, from the Alpine burger with three different kinds of cheese to tasty little gallette des rois, or King's Cakes, popular after Christmas and sold by all the bakeries. The Wharton study says it's because they tried to transplant the total American dining experience to France, without taking into consideration French preferences. I remember there used to be a few Burger Kings in Paris, but McDonald's closest competitor went belly up years ago. And the cozy McCafe's with their plush chairs and sofas have become an extension to many restaurants. French McDonald's are spacious, tastefully decorated restaurants that encourage people to take their time while eating. Sitting down to a meal is a cornerstone of French culture, and McDonald's seems to get that. There are now 1,200 franchises in France the company opened 30 restaurants per year in the past five years alone.Įven in these harried times, the French spend more than two hours a day at the table. 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. It operates in 123 countries around the world, and just this week the company said it plans to open another 1,300 restaurants in 2012. McDonalds is the world's largest food chain.
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. I'm surrounded by people of all ages who are talking with friends, reading, or typing away on their laptops like me.
Greetings from McDonald's, or "MacDo," as they call it here in Paris, where I am comfortably ensconced in a McCafé enjoying a croissant and a grand crème coffee. A McDonald's breakfast meal in Villeurbanne, France includes fresh baguettes and jam spreads with coffee for $4.55.
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