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Published March 20, 2024 at 8:55 PM ET
Would you like some fries with it?
France, a country notorious for its American culture, has dirty and delicious little secrets that may surprise tourists.
In the land of boeuf bourguignon, we love the all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, pickles and onions on a sesame-seed bun, as well as other McDonald's menu items. Currently, there are more Golden stores in France. Archier than anywhere else in Europe.
Popeyes is planning a major expansion into France.alamy stock photo
“The desire for the American way of life is growing in France as well, and there is a huge appetite,” Xavier Expiry, founder and president of French consulting firm EXPM, told CNBC.
Expiry's company oversaw Popeyes' debut in France in 2023, with familiar menu items such as chicken dinners, sandwiches and tenders. According to Forbes, the brand hopes to open 300 restaurants in the country by 2030.
Why are the French, who eat more than anyone else in the Western world, so obsessed with American drive-through food? Does the south of France actually need a little south?
Yes, according to Expily. France may like to stereotype American fast food culture, but like other consumers, it's bad at branding.
McDonald's Big Mac, Burger King's Whopper and Popeyes' chicken sandwich are “iconic products that cement the brand in the minds of customers,” Expilly said.
“To explain it, [culture] If you have a good story and an iconic burger, you’ll be successful,” he said.
McDonald's, which has had the best head start, debuted in France in the 1970s and now dominates the French market with more than 1,500 stores.
Still, that doesn't stop many other homegrown brands from jumping into the pond and staying there.
McDonald's is as loved in France as it is in America.
Burger King currently has 520 stores in France, and KFC will open its 300th store in the country in 2022.
Starbucks, which naysayers say will never be viable in cafe-loving France, had 238 stores last year, while bougie burger chain Five Guys had 27 stores.
Chipotle has also entered the fray, with five locations in Paris and one in Lyon.
“These concepts are about 'It's a very tough race in America, okay, it's a very tough race in America. Where can we find success internationally?'” said Andrew Charles, senior restaurant analyst at TD Cowen. he told CNBC.
Burger King has also expanded into the French market. zumapress.com
“They saw this as ripe for growth, leading to a flood of burgers and other quick-service concepts into France,” Charles said.
Ironically, the biggest critics of this seemingly irreversible change tend to be American travelers, who are often seen voicing their confusion and opposition on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. Can be seen.
“We need to shut down France until we figure out what's going on,” one upset visitor recently posted on X.
France is obsessed with the popularity of McDonald's and other American fast foods. AFP/Getty Images
Another evokes old REM lyrics, calling the changes underway “the end of the world as we know it and it doesn't feel good.”
But instead of escargot, some people are enjoying the idea of giving France a taste of this province.
“'Merica, they love it,” one patriot wrote.
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