McDonald's in Paris
The typical McDonald's in America is cheap, convenient, wildly unhealthy, fairly small, and a little bit grimy. The McDonald's in Paris, however, is a different story - much larger, nicer, and often includes a small bakery (shown above).
I first entered a McDonald's in Paris when I was shopping on the Champs-Elysee avenue. It was much larger than many of the McDonald's in America, and I even saw some two-story McDonald's during the rest of my time in Paris. The most striking difference was that the Parisian McDonald's had a bakery, located to the right immediately after I walked into the restaurant. As you can see, the bakery was filled with delicious-looking desserts, the kind of stuff you would normally see in a charming little pastry shop. What is something like this doing in a McDonald's? My theory is that the French enjoy greasy hamburgers and fries much less than Americans, so adding a bakery transforms something that is typically American into something that adheres to French culture. Even if the French buy less burgers and fries than Americans, French McDonald's still bring in revenue by selling macaroons and pastries at the McDonald's bakery.
Even so, the layout of McDonald's in both countries was essentially the same - a sitting area, a place to line up, a counter of cash registers in front of the kitchen, and occasionally a kiddie playground. The prices were also very similar, and the food came out very quickly. Although the McDonald's in France is nicer than those in America, the quality was still at the level of a fast-food restaurant, unlike Pizza Hut, which is elevated to the level of a sit-down restaurant.
It's always interesting to note the differences between chain restaurants in the U.S. and those elsewhere. In this case, there were subtle similarities, but, ultimately, the McDonald's in France is starkly different from those in the U.S.
I first entered a McDonald's in Paris when I was shopping on the Champs-Elysee avenue. It was much larger than many of the McDonald's in America, and I even saw some two-story McDonald's during the rest of my time in Paris. The most striking difference was that the Parisian McDonald's had a bakery, located to the right immediately after I walked into the restaurant. As you can see, the bakery was filled with delicious-looking desserts, the kind of stuff you would normally see in a charming little pastry shop. What is something like this doing in a McDonald's? My theory is that the French enjoy greasy hamburgers and fries much less than Americans, so adding a bakery transforms something that is typically American into something that adheres to French culture. Even if the French buy less burgers and fries than Americans, French McDonald's still bring in revenue by selling macaroons and pastries at the McDonald's bakery.
Even so, the layout of McDonald's in both countries was essentially the same - a sitting area, a place to line up, a counter of cash registers in front of the kitchen, and occasionally a kiddie playground. The prices were also very similar, and the food came out very quickly. Although the McDonald's in France is nicer than those in America, the quality was still at the level of a fast-food restaurant, unlike Pizza Hut, which is elevated to the level of a sit-down restaurant.
It's always interesting to note the differences between chain restaurants in the U.S. and those elsewhere. In this case, there were subtle similarities, but, ultimately, the McDonald's in France is starkly different from those in the U.S.