Someone once said that only the British can take a concept like ‘fast food’ & remove from it any of the aspects that make it attractive, in this case the fast & the food.
Accustomed to that reality I entered my first French McDonalds with no other intention than taking advantage of the free wifi, a service that for anyone travelling round France, a country that hasn’t really got the hang of mobile communications,is a boon. Used to a lengthy queue for the privilege of having a limp bun thrust at me by a surly youth the Golden Arches french style was a revelation. From the cheery bonjour to the indication that if I would like to take a seat my meal would be brought to me. And brought it was, in less than 5 minutes, on a neat tray laid with shining cutlery, condiments, sugar & milk for the coffee & a paper napkin placed in front of me with a ‘bon appetit’ A tasty burger in a crisp bun with fresh lettuce & a shiny tomato accompanied by a delicious piping hot coffee. Exactly as depicted on that plastic menu card behind the till.
And in the hundred odd McDonalds that I’ve visited since, with a couple of exceptions, the experience has been exactly the same. (Avoid Carrefour, Calais)
OK, they’re 50% dearer than the UK, but if you want a quick bite on the move they’re good value for money. Just avoid Saturday afternoons unless you’re keen on, admittedly very well behaved, french children.
As even the smallest town seems to host at least one Golden Arches I wouldn’t be surprised if the claim is true.
@1 utter bollocks – it’s indistinguishable in service and quality from the ‘product’ served in the US, UK, or indeed any of the other McD’s markets. The only plus-point is the beer.
(and ‘very well behaved’ French kids? You’ve truly been at said comestible too much…)
We used to host French kids on exchange vists. Obviously they keep the well behaved ones at home and inflict the badly behaved ones on pervidious Albion.
Someone once said that only the British can take a concept like ‘fast food’ & remove from it any of the aspects that make it attractive, in this case the fast & the food.
Accustomed to that reality I entered my first French McDonalds with no other intention than taking advantage of the free wifi, a service that for anyone travelling round France, a country that hasn’t really got the hang of mobile communications,is a boon. Used to a lengthy queue for the privilege of having a limp bun thrust at me by a surly youth the Golden Arches french style was a revelation. From the cheery bonjour to the indication that if I would like to take a seat my meal would be brought to me. And brought it was, in less than 5 minutes, on a neat tray laid with shining cutlery, condiments, sugar & milk for the coffee & a paper napkin placed in front of me with a ‘bon appetit’ A tasty burger in a crisp bun with fresh lettuce & a shiny tomato accompanied by a delicious piping hot coffee. Exactly as depicted on that plastic menu card behind the till.
And in the hundred odd McDonalds that I’ve visited since, with a couple of exceptions, the experience has been exactly the same. (Avoid Carrefour, Calais)
OK, they’re 50% dearer than the UK, but if you want a quick bite on the move they’re good value for money. Just avoid Saturday afternoons unless you’re keen on, admittedly very well behaved, french children.
As even the smallest town seems to host at least one Golden Arches I wouldn’t be surprised if the claim is true.
The McDonalds in France also serve beer!
@1 utter bollocks – it’s indistinguishable in service and quality from the ‘product’ served in the US, UK, or indeed any of the other McD’s markets. The only plus-point is the beer.
(and ‘very well behaved’ French kids? You’ve truly been at said comestible too much…)
We used to host French kids on exchange vists. Obviously they keep the well behaved ones at home and inflict the badly behaved ones on pervidious Albion.
She is quite wrong about France. According to the list of McDonalds restaurant density by country at http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/foo_mcd_res_percap-food-mcdonalds-restaurants-per-capita, France comes 16th with 0.141 per 10,000 people. The US leads with 0.433, followed proudly by New Zealand with 0.369.
She doesn’t say anything about the density of McDonalds. She talks about the per-capita consumption rate. The two are not (necessarily) linked.