Why The French Love American Fast Food
Despite its reputation for gastronomy, France has become an American fast-food mecca. Between 2019 and 2023, more than 1,300 fast-food restaurants opened in the country, and over the past decade, sales increased by 61%. McDonald’s has the biggest stronghold because of its first-mover advantage. But Burger King, Domino’s Pizza, KFC and Five Guys are expanding their reach. New players like Popeyes and Krispy Kreme moved in for the first time in early 2024 as French consumers continue to seek affordable and convenient food options.
Chapters:
1:21 Chapter 1. France’s fast-food market
3:33 Chapter 2. Winning over the French
8:39 Chapter 3. Challenges
10:49 Chapter 4. Opportunities
Produced and Edited by: Natalie Rice
Camera by: Federico Campanale
Animation: Christina Locopo
Senior Managing Producer: Tala Hadavi
Additional Footage: Getty, AP Photos, Reuters, Domino’s Pizza, Chipotle, TikTok
Additional Sources: IBISWorld, McDonald’s
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Why The French Love American Fast Food
“CNBC went to Paris to find out” Someone really convinced their boss to let them to go Paris to eat McDonald’s 🤣 fair play
The editor was busy and signed off on the expense without reading what they were signing. Lol 😂
I like their style
I'll eat a qua-song over anything else
They might have found someone local as a contractor to get the B-roll and some of the interviews. Hard to say.
i think what they meant by "went to Paris" was they contacted their colleague in Paris to records some videos, because all the interview were via video conference.
“I like American fast food more than I like Americans themselves” that has to be the most French thing I’ve ever heard someone utter.
The French are strange, egotistical people
That's not what he meant
@user-hm6hs7dk4k what he said is what he meant
That’s exactly what he meant.
I think what he said was. I like American fast food more than Americans like it
I swear they made them talk with the strongest french accent they could for the video
😂
as a french i can confirm that they take the best of the best 😂😂😂
As a French this is so hilarious to me...thankfully we don't all talk like this. So stereotypical 😅
Xavier was reading from a script and does not speak English at all
Especially the guy from the pc… my ears BLEEEEED
Now France, please send us your labor rights and Unions.
If only!
I hope CNBC is already preparing their video for "Why is France Experiencing an Obesity Crisis" and "Why is Diabetes Rising in France?" in a few years.
Already pre written just gotta wait it out
Then again in the EU there are higher food standards than the USA as their food is not loaded up with the junk like in American food so I don't think an obesity and diabetes spike is coming anytime soon plus they have universal health care so they will be better taken care of.
Lol big difference in France is that they actually use high quality ingredients in the fast food restaurants so it's far less processed, fast foods in America literally give you diabetes cuz its barely even food in the first place
I'm cackling at the idea that we're exporting obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac arrest. 🤣🤣🤣
🤣🤣🤣🤣
As an American residing in Paris already 10+ years; the fast-food phenomenon is purely an economic choice of convenience. Fast-food is generally cheaper than French restaurants and they tend to provide non-stop service; whereas French restaurants may open later and close mid-day until dinner. Also due to declining spending power of students, the middle and working classes; many people are looking for something quick, cheap, filling and tasty just like in the US.
This is 100% correct, you wrote in a few sentences the main drives behind American fast food success in France and did a better job than this 12 minute video 😂
Somewhat well put, esp on the pure choice aspect of it, except that at the Crous the fixed price of a 3 course meal is available to students for a fixed price of 3.5€, a healthy balanced meal! if it has increased due to inflation it ain't above 5€. For 15€ euros spent at Burger king or Mcdo in Paris I assure you I will enter MONOPRIX get un plat du jour , dessert + boisson, and I'll give u a balance of my less than 4€
Also immigration from outside France is fueling a decline in traditional french meals and a surge in tacos, kebab, mcdo etc...
Is there chipotle in France?
Hand me a baguette, spreadable Brie, and some tomato slices any day over Fast food restaurants. Quick, easy, delicious, filling, better for you.
All those beautiful patisseries being replaced by jank
10k pâtisseries in paris
I remember taking French in high school around 1999-2000. My French teacher would share new headlines from France. I remember one if the biggest controversies was that French chefs wanted McDonalds and other American fast food chains to be banned in France because more French people were eating there instead of at traditional restaurants. The chefs were losing their s…t and demanding the government got involved.
Funny
There was a bomb that destroyed a McDonald's in the Brittany region, and unfortunately killed one person in 2000. José Bové was famous for protesting against McDonald's and was sentenced to 44 days in prison for destroying a McDonald's that was under construction.
Would have been better XD
As an American living in France, the food quality at fast food chains are WAY better. One of the reasons the French manage to stay healthy though is because they eat in moderation. Even the largest sizes in France are often smaller than mediums in the US. People walk a lot. I'm often asked by French people if I ate fast food every day growing up, as that's the stereotype of Americans, versus the French will have fast food maybe once a week or less.
I feel like outside students who live on a tight budget, fastfood is actually the deal of one or two times in a month.
I , too, live in Paris and there now are very fat Parisians. Many eat this junk every day and it’s such a shame how the US influence is ubiquitous here; they are losing their culture.
In the beginning, yes, but give it a couple of years it will garbage
It’s the same in the UK
Id rather go to Chick fil a or chipotle or wataburger or Dary Queen in the United States than the cleanest nicest McDonalds in France. Not to mention a myriad of even more local fast food chains or a Mexican drive through spot. I can get good fast food from the local super market. HEB has very servicable pizza. The US has better fast food than France a million percent when you consider all the options Americans have across the country. I live in France and cook and eat almost exclusively at home because restaurants in my city are between overpriced or fast food junk and a lack of mid-range options keeps me at home. I dont think this is the case in larger cities like Paris or Lyon, though.
I’m old enough to remember when the French had a militant resistance to Americanized fast food. It’s crazy how so much has changed in so little time.
They surrendered with their white aprons.
Immigrants. The cabal won.
This is sad..
So the parent generation of Giscard- Mittereand era are dead, and their children grew up in Chirac era onward don't have to hide their love of fast food anymore?
snobbery will only get the French so far
Makes sense considering the average French restaurant is open from 10 : 45 - 13 : 20 and only on rotating Thursdays
I am French I cook myself every day twice a day (easier for me because im housewife), I loved fast food when I was a teenager but today I detach and around me I see the same phenomenon so this documentary surprises me, but Paris is a state in the state after all...
Île de "France"
Pourtant le nombre de Mc Donald's en France ne cesse de croître avec 30 inaugurations par an environ (1560 restaurants Mc Donald's en tout). Ils sont de plus en plus présents dans les villes moyennes et les petites villes voir même à la campagne. Je crois savoir que la France est le deuxième marché de Mc Donald's derrière les États-Unis. Au delà des prix raisonnables et de la force du marketing, les Mc Donald's en France sont des lieux de socialisation pour beaucoup (jeunes, familles...). Il a en quelque sorte remplacé le café du village.
@@lemoussaillon McDonald's a un marché assez spécifique pour la France, plus "healthy" (ouais, j'imagine pas l'horreur dans d'autres pays du coup) avec des recettes souvent plus travaillées et adaptées aux goûts français, ça a fait mouche. Mais le problème de base c'est que les gens cuisinent de moins en moins à cause du rythme de vie effréné qu'on nous force à avoir et qui poussent les gens vers la restauration rapide. Et le problème de la gastronomie française c'est qu'elle demande du temps, on a pas vraiment de recettes rapides et adaptées au travail comme les hamburgers, les pizzas, les kebabs, les pâtes... les plats français sont plus complexes et adaptés à un rythme de vie plus lent avec des repas longs à table donc pas compatible avec le mode de vie de beaucoup et c'est une tragédie, la gastronomie française devient un luxe réservés aux plus riches et/ou ceux qui peuvent se permettre de prendre le temps de cuisiner chaque jour (j'en fais partie Dieu merci).
lol France, as an American I say this: please fight back😭
France is going to be ok. France is not a car centric hellscape like America. This plays a big factor in food culture. There are bakeries and fresh food options on every street in Paris within walking distance. Unlike every freeway exist burgeoning with caloric vices in America. The combination of sprawl and distance to food make fast food in America align with its monocentric forms of movement.
@@popcorn8153Fast food is everywhere in Japan, and vending machines in Japan contain nothing but sugary drinks (with the exception of tea, which is almost always unsweetened unless it's Lipton). While obesity in Japan is rising, it's nowhere near the rates that America has. What France and Japan share in common are walkable cities and good public transport infrastructure. So, yes, I agree with you and I think France will be fine.
They're gonna get so fat from the fast food haha
You seem to think fast food is new to France and Europe. People all around the world eat fast food. It's not new. The problem with you Americans and fat people in general is not the fast food, but the fact that you eat way too much. We don't eat such huge portions as you do.
France will be fine. They literally walk most places to go about their daily lives and don't need to drive everywhere.
Hearing a French person say “I luv nuggets” does not sound like it belongs on this sacred timeline
This time line is very curses so seems fitting
Loki: So...What was your nexus event? Frenchman: _“I luuuv nuggets”_
More like cursed 😂
I'm French and love burgers but I don't get the thing with nuggets. During a riot people burglarized a McDonald's and were in a frenzy over getting the stock of nuggets, WTF ?
What if they are gold miners?
I was born and raised in France and moved to the US in 1991. At age 44 today in 2024, I can say for a fact that the French love American fast food. More and more of the chains that I exist in the US are opening up in France too. That video did a good job describing the growth.
I'm French, I grew up poor with a single mom and we never went to restaurants. Back then, we did go to some fast food places because it's more affordable. The prices in restaurants are just mental. Even now, as an adult with a high income, I'm still astonished by some prices and reticent to go to a restaurant. Over the years, fast food restaurants have improved in quality, especially McDonald's, while regular restaurants decreased in quality (a lot of places serve fake fresh food, it's microwaved frozen garbage most of the time) Fast food isn't that bad anyway. It's all about the quantity, not going too often, and most importantly avoiding sodas.
I've noticed something interesting - American fast food franchises taste so much better overseas than they do in America! I've had the pleasure of trying them in different countries, and the flavors seem to be more authentic and delicious abroad. Has anyone else experienced this?
Yes, and I think it's because they have to break into the market, so it actually does have to taste really good.
Yes German and British McDonalds tasted so much better and had different and better menu options.
EU regulations so its less processed. As stated in the video.
That has been my experience too. The McDonald's in Stockholm, Sweden were miles above the quality and taste of the McDonalds here in the states.
Here in America, high fructose corn syrup is used as a filler ingredient in a lot of fast food. HFCS is not used this way in Europe and everything tastes better as a result.
As an Italian living in France, the reason why the French love American fast food is obvious. Historically, the alternatives to slow, expensive eating are scarce and low quality. Nowadays it's basically just kebab, "French tacos", terribly expensive under-filled baguettes, or American fast food. Obviously fast food was going to win! Without going very far (China or Japan would provide great examples), in Italy we've always had several cheap, tasty ways to get a quick meal. In Rome, you can easily find "pizza al taglio", supplìs, focaccerias etc. In other cities the list is just as long...
I think you summed it up very well. While France has a rich culinary heritage, the country's cuisine comprises many complex recipes. In traditional French gastronomy, there is very little in terms of on-the-go street food, and in today's world, where everyone works (often long hours, even in France), fast food imports from abroad offer the convenience that people seem to need - the result of such developments, among others, has been a doubling of the French obesity rate between 1997 and 2020.
French tacos are also horrible. But yah it’s basically either McDonald’s, vending machine sandwich, or 5 course meal
Fast French food is nonexistent...waiting a 1/2 hour for service is ordinary.
I was amazed that in Bologna Airport, not a single American fast food chain.
To add to this spot-on comment, I think the reason there are few cheap quick food options outside of those you mentioned has to do with French restaurant associations. They keep competition out of cities.
As a Frenchman it honestly sickens me to see how fast food (not only American) spread all over the country. To be honest in many cities 50% of restaurant sell either burgers, pizza, tacos or kebab…
too true. In some medium size towns its now difficult to find a simple French traditional restaurant. They are a quickly "vanishing breed" in an, say, the next 5/10 years they will be a distant memory.
A nightmare. The traditional restaurants with 3 course meal were always affordable. I love the simplicity, and you still got a good mail and be on your way within the hour... But it is not trendy...
idk who thought this was really news but, fastfood, which is by far mostly dominated by american chains, are popular everywhere, there are only a few countries in the world that do not have american fastfood
Whoever put the "s" in fat food was a genius........
Brilliant comment!
Lies again? Driver Chauffeur Debit Card
😂😂😂😂
Whoever put the “d” in place of the “L” is also genius
LOL!!!!
French foods have become unaffordable (money-wise and time-wise). Traditional French culinary culture is that you eat slow, entertain with others by socialising, and spend a lot of time for cooking, but the French society has become a busy society like everywhere else. People don´t have time to cook, are digitalized by spending their time alone with SNS etc
🎯
OC should be reported for posting links on her accounts that link to corn.
Are you French?
How interesting. Here in America we're seeing fast food becoming unaffordable instead, as the prices for fast food meals have skyrocketted over the past few years.
That's... Not true. I mean, fast food is generally speaking unaffordable on a daily basis... and is not eaten as such. You still have waaaay higher numbers of homecooks than in the US, and many other european countries, and we do still have some of the longest lunch times in the world. What is true, is that on one side, there has been a wide adoption of the burger in our restaurants. Which is obvious: traditional child dish for the last 50 years is a patty with french fries. You don't need to add a lot to push the price from 12 to 16 euros. What's also true is that we do have a way weaker native fast food tradition in general. So when american brands establish themselves, there is way less concurrence than with the german kebabs or the brits. Although this is increasingly changing.
I remember eating at McDonalds in Antigua, Guatemala and it was THE BEST McD's experience I've ever had. Had its own courtyard with beautiful foliage and a water fountain at the center AND they still had the Big N Tasty!
“We appreciate American fast food, more than we appreciate Americans themselves “ is a maniac statement
I'm french and I love americans. There's a small part of french youth that hates America because they think it's responsible for all the problems in the world, but it's a minority.
based on american actions all over the world !
"We appreciate more American fastfood than Americans themselves" Is what he actually said. It's a bad direct translation aka word for word translation of how one would say "we appreciate American fastfood more than Americans do" in French.
Also, something you didn’t explain is that most French employees receive "restaurant tickets," which function more like a debit card nowadays. Employees get between 160 to 200€ per month (60% paid by the company) to spend exclusively in restaurants for their lunch break. This explains why many French employees eat at restaurants every day, including sometimes at fast food establishments.
What? Wow. That's cool!!
Actually, you can also use them to buy food (and only food) at supermarket.
It's called social progress, and we have the unions and baby boomers to thank for it. In fact, that's what socialism is all about - the distribution of wealth, to be more precise. In the USA, American taxpayers pay for the welfare of politicians and tax cuts for big corporations and oligarchs, and that's perverse socialism.
Is this a government initiative?
@@GonzoTehGreat Absolutely, employees talk to their unions, who negotiate with the government and the employers' union.
The power of mass advertising never ceases to amaze me.
This got thrown into my recommendations when I don't normally watch anything from CNBC or any other major news source. I don't even eat fast food.
McDonalds is better in France. The food I had was definitely higher quality than here, plus it was the only thing open till 2am
Or maybe because food that is cheap, quick and had millions invested to make it the perfect balance of taste means people want to go, eating snails isn’t exactly advanced
I'm french, I did'nt recognize my people in this video , at all. French people are very critical of american fast foods, they eat there sometimes, I never do, most of my friends don't. We overwelmingly think it's unhealthy. It looks more like a commercial than an actual unbiased investigation. with people saying "it's delicious", "it's amazing" ... not accurate.
@@backintimealwyn5736You know what they say about anecdotal evidence: it isn’t evidence. If you’d look up the numbers in the report instead of the street opinions you’d find it’s accurate. Numbers don’t lie, and two people in the street mean less than nothing. There are 43M transactions per week in a country of
It’s just crazy the times we live in. 30 years ago if you told a French person they’d be obsessed with fast food they’d spit on you.
Traveling in Europe I was actually surprised to see France as culinarily more Americanized than Germany, a country that was for a long time occupied by US forces. There are Mickey D's in Germany too, but there''re also so many German, Italian or Greek restaurants with great food at affordable prices while in France it's either very expensive French Haute Cuisine or American Fast Food.
(Western) Germany was occupied by the Allied powers (France, the UK, and the US) for four years after the war. Not THAT long. And besides, occupation doesn't mean "you have to eat our foods now". And even if that would be the case, it would now be a mix of English, American and French cuisines. Not just American. Also, I have no idea where you went in France, but it's completely ridiculous to say there's nothing between Haute Cuisine and McDonalds there, price-wise. Plenty of perfectly affordable mid-range restaurants, if you avoid the tourist traps.
Hearing "I love nuggets" in a French accent makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time.
He's a simple man with simple needs. He loves fries, he gets fries. He loves nuggets, he gets nuggets.
Me too and I am French… promise I don’t sound like that though 😂 I arrived in the USA young enough that I don’t sound like that hahaha
@@basiledubois6761 frites I’m fine with! They didn’t invent them but they embraced them. Nuggets I’m not.
Why?
Scope what nuggets are made of.
As a French, fast food is a guilty pleasure. I don't eat at fast food restaurants everyday, but twice a month in general.
Legit every American says this lol
The average American ‘only’ eats it five times a week. 😆
Same quarter pounder just hits right !
Miss Granger, have you ever had fast food in US to compare with the ones you have in France? EU banned many things that are perfectly legal in US. Personally I rather have a baguette with butter and tomato or cheese than anything else. Even plain baguette from boulangerie will do
As an American, this is basically my relationship with fast food lol I think last month, I went to In n Out twice and had McDonald's chicken nuggets and fries once. We all know it's not good for us, it's guilty pleasure that you indulge from time to time
I'm in Korea and there are American fast food franchise everywhere here too, and I love it as well lol. Subway, McDonald's, BK, KFC...when Five Guys landed there was a line longer than 3 hours wait just to get the burger. American franchise is insanely popular
Waou... you're a real "gourmet"... and people real sheeps !
I don't get it. Much rather have bulgogi with ban-chan. Kalbi to go even better.
@@stringfellowbalk2654 I was in South Korea last October and was shocked to see all the variety of American restaurants that were in Seoul. Obviously, I stuck to eating Korean bbq but they are insanely expensive. I spent over $100 -$150 for my family of 3 to eat in the more popular Korean restaurants. I compare the prices to eating in France at some good French restaurants and spend about $80 (euros) for us 3.
@@stringfellowbalk2654 It's all relative. Koreans eat those all the time so people prefer to eat something more Western when they go out
the truth is ... i'm french myself and i recognize that fast food is one of the most delivery options used by my own people not only young ones , elders too ! A part of this origins is the fact that most of french actually doesn't know really cooking and wants to eat easy and fast .Elders drank too much soups , Adults and more mothers wants to prepare someting fast for theirs kids after works , and then younger doens't like really cooking so if they can go to eat outside , it's good for them. Futhermore, if the price is lower than locals restaurants that's better . 😅
The guy who said the French appreciate fast food more than Americans? BRO, NO YOU DON'T!
If it wasn’t for fast food the average American would starve.
Bro, what about weapons
i think french have own wepon@@aliciafaulkner416
That’s just how the French act lol. They love everything the most.
how do you measure/compare fast food appreciation? lol
My friend, a medical doctor based in the US, has been considering relocating (for lifestyle reasons ironically) to France. I will forward this to my friend to suggest there may be great future need for additional medical doctors given this American fast food trend.
If he doesn't speak French, it's going to be almost impossible to relocate. Happy to share more; I'm an American studying medicine in France!
@@amfrance pk ton drapeau est à l'envers sur ta pdp 😭😭
C'est une blague. @@Lostouille
Who in their right mind would leave the US for France? Doctor's salaries there are a fraction of what they make in the US.
Is money everything? @@mirzaahmed6589
I'm french, the big reason why we love it it's because it's cheap ... sadly, vegetables, fruits are more expensive.
Vegetables and fruits are not more expensive, Tired of people saying that lie, You can spend that same $10 on either Bananas, Salad, Apples, Grapes, Avocados, People just want to eat quick unfulfilling tasty crap.
@@commonsense3921 well come to France and see for urself🙂
I am currently in Paris for my first time visit, and I was taken aback at how much American fast food brands there are in the city. And now this video popped up on my feed 😂
Let me guess, KFC, Mcdo, BK, Subway, Dominos, Pizza Hut, Five Guys, Starbucks. Did I miss any other restaurants? I wouldn't call this a variety. Hope your visit is going well. Be sure not to categorize what France or being French is by what the Parisians do and act.
95% of Italian restaurants are really just Pizza ones. The Indian restaurants are mostly nothing resembling the British ones. There is truly still not international cusine restaurants in France or very few and they ain't typical or that good. All the French efforts to create their style of fast food have failed mostly dure to being too expensive.
@@gordonspicer Its kinda true, our "italians" are mostly pizza only (except in the south east near italian borders lol), in France if you want good international cuisine, you need to pay the price, or be in paris (like 13 th district if you want asian food, or 20th for tunisian and so on ...)
@@jl-ws1kz Why hardly any Moroccan restaurants in French towns anymore?. The only thing you like is au volonte buffet at Chinese restaurants with their same tepid cuisine. Always the same with surly asian staff. Traditional French bistros are a dying breed. Finding a restaurant open at night or on Sunday needs a Sherlock Holmes!
If only the US would force these fast food companies to use less processed foods in America
Our politicians would actually have to do something worthwhile for that
They are cutting the branches and distribution are by half start from 2022, so they might be able to afford better stuff now. One of the problem was there were so many branches to supply with ingredients during the Bubble Economy Era, now that is no longer the case. McDonald Thailand has better food than American one because it has only 490 branches nationwide to supply, compare to 20,000 stateside before Covid.
yes, but the chemicals being banned everywhere in the world, except in the US is the real issue. All about keeping people sick. Got to keep those Medical stocks prices up@@thanakonpraepanich4284
Why do you think the government needs to force anything? People want that slop. Otherwise they wouldn't sell it
They'll do whatever the corporate donors want
It’s because of American’s love of fresh, high quality, seasonal ingredients as exhibited by le Big Mac 🍔
And appreciation of added chemicals.😂
@@princegroove you generalize too much. Everything is made of chemicals, just saying added chemicals does not mean anything.
@@MuiKaHo ‘Added’ is the key word here, Einstein.
Could’ve done a pulp fiction reference but didn’t, L
@@dwaynekeenum1916 I thought in France it was called a Royale with Cheese
In France they’re not eating the same ingredients as the U.S. Many US ingredients are outlawed in France. So in France it’s OK to eat fast food because it’s not toxic and full of crud.
Even it has less chemicals it’s still fattening food. No amount of European standards can change that.
Salt and sugar and fat are the same everywhere. These foods are not healthy no matter what. But good try with ur xenophobic take.
Still empty, addicting calorie bomb
as a french person this is pretty exclusive to paris, of course there are mcdonald’s and kfcs around but french people will usually prefer a samdwich from a bakerie.
When I lived in Germany, they were obsessed with KFC. Huge lines, especially during lunch. I never really understood it, but it is true that the quality of food is much better at European fast food places compared to the US. The food is less processed and a lot of ingredients we eat are actually banned in the EU. Also the restaurants are nicer places to be in. I went to a McDonalds once (late at night, it was the only thing open) and was shocked to see a nice glass case with salads and fresh fruit displayed in addition to the mostly familiar menu. It felt like any cafe in Germany, there no sticky plastic benches like here in America. Regular metal utensils and plates, nice-ish tables and chairs. It looks and feels completely different there.
Were you surprised at how much more expensive the bill was compared to here in America?
How do you process KFC chicken? LOL
There is a simple effect: Chains run commercials, promotions, advertisement, single owned 'bistro' places offering the same thing for same price cannot keep up in attracting clients. They are missing an "image". It's just the Doner und Falafel places, that are not chains yet, who are equally popular.
The fast food from these US owned restaurants tastes different abroad to attract foreign customers who are used to better quality food and have different tastes. However, once established they can gradually change their menu to offer cheaper, less healthy/tasty options. This is also how these restaurants originally expanded in the USA, by adapting to the local market to acquire market share, then (once they have a recognized brand with loyal customers), reducing costs by cheapening their product to maximize profits.
I don't really understand it myself. Normal restaurant food in most cities I've been to in Europe is far superior in both taste and healthiness to the fast food and the same price or only a little bit more expensive, but well worth the extra cost. I can see there might have been a bit of a novelty factor when a new fast food place would open and sometimes you just crave fast food, but still? I live in Australia now and am proud to say Starbucks flopped here, because every little mom and pop cafe has WAY better coffee and it's cheaper than Starbucks coffee. It really is some of the best in the world.
Diabetes here we goooooooo
Arteriosclerosis, yay! 😂
Food standards there are different. They don’t use high fructose corn syrup there which is one of the causes of diabetes here in the US
@@kevinmanan1304 Sugar is no better! 😆
@@princegroove sugar is not bad or good, you need to consume in moderation. too much of anything is bad, even water.
And waistlines! 😂
I'm an American who is usually disappointed by the quality and selection of fast food and this trend has me perplexed.
Everyone, not just the French, likes American fast foods for its efficiency. You get affordable foods in a quick time AND it tastes the same every time regardless of location or the race/religion of the workers making the foods.
When I studied abroad in Lyon in 2016, my assigned "French buddy" borrowed a car from a friend and drove us to the suburbs just to take me to a KFC. It seemed like he genuinely thought it was something I hadn't experienced before, despite growing up 45 minutes from the border with Kentucky. They do love their American fast food. I was surprised to see Steak & Shakes at some places in France. Did not think that would be a prime candidate for French expansion.
Or maybe he was trying to be a good host & wanted to give you a piece of home?
why drive so long to a kfc? just make your own food at home. its extremely stupid and gross
I know this is about France. But when I went to Spain I was shocked to see they have Johnny Rockets. Especially considering the one near to where I live in the US has been closed for years.
Make BAGUETTEs Great Again 🥖
@@user-gx4uc8my3n it’s not that deep man
I’m not going to berate anyone that wants to have some fast food every now and again, but don’t let it become your full diet like so many here in the US have done.
Quit exaggerating.
@@Navybrat64 Per capita, US consumes the most fast food. Uk is second. France is third. Sweden forth. The US is way ahead in rates of obesity and diabetes.
@@Navybrat64 I wish I was exaggerating.
@@randomnobody8770 Yep, they've set a trend! Third World countries too are catching up ... fast! Watch: "The Global Junk Food Conspiracy" - Best Documentary
The average American eats fast food about three times per week.
French fries is actually made in Belgium and it used to insult the French during or after Napoleonic war.
It's wrong. The fries were created in Paris under the Pont Neuf then a German imported Parisian fries to Belgium.
Totally not a paid ad for McDonalds 👍
love how they casually put Subway on blast lol
Subway catching strays all over the globe
Subway is almost a fast food relic at this point.
Subway is a big success here in France because the boulanger doesn't give you a choice what to put in your sandwich.
as they should lol 😂
@@princegrooveno it's not
I am French and this situation is very sad!😢
It’s sad to have delicious food that comes to you quick???? That’s a weird thing to be sad about…
@@shasmi93You call that food??
If you want to save your republic; Ban these companies, if not: It is over.
I am American, and this is great for our American companies.
@@shasmi93 delicious food ... big lol... we should all boycott them
Other countries somehow think that fast food is all we eat. Fast food is food on the go. You're in a rush, don't have alot of time, or once in a while when you may not want to cook and not all Americans eat fast food.
It's not the palette that's changing, it's the income
Exactly. Let’s do a movie next on how the French are loving renting instead of owning a home!
In Poland we were so hyped on fast foods for almost two decades, that now we are more and more prone to healthy slow food... Or at least that's my observation.
Slava BAGUETTEs 🥖
A step in the right direction. Plus, Polish cuisine has many interesting choices.
@@stevelam5898 Traditional family recipes are still a common thing in Poland, but younger generations indulged in fast foods for decades. Now the younger generations seem more interested in what's healthy. I definitely approve that. Although many traditional recipes are remade, as it's hard to call some of them actually healthy :) Edit: It's worth underlining that it's common in Poland to cook stuff from different (mostly European) food cultures. Whether it's a Hungarian lesco or Italian spaghetti for example... But I think it's normal everywhere, to not focus only on your cuisine.
@@stevelam5898Any Cuisine in the world is better than the McDonalds junk food😅
It’s somewhat of a homecoming for the “French” fry
🤣
Especially since they use French grown potatoes!😉😆
The french fry is actually a Belgian fry
Actually the oldest recorded “French” fry was done by the Spanish. Makes sense since it was the Spanish who brought the potatoes (among many other things) to Spain & the rest of Europe from South America.
@@johnnyNobCheese ❤
Cmon people, it's because all fast food sells French Fries
As an American, I feel as guilty watching this as I do about American cigarette companies selling to Indonesian children.
It's not rocket science why this happened. Despite its world renowned cuisine, France has practically 0 street food options. And no, I am not counting boring sandwiches, those get boring really fast. Regular people don't want to eat at expensive restaurants every day. France would always look down on anything street food, this is the result.
For the vast majority of the French "disposable income" is decreasing very fast together with savings. The French still like to pretend all is "fine and dandy" here still but, as I said, in reality it is not and there is much "borderline" poverty which is now, as in the UK, even encroaching into the middle classes. In effect they have, by necessity, other what they conceive as more pressing things to spend their money on. Dining out in proper restaurants is not high on the list any more!
Someone wanted to go to France and thought “let’s make this a work trip!”
One of the smartest and most convenient "business expenses" I've ever seen
i genuinely never would have guessed this, i'm shocked
It's really a shame US laws don't protect consumers and the environment more from the greed of corporations. For as much as they have jacked up their prices, they should be making a healthier, higher quality product.
If they don't allow the same ingredients I bet their food a taste better and is healthier that's probably why
For having lived in a few countries incl. France, I can confirm fast food tastes better in France. Probably because the ingredients are sourced locally.
I have heard that the EU actually has banned some things that are used in American foods.
@@cflthemanyep ☝️
That’s what I was thinking. They often alter the flavors to the local tastebuds too. I tried McDonald’s in Japan once. It is better as well and they had a variety of menu items that are different
I am stationed in Germany and have been to Paris 2 times and I can attest, the Burger King and McDonald's tastes a lot more fresh and better than America's location.
Having lived in Paris I can confirm the difference is night and day compared to the fast food here in the US. I believe GMOs are also banned and the quality standards in the kitchen are way higher.
Good to know! Thank you. I hope it stays that way.
Foods being genetically modified have no influence on flavor or health impact - and Europe imports massive amounts of food from the US and Latin America that is genetically modified (which itself is not a super meaningful term since all foods across the entirety of history have been artificially modified by humans, just with more rudimentary means). The difference is primarily laws on sugar content and food processing, everything else is performative restrictions to avoid their real concern (the U.S., Brazil and Argentina dominating their agriculture industry).
I can remember in the 90s going to France and eating a burger from a French owned franchise called Q quick and to this day it was better than maccies or BK. So delicious. In Ireland they have a home grown franchise that I prefer to buy burgers from rather than the other crowd.
"Why The French Love American Fast Food" Because it's addictive. Duh.
I think that's stretching the definition of "addictive" a bit too far.
@@mvmlego1212 There's a guy who worked for nestle and called himself Dr Bliss who's attesting to this
And because the middle class is disappearing…
As an American this is super sad. I like to believe there exists a place with better taste, so much for that.
You have to be aware that fast food in Europe is vastly superior to the US in quality. Mcdonalds in Europe is nothing like in the US, it's many many many steps above in quality, taste, etc. And price too.
@@derbigpr500 Yup same in India, I get excited to eat KFC when I visit there, I had KFC in the US once, a decade ago and I almost died.
france has never had good taste
i think its mostly african and arab french that are consuming this food
French restaurants are expensive and only open certain times of day, close mid day, some only open in the evening. Ingredients are different in other places also. A lot of countries outlaw the ingredients in our food. Hell, sometimes franchise owners of fast food in the states may taste different than others. I’ve been all over the US since I was young and some states fast food taste different, sometimes even the next town over may be slightly different. Also, fast food overseas cater to the taste of whatever country they’re in. Asian countries have a bunch of different options also. Especially Japan.
Because the french know how to eat in moderation and thus the food doesn't have the same negative effect on them that it does on americans
I haven't felt this disappointed in France since Germany took their title of best dressed soldiers.
Back in the 1970s [California] my next door neighbor had a French couple visiting as house guests, where they absolutely LOVED McDonalds. It made it easy on the host for lunch or dinner meals preparations. And, please keep in mind that McDonalds was exclusively serving burgers a half-century ago.
Yeah, I think the same applies for Romania. When the first McDonald’s open here in the 90’s there was a huge queue as people only saw the brand on TV, not in real life. Over the past few decades burgers have become very much mainstream in every other restaurant. I also heard people saying how they really wanna go to the USA and get a big burger (in fact this was pretty much a lifetime goal for a taxi driver from Bucharest 🥹)
This is funny. I'm in Cork, Ireland and the best burger & fries is made by two Algerian-French guys in a hole-in-a-wall corner of a shopping centre. McDonalds is for children and drunks.
thx for the infor dear Irish folk,
I'm kinda curious now of the way McDonald's is viewed in other countries.
"McDonalds is for children and drunks." So... the average Irishman?
Let me just put this out there for our French friends to see Americans don’t care if you like us or not.
As a French person I hate to break it but the stereotype of us having a gourmet palette is untrue. Some regional dishes especially in the North absolutely rival American ones in terms of how much of a caloric bomb they are. The only difference is we tend to be much more moderate in the amounts we eat. I'm pretty sure a majority of French people have never eaten at a haute cuisine gastronomic restaurant, and even if they have, they certainly go to McDo very much more
I used to eat fast food sometimes cuz it was cheap and convenient… It’s not cheap anymore, and I can call in my order at a local restaurant or drop by a grocery store for a sandwich just as fast.
Consider the tab open and add medical expenses before calling it the cheap option. That food isn’t healthy
And calling in your order is not getting it faster hahaha you're slow ahah you have to call then wait then go pick it up soo you're losing gas and brain cells and more money for your new shopping ways ahhaha soo you're telling me what you're dojngis faster then driving through a window in 2 minutes max ?
@@CyrusTheVirus187 So if you're at work and KNOW you're going to McDonald's for lunch, you would rather just show up and order your food in real time? Go ahead. I ordered my food ten minutes ago before my lunch break began. I just walk in and walk out with my pre-made/pre-paid food. I'll wave at you while you wait in the drive thru during the lunch rush. "Two minutes max" my ass.
@@adamgh0 2 mins max is true from the time you roder till you get yor food you have to be slow minded to think 2 minutes is longer then driving to a spot out of the way ahahah clown
@adamgh0 and you sound like a clown who's to scared to wave at people that look like me hahah you're the type of person that closes the street when I'm just walking into the store hahaha
Spent an extended time in Paris. Many Parisians can't afford to go to a proper restaurant more than once a month. So, this is really why you see people opting for the McDonald's experience. Also, McDonald's are much nicer there than the USA. All the restaurants feel new, sleek and modern. And the restrooms are better than those at restaurants.
Krispy Kreme finally made it to France!? I'm jealous. I was in France 7 years ago and the closest Krispy Kreme I could find was in London!
When I want fast food in Paris I go to a boulangerie and get one of their sandwiches. Tasty meats, cheeses, with lettuce and tomato depending on the sandwich, on a crispy mini-baguette. About $5 bucks and delicious. I'm from the US and I've never tried a US fast food chain there. I've heard they're better in France, but I don't want to waste space in my stomach to find out, when there's so much other good food to eat!
The sandwiches at the boulangeries are quite good!
Yeah man! Why would you go to Paris to eat American chain fast food? That'd just be sad.
While you go to McDonald's and that same money gets you two sandwiches,fries and a drink......
Exactly! Fast food doesn't have to be processed food. 👍
I barely eat fast food in France, and I certainly don’t eat at boulangeries either. 10 times out of 10, the sandwiches are unwrapped, and the glass case is never closed and flies are flying around in there and in other compartments too (one time I bought a small cake from La Tarte Tropezienne in Cannes and when I brought it back to my hotel, there was a fly practically embedded in the cake!). I recommend buying from supermarkets because at least most of the food is better protected. Lastly, who the hell wants to eat crispy baguettes? It’s sharp, strong and difficult to eat! 😒
I like how we (Americans) exported our fast food, but then use worse ingredients here at home.
There is a minimum standard that fast food restaurants must meet in order to call a patty of a specific meat. It's not really an issue of poor ingredients as they are generally of better quality than 2nd and 3rd world countries. It's the stuff they add to those ingredients. Sugar is in the buns and ketchup. The Soft Drinks contain dozens of grams of sugar. There is the frying in vegetable oil. These are the things that lead to poor health.
@@KevinSmith-qi5yn why are you comparing quality of ingredients of a first world country with third world? If you want reasonable comparison compare it with other first world countries. Ingredients in place like Norway or Sweden vs American would be proper comparison and comparer to those, American fast food ingredients fall short in quality even if we excuse their overuse of additives.
Better ingredients, better food.
Our government wants us dependent on the health care and pharmaceutical systems that have heavy hitting lobbyists.
EU regulations are no joke
I am so surprised as I always thought they are only willing to look at fresh ingredient
This felt like someone’s SWOT analysis project
Doctors are appreciating the news.
What. Doctors want people to be healthy
Well, in France health care is provided by the government so doctors will still earn the same
@@jayjya Yes. They have very good pipeline of people to make healthy.
Doctors don't make that much in France unless they only take "out of pocket" fees and not the national health insurance, and what most people don't know, there's actually a doctor shortage in France. Even with national health care and reasonably priced top-up private insurance, many residents don't have a GP here and getting in to see a specialist can sometimes take months to get an appointment.
I k,ow you're joking but doctors in France are already overbooked everywhere (mostly due to an artificially low supply of doctors caused by state-imposed low salaries AND high taxes) so all this will cause is stretch the average waiting time from 2 months to a year
The Wikipedia article for "Paid News" should feature this video
I remembere when I was traveling around Paris with American friends, they always wanted to go to fast food restaurants, and buying clothes at GAP. According to them, they feel safe at those types of places. I thought that was quite interesting. Also I found out that French people were not as snob as I thought. They tried their best to speak English when we got lost.
Fast foods in France are much healthier (although that doesn’t make it healthy food) due to laws limiting excessive sugar and fat in food products. I’m gonna admit that I love fast food, they have that magical effect (i.e dopamine boost) that regular meals just don’t give me, you should treat yourself to fast food once in a while, the problem starts when you start treating fast food like regular food.
Been living in France for years, when I want fast food, I will get a Kebab (shwarma wrap) , at a local place in town, less expensive than the big chains and usually homemade too. In the past, French people would make fun of American food, now they are doing everything! Brownies, bagels, hot dogs,pulled pork, crumbles etc. I think an apology is in order for all the years of putting down our cuisine!😂
would u explain that to the scams in the comments blaming the fast food boom in France on immigration?
"cuisine" wth. It's unhealthy processed food, designed to be highly addictive. Full of sugar salt fat and god knows what chemicals. How dare you call that a "cuisine"
American here: French people like McDonald’s?? I think Hell froze over
sigh, shocker to me, another American as well
😂
As a Mexican,this makes me laugh 😂
French here : French McDonald's is very different to American McDonald's. Here's an example with fries. American McDonald's fries : Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor [wheat and milk derivatives]*, citric acid [preservative]), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain color), salt. Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent French McDonald's fries : Potatoes, canola oil, salt. Same goes for every item on the menu. Not saying our version of McDonald's is high cuisine, but it is heavily regulated and offers much healthier products compared to the American version.
I'm more surprised they like KFC. That stuff is practically inedible.
I never tried any of them when I visited Europe. I tried to check a Burger King in Rome. When I saw the prices, I walked out immediately.
That’s so funny to imagine french citizens to be eating in fine restaurants all the time, most of the population can’t even afford to go to the restaurant, let alone a michelin star one
I think the main reason for love of fast food in France is rather related to decreasing standards of living for locals and skyrocketing inflation. Simply, people, mostly teens and young , can't afford to eat in descent places. Fast food offers cheap calories everyone can afford. That's it.
I disagree, fast food places are overpriced now, it's cheaper to buy a sandwich from the bakery or the grocery store
Fast food is as expensive in my country as the other cheap dining options. But maybe it’s different in France.
you dont have to go out to eat every day, just make food at home. its quite simple
@@user-gx4uc8my3n It isn't that people are eating fast food every day. I think his point is that there is a large lower income population in France, especially among the immigrant population who also tend to be younger. When they are out, and younger people tend to be out and about more, American QSRs offer a cheaper alternative to having a meal at a more traditional place.
Fast food is far from being cheap!
I was in Paris 5 years ago and went to McDonalds and was surprised at how busy it was.
Of course it has dollar burgers
@@CyrusTheVirus187bro the cheapest thing on the menu is probably between 2.50 and 3 eur, so expansive for what it is
@ismbks One thing on the McDo menu is very cheap: the euro burger. It’s only 1 euro. It attracts a lot of customers who usually buy other things to go with it. It’s a sales tactic and it works. That’s what the person you comment on was saying
I went because could not find a public bathroom, had to buy something to get a code the lines were massive but moving very fast, turns out probably did not need to buy anything just could have waited for someone exiting the bathroom. @@CyrusTheVirus187
These are mainly limited to the cities and its sad to see. Ive lived in France for 20 years now and during that time young french women have put on considerable weight due to pizzas, burgers and sugary drinks. In a town near me I tried my first McDonald's in 12 years. It cost more for a burger, fries and drink that a 4 course meal with wine and coffee at a Routier restaurant ! 😂
We French don't go to fast food everyday, we still love our home made culinary foods
France has historically been known for it's creative gastronomy. France invented fine dining. So, to see such a huge QSR revolution in France shows signs of France's cultural shift, from fine dining to QSR.
"QSR" -- hilarious. It's fast food. The marketers should pay you for promoting their BS. 🤣🤣🤣
@@marthajean50 What BS ? Is there really a difference between calling it a QSR, which stands for *_Quick Service Restaurant_* and "fast food"? That's like telling somebody to call a fragrance a "cologne".
Fine dining and creative cuisine are still here (Paris), but they never targeted the middle class/working class. The fast-food takes the market of traditional (not so good) restaurants, where quality got worse and prices higher. Parisians woke up and choose McDonald's over "fait maison" ( fake) restaurants venues, who still exist for tourists.
@@amanielwolde That's heartening. Hopefully, they won't grow much there. (They do a lot of very sneaky things to trick people, especially children and low income people, into addiction.)
There are no ‘real’ French people left in France..
It's disappointing that US fast food chains have already taken over France, as I was hoping to enjoy the country's unique cuisine and culture.
Still maintains a lot and incorporates a lot of changes and influences in french cuisine. And fast food chains in France are top notch compared to other countries.
Lmao traditional French cuisine is not disappearing. And it will never disappear. There are tens of thousands of traditional restaurants in France. They are still well run and popular. You will find plenty of them. Plus US fast food chains in France (and elsewhere) really have to follow laws restricting what they can put in their food. They also adapt menus to local tastes. So it’s a bit different anyway.
@@rayontita1912 I'm not a fan cuisine travel, but I like one of local mc donalds items in each country I visit. It's interesting to see fusion and influences on mc Donals menu
You will absolutely still find traditional French restaurants (even those specializing in regional cuisine--particularly within the region in question itself, like Alsatian, Norman, Provençal, Savoyard, Breton, Burgundian, Lyonnais, Flemish as in the traditional cuisine of French Flanders, Basque, Bearnaise, Niçois, etc.)
Do you really think that because fast food has been rising, there are no more traditional French restaurants? Idiotic comment.
Well, because it's delicious ! Quite simple.
I noticed that French love American fast foods also. I live in Germany and am now in south France for my internship. I’ve seen lots of American fast food restaurants here, that I haven’t seen in Germany before, e.g. Steak in out, Five Guys, Wing Stop, Quick and so on.
I will never forget seeing a huge line of French people waiting to enter a KFC the last time we visited Paris. It completely blew our minds, so we decided to eat at one. The food was far better than what we have in the US. Also, it was surprising to see they focused more on sandwiches versus selling buckets.
Yeah KFC is so low on the list of good places to get fried chicken in the US, but internationally, the Australians, French, and Japanese love it.
True! I was shocked seeing Parisians in queue at KFC specially in the evenings! While here in America their food is sub-par and every store seems like a ghost town.
I'm french and I recently ate at a newly opened popeye's in Paris and it was better than the average KFC we have here. But I will say quality of these stores vary A LOT so you have to check the ratings first before going. I've been at certain KFCs that were really low quality in France.
@@loganleroy8622 what are the best places for fried chicken in the US ? KFC in France is really not that amazing either, macdonald's seem to be a better choice for fast food right now. I think KFC probably has better fried chicken in asia than in France
@@arielbadw1368 Popeye's, Raisin' Canes, Bojangles, Zaxby's, Wingstop, and the best of all of them Chick-Fil-A.
I was in Spain recently and was surprised to see so many American places
I was surprised to see a Popeyes in Barcelona lmaooo
@@Copeharder99 dude exactly the same.
Fast food restaurants in Spain are always empty.
@@jayfloramusic After being away from US for 3 years because of Covid, I was happy to find a Taco Bell in Madrid. There is also a Carl's Junior in the city, although they didn't have a jalapeno guac burger.
@@Americaninparis2012 OMG I love Taco Bell! Wait what? You moved to Spain from US just because of Covid?
Us in America getting shafted with the worse quality fast food from the same companies
My biggest complain is how stupid small the burgers are now. It's the only thing preventing me to go more often.
I was born and raised in France but moved to California five years ago to be with my husband so I know both cultures. I think fast-food is pretty ingrained in American culture unlike in France (but it’s getting there as you can see with this video). In the US it’s something very casual and 90% of the time people go through the drive thru. In France it’s more “fancy” I guess, it’s still seen as “cool” and “hip” and part of a more sit-down culture which is not the case in the US. Both countries appreciate fast-food but simply in different ways!
As an American that got the chance to be an exchange student in France, I always felt like going to MacDo in France was more like the feeling an American would get if they went to In-and-Out, Five-Guys, or Chick-Fil-A. It's just a little bit more elevated, it feels like a special treat, and bizarrely fancy for fastfood. Quick felt more like how Burger King feels in the US
even though fast food is like the opposite of fancy. its poor and unhealthy and ultra processed. its simply revolting
As a US citizen that lives in France and rarely eats at fast food joints there (mostly because if I do want a burger the French are actually really good at making a burger, its on the menu at pretty much every French restaurant and not just tourist places, and thise burgers are really good), I can tell you those fast food joints are PACKED, especially on Sundays when a lot of other options are closed.
Also, French pensioners living alone or with a limited income go to MCD's BK and others, and indeed these restaurants are packed, specially KFC in the evenings! I noticed that last time I visited Paris
lol what? That’s so odd that French restaurants serve cheeseburgers when it’s not French😂
why dont people go eat the healthier burgers than? they sound like actually dumb
@@ButterflyG673 They sell burgers at many restaurants around the world, not only at fast-food places. By French restaurant, he meant any random restaurant in France, not necessarily a restaurant specialized in French cuisine. Just like American restaurants usually offer dishes that were not invented in the US.
When I was a tourist in Paris, 20 years ago, without a smartphone, no way to translate things and no restaurants reviews and little money, I ate at McDonald's. Why would I venture in a real french restaurant, with obviously bad service, expensive and not even know what to order. I bet a lot of customers are also tourists.