Aflo Co. Ltd./Alamy Stock Photo (Japan); Jeff Greenberg/Alamy Stock Photo (India); ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo (China); Greg Balfour Evans/Alamy Stock Photo (New Zealand)

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Is Fast Food Taking Over the World?

Fries with plum powder. Pizza topped with seaweed. Donuts with dried pork. American fast food is spreading across the globe—with help from local flavors. 

    Imagine you’re lucky enough to spend a vacation in Japan. It’s a great adventure. 

    You tour shiny gold temples and ancient palaces. You even try some sushi. And as the slippery raw fish slides down your throat, a funny thing happens. 

    Gulp.

    You start feeling homesick. 

    But wait! Around the next corner, there’s a familiar sight. Rising above your head are the golden arches of McDonald’s. 

    You walk in and squint at the menu. They have Big Macs and burgers. But there’s also something called the Ebi Filet-O. That’s a deep-fried shrimp sandwich. And maybe you want some Ume Fries with that? They’re french fries flavored with sour-plum powder.

    Something happened to McDonald’s on its way to Japan. Where is the menu you know and love?

    Imagine you are in Japan. You are on vacation. 

    You visit temples. You visit palaces. You try some sushi. That’s raw fish. It’s served in a special way. The fish slides down your throat. 

    Gulp.

    You start feeling homesick. 

    But wait! You see a familiar sight. It’s the golden arches of McDonald’s.

    You walk into the McDonald’s. You look at the menu. It has burgers. But it also has something called the Ebi Filet-O. That’s a deep-fried shrimp sandwich. And it has Ume Fries. Ume is a sour-plum powder.

    McDonald’s is different in Japan. Where is the menu you know and love?

    Imagine you’re fortunate enough to spend a vacation in Japan. You have an amazing adventure.

    You tour dazzling gold temples and ancient castles, and you even try some sushi. As the slippery raw fish slides down your throat, a strange feeling comes over you. 

    Gulp.

    You’re suddenly homesick. 

    But wait! Around the next corner, there’s a familiar sight—rising above your head are the golden arches of McDonald’s.

    You walk in and stare up at the menu boards. They list Big Macs, burgers, and . . . something called the Ebi Filet-O—which is a deep-fried shrimp sandwich. And would you like some Ume Fries with that? These fries are flavored with sour-plum powder.

    Something has happened to this McDonald’s. Where is the menu you know and love?

Local Tastes

    Over the past 30 years, American fast-food restaurants have taken over the world. McDonald’s has 14,000 restaurants in the United States—and 23,000 overseas. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is popular in other countries too. More than 75 percent of its restaurants are located outside the United States. 

    But there’s a trick to selling fast food overseas. It’s not enough to offer Quarter Pounders and pepperoni pizzas. The big restaurant companies have to adapt to local tastes.

    Take a fast-food tour of the world and you’ll see how it works. In India, many dishes are made with a spice mixture called curry. So KFC serves curry fried chicken there. And for centuries, people in Japan have eaten seaweed in salads and soups. Now they can add it to their Pizza Hut pizza too.

    Over the past 30 years, American fast-food restaurants have opened up all over the world. McDonald’s has 23,000 restaurants in other countries. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is popular in other countries too. Most of its restaurants are outside the United States.

    But being successful overseas is not easy. These restaurants need to offer more than Quarter Pounders and fried chicken. They have to adapt their menus to local tastes.

    In India, many dishes are made with curry. That’s a special mix of spices. So in India, KFC serves curry fried chicken. People in Japan eat seaweed in salads. Now they can add seaweed to their Pizza Hut pizza too.

    Over the past 30 years, American fast-food restaurants have taken over the world. McDonald’s has 14,000 restaurants in the United States—and 23,000 overseas. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is popular in other countries too, with more than 75 percent of its restaurants located outside the United States.

    But there’s a trick to selling fast food overseas. Simply offering the American fare of Quarter Pounders and pepperoni pizzas won’t cut it. The big restaurant companies must adapt to local tastes to be successful.

    A fast-food tour of the world will show you how it works. In India, many dishes are made with a spice mixture called curry, so KFC serves curry fried chicken there. And for centuries, people in Japan have eaten seaweed in salads and soups. Now they can add it as a topping to their Pizza Hut pizza too.

Where’s the Beef?

    Most fast-food restaurants do a lot of research before they move into a new country. They find out what people like to eat. And they try to understand local customs. 

    Some places are easier to adapt to than others. For example, people in New Zealand love meat. So Burger King added the Full Meaty to its menu there. It includes two beef patties, a chicken patty, and six strips of bacon. 

    India was a much bigger challenge for burger restaurants. Most Indians are members of the Hindu religion. In this religion, cows are considered sacred, or holy. Most Hindus don’t eat beef. But that hasn’t stopped McDonald’s. Instead of a Big Mac, they offer a Chicken Maharaja Mac. And some McDonald’s in India don’t serve meat at all.

    Most fast-food companies do research before opening a restaurant in a new country. They find out what people like to eat. And they try to understand local customs. 

    For example, people in New Zealand love meat. So Burger King added the Full Meaty to its menu there. It includes two beef patties, a chicken patty, and six strips of bacon. 

    India was a bigger challenge for burger restaurants. Most Indians are members of the Hindu religion. Most Hindus don’t eat beef. So McDonald’s does not serve the Big Mac in India. Instead, they serve a Chicken Maharaja Mac. Some McDonald’s in India don’t serve any meat.

    Before moving into a new country, most fast-food restaurants do a lot of research to find out what local people like to eat and to understand local customs. 

    Some places are easier to adapt to than others. For example, people in New Zealand love to eat meat, so Burger King added the Full Meaty to its New Zealand menu. This burger includes two beef patties, a chicken patty, and six strips of bacon. 

    India was more challenging for burger restaurants. Most Indians are members of the Hindu religion, which considers cows to be sacred. Thus, most Hindus don’t eat beef. But McDonald’s found a way to appeal to Hindus by replacing the Big Mac with the Chicken Maharaja Mac. And some McDonald’s in India don’t serve meat at all.

Fast Food Tourist/Alamy Stock Photo (burger); Courtesy of Domino’s (pizza); Courtesy of Dunkin’ Donuts (donut); Shutterstock.com (India flag, China flag)

Local Flavors
1. The Maharaja Mac from McDonald’s
2. A Domino’s pizza topped with mayonnaise
3. The Pork Floss Donut at Dunkin’ Donuts

Donuts in China

    What happens when restaurants don’t do their research? Dunkin’ Donuts found out the hard way. It came to China in 1994 with big expectations. But it couldn’t convince Chinese customers to eat donuts. Within a few years, Dunkin’ closed all its stores there. 

    In 2015, Dunkin’ Donuts was ready to try again. This time it paid attention to Chinese tastes. Most Chinese people don’t eat sweet food for breakfast. And they drink tea—not coffee. 

    So Dunkin’ changed its menu. Now it offers a donut topped with a stringy dried pork called floss. And you can wash it down with a green tea latte. The new menu is a hit. Dunkin’ plans to open more than 1,400 new stores in China.

    What happens when a restaurant doesn’t do research? Dunkin’ Donuts knows the answer to that. It opened stores in China in 1994. The company had big expectations for its stores. But people in China wouldn’t eat their donuts. Soon, Dunkin’ closed all its stores in China.

    In 2015, Dunkin’ Donuts was ready to try again. This time, the company did research. Dunkin’ learned that most Chinese people don’t eat sweet food for breakfast. And they don’t drink coffee. They drink tea.

    So Dunkin’ changed its menu for China. Now it has a donut with stringy dried pork. The stores also sell green tea. The new menu is popular. Dunkin’ plans to open more stores in China.

    What happens when restaurants don’t do their research? Dunkin’ Donuts found out the hard way. The company opened stores in China in 1994 with big expectations. But it couldn’t convince Chinese customers to eat donuts, and within a few years, Dunkin’ closed all its stores there.

    In 2015, Dunkin’ Donuts was ready to try again, but this time the company paid attention to Chinese tastes. They discovered that Chinese people don’t eat sweet food for breakfast and they drink tea—not coffee.

    So Dunkin’ changed its menu. Now it offers a donut with a stringy dried pork called floss, and you can wash your donuts down with a green tea latte. The new menu is a hit, and Dunkin’ plans to open more than 1,400 new stores in China.

Down With Fast Food

    American fast food may be taking over the world. But not everyone thinks that’s a good thing. Some people don’t want big companies taking business away from local restaurants. Others complain that fast food is spreading unhealthy eating habits around the globe. 

    The most famous fight against American fast food happened in 1999. Angry French crowds gathered at dozens of McDonald’s restaurants. A farmer named José Bové and 300 other people destroyed a McDonald’s restaurant with a tractor.

    “The fast-food chain is a threat to French culture and traditions,” Bové said. “They should get out of France!”

    But Bové didn’t stop McDonald’s. Today you can get a Big Mac in more than 100 countries. The United States sells the most. But guess what country isn’t far behind? 

    France.  

    American fast food may be taking over the world. But is that a good thing? Not everyone thinks so. Some people don’t like that big companies are taking business away from local restaurants. Others complain that now more people are eating unhealthy foods. 

    In 1999, angry French crowds gathered at dozens of McDonald’s restaurants. A farmer named José Bové was part of the crowds. He and 300 other people destroyed one McDonald’s with a tractor.

    “The fast-food chain is a threat to French culture and traditions,” Bové said. “They should get out of France!”

    But Bové didn’t stop McDonald’s. Today you can get a Big Mac in more than 100 countries. The U.S. sells the most. But guess what country isn’t far behind? 

    France.

    American fast food may be taking over the world, but not everyone is thrilled about it. Some people don’t like that local restaurants are losing customers to these big companies. Other people complain that fast food is spreading unhealthy eating habits around the globe. 

    The most famous fight against American fast food happened in 1999 when angry French crowds gathered at dozens of McDonald’s restaurants. A farmer named José Bové and 300 other people destroyed one of the restaurants with a tractor.

    “The fast-food chain is a threat to French culture and traditions,” Bové said. “They should get out of France!”

    But Bové failed to stop McDonald’s. Today you can get a Big Mac in more than 100 countries. The United States sells the most. But guess what country isn’t far behind? 

    France. 

The Problem With Fried Chicken

How fast food is changing one country in Africa

Ashley Gilbertson/VII/Redux

Good or bad?  
People in Ghana love fast food. But experts say it’s too unhealthy.

    In the African country of Ghana, fried chicken used to be a holiday treat. Now, people who live in Ghana’s cities can eat it anytime they want—thanks to Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).

    Yes, fast food has come to Ghana. KFC has a dozen restaurants in the capital city of Accra. To many people, that’s a good thing. Thirty years ago, many people in Ghana didn’t have the money to eat out. Most of them lived in the countryside. They ate a traditional diet of rice, soups, and stews. 

    Today, Ghana is becoming a richer nation. Half the people live in cities. And eating at fast-food restaurants like KFC is a sign of wealth. Couples go on dates there. Adults celebrate birthdays over a bucket of wings. 

    But Ghana’s new eating habits may come with a cost. In 1980, only 2 percent of people in Ghana were overweight. Today, more than 13 percent are overweight. Many doctors are worried because obesity can lead to dangerous diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

    Fast food isn’t the only reason for Ghana’s new health problems. But health experts say something needs to be done. They want restaurants to give more information about the food they serve. They think people should know how much salt and fat they’re eating.

    When they do, that fried chicken might not taste as good. 

    Ghana is a country in Africa. Fried chicken used to be a holiday treat there. Now, many people there eat it whenever they want. That’s because of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).

    KFC has opened many restaurants in Accra. That’s Ghana’s capital city. Many people like the new restaurants. Thirty years ago, many people in Ghana didn’t have much money. Most lived in the countryside. They didn’t eat out. They ate soups and stews at home. 

    Today, Ghana is richer. Half the people live in cities. Eating at a fast-food restaurant is a sign of wealth. Couples go on dates at KFC. Adults have birthday parties there.

    But Ghana’s new eating habits may come with a cost. In 1980, only 2 percent of people there were overweight. Today, it’s more than 13 percent. This worries doctors. Obesity can lead to diabetes and heart disease.

    Fast food isn’t the only reason for Ghana’s new health problems. But health experts want people to eat better. They want restaurants to give health information about the food they serve. They say people should know how much salt and fat they’re eating.

    When they do, that fried chicken might not taste as good.

    In the African country of Ghana, fried chicken used to be a treat just for the holidays. But now, people who live in Ghana’s cities can eat fried chicken anytime they want—thanks to Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).

    That’s right! Fast food has come to Ghana, and KFC has a dozen restaurants in Ghana’s capital city of Accra. To a lot of people, that’s a good thing. Thirty years ago, many people in Ghana didn’t have enough money to dine out at restaurants. Most people lived in the countryside and ate a traditional diet of rice, soups, and stews. 

    Today, Ghana is becoming a richer nation. Half the population lives in cities, and eating at fast-food restaurants like KFC is a sign of wealth. Couples go on dates at KFC, and adults celebrate birthdays over a bucket of wings.

    But Ghana’s new eating habits may have come with a hefty cost. In 1980, only 2 percent of people in Ghana were overweight. However, today, more than 13 percent are overweight. Many doctors are worried because obesity can lead to dangerous diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

    Fast food isn’t the only reason for Ghana’s new health problems, but health experts say something needs to be done. They want restaurants to give more information about the food they serve, such as how much salt and fat it contains.

    And when people have that information, the fried chicken might not taste as good. 

ACTIVITY: 
Put It Together

What is happening as fast food spreads
around the world?

What to do: Complete the sentences below using examples from the text.

What to do: Complete the sentences below using examples from the text.

What to do: Complete the sentences below using examples from the text.

As fast-food restaurants open around the world, they are  ___
HINT: Look in the first article. How are fast-food restaurants different in countries outside the U.S.?

As fast-food restaurants open around the world, they are  ___
HINT: Look in the first article. How are fast-food restaurants different in countries outside the U.S.?

As fast-food restaurants open around the world, they are  ___
HINT: Look in the first article. How are fast-food restaurants different in countries outside the U.S.?

Fast-food restaurants are changing other countries by ___
HINT: Look in both articles. What are two ways that fast-food restaurants affect people in other countries?

 

Fast-food restaurants are changing other countries by ___
HINTLook in both articles. What are two ways that fast-food restaurants affect people in other countries?


Fast-food restaurants are changing other countries by ___
HINTLook in both articles. What are two ways that fast-food restaurants affect people in other countries?

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