Fast but still French

When ever someone visits Budapest and says they want a local dining experience, I offer KFC or Burger King. Nothing is more popular. Word has it a French fast food chain is coming to town, its called Popeye's.

https://youtube.com/shorts/elOvKD1nOKM?si=61F8irisu-_z_Fuu. 🤯

The best McDonald's burger I ever had was at a McDonalds in the Dordogne region.

and for a fast nutritious inexpensive sit down meal with all the veg, there are Flunch restaurants all around

A study was done a few years ago comparing customers at US McDonalds and French McDonalds. The French customers spent more time on average eating at McDonalds than their American counterparts.

But then the French, in general, spend more time eating per day than the average American.

In 2019 we were in Florence staying at a hotel(with points) where the breakfast was $50 pp. It was Sunday morning, so the local bakeries were closed. I said, I bet there's a McDonald's where we can have breakfast. And I was right!

"A study was done a few years ago comparing customers at US McDonalds and French McDonalds. The French customers spent more time on average eating at McDonalds than their American counterparts."

You're right, Frank. And contrary to what the author wrote, McDonald's was in France before 1979. But it failed. It did serve wine and beer, it had all the usual food, people could smoke, but it didn't have seats at the tables. I can't remember if there was some sort of thing to lean on, but I do remember we couldn't sit . They wanted faster turnover because lunch for a French person was too drawn out for McD. So people voted with their pocketbooks and went to the brasserie or tiny restaurant up the street. The McDonald's closed all their restaurants but then came back years later with with a different model and different franchise.

Second mistake: O'Tacos uses flat bread or buns, not tortillas. A French tacos (yes always with an s) was invented by a man living in a suburb of Lyon. It was with a thicker bun than this flatbread, but the combination of marinated meat, vegies, cheese, panini-like toasting, and it took off. There's New Yorker article about the French tacos. Just remember that it has nothing to do with anything Mexican. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/04/19/the-unlikely-rise-of-the-french-tacos
This should be required reading for anyone going to France. LOL.

I'll be in Lyon at this time next week and I'm going to hunt down one of those tacos!

Maybe two.

-- Mike Beebe

I like the French upmarket burger chain Big Fernand, especially the variety of French cheeses you can get on the burger. They had branches in London for a while, but now they're back to France only.

Mr E - Popeyes is the US chain, or at least the ones now opining in the UK are the US chain.

Of course the French spend longer in McDonald's than Americans - they are culturally attuned to spending longer over meals.

Word has it a French fast food chain is coming to town, its called
Popeye's.

The French was scarcasim. The full name is, "Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc." that was founded in New Orleans; hence the French reference.

But turns out that I am wrong, there has been a Popeye's in the West End Mall for quite some time. Nothing new.

I loved that New Yorker article when it came out; often reminded of the line outside the restaurant in Nimes that called itself "Le Anti-Crise" because it had cheap quick filling to carry away.

Here's a recent review --

"Une enseigne très correcte et surtout à un prix défiant toute concurrence ! Bien sûr ce n'est pas de la haute gastronomie, mais quand on a faim et pas beaucoup de moyens, cela fait largement le job ! Le personnel est disponible, accueillant et souriant. La salle est propre, bref rien à redire à cet établissement qui propose un choix de kebabs très convenables à prix très serré !"

Kebab, fries and a drink for €5,50 (as of early 2024)