Fast food is seen by many as a spawn of American ingenuity. For all of its delicious, processed, artery clogging side effects, fast food has taken on a culture of its own, and spread like a wildfire throughout the globe. Global fast food is not American fast food. Corporations like McDonald's and Pizza Hut have found ways to market their very Western products to a culturally diverse and unique environment. The trademark golden arches and the little red roof still famously adorn the establishments scattered across Greece and other nations I've visited, but the change and subsequent culture shock happens as you step through the doors, into another world.
I know what you're thinking: "Why the heck are you going to a McDonald's while you are in Greece? You should be eating actual Greek cuisine!". Well, I'm here to tell you that your outrage is warranted and normally I would agree with you. In the case of this McDonald's though, I think of few places where I've had a more unique and eye opening Greek meal. Furthermore, I was actually prompted to go eat at a Greek McDonald's by my Greek peers and my Greek PR professor. They made the claim that there was no experience quite like it, especially as we approach the month of "fasting" in which Greek diet becomes very limited. The inside is designed with the same terrible style as the American chain, the overuse of 70's brown, tile and horrendous red and yellow trim run rampant throughout the cramped space and provide a nice aesthetic feel of America. The menu is where things get dicey.
The words are in English, subtitled with Greek, but I feel like I'm staring at a foreign substance. I immediately recognize the staple BigMac and McFish meals that grace every McDonald's chain in the world, but you move your eyes slightly to the left and realize your not in Kansas anymore. Squid burgers, octopus sandwiches, eggplant fries and similar dishes adorn the bright yellow menu to quite the shock of a certain American. None of the foods were foreign to me, but seeing them on a McDonald's menu caught me relatively off guard. I had seen a similar trend in Korea, where bulgogi burgers replaced cheeseburgers, but to see such a drastic change in selection from a European nation was very unique. This phenomenon is not so shocking when you look at it from the perspective of the Greeks.
First off, there was nobody in the place. A McDonald's franchise is not complete without the barrage of screaming from overanxious children and the collective groans of their handlers, this had none of it. I have visited ancient monasteries on this trip that were more rambunctious than this place. It was the normal Greek lunchtime, on a weekend, and the place was as silent as a crypt. That should have been my first indicator that maybe fast food isn't the crack of the Greek people. After pondering awhile over my octopus burger, I realized that meat doesn't seem to play the behemoth role in Greek diets that it does in American ones. Meat is still very important and is served with every meal, but in smaller quantities, and as an accompaniment to the vegetables and grains. In the States, meat is the main event and everything else is subsidiary. It could also be that the Greeks trust their local butchers to get their meat rather than imported and processed goop that we call "beef". I've commented on the community ties in Greece before, and part of that stems from knowing exactly who sells you every fruit, vegetable and leg of lamb while subsequently knowing where your groceries came from before being stored. It is that well placed suspicion as well as the culinary culture that probably turns the Greeks off to fast food, even with a specially prepared menu.
Fast food also doesn't facilitate the Greek style of dining. Greeks enjoy taking their time with meals, enjoying conversations with friends as seen in the cafes and coffee shops around the country; but fast food is not meant to foster those sorts of relationships. Fast food is catered to the Western "go, go, go" mentality where taste is secondary to sustenance. A Greek, when posed with a lunch decision, is more likely to go to one of these locally owned cafes (there's the community aspect again) rather than the chain because that is what they are more comfortable with. Time isn't the issue here like it is in the states; but if they start making octopus burgers as good as the one I had, I might start enjoying the savory McDonald's flavors a little bit more.
It doesn't take much to realize that despite obvious similarities, fast food giants have had a tough time translating their product to the overseas environment. That doesn't mean that they haven't found success, but they've had to adopt different strategies that almost muddle the idea of what a true McDonald's product is anyways. You'll still see a McDonald's in virtually every country of the world, but to see the chain that is so recognizable American serving foods that are distinctly foreign puts into perspective the world we live in today. Much is made over how big a role globalization is playing in our society, but to see McDonald's integrated into a culture with different views on food, health and the general practice of dining is a very interesting experience. I was pleased with my McDonald's experience, even though there was no one to share it with me. I took solace in the fact that at least some culture, somewhere, has not caved in to the addictive pleasantries of fast food and life on the go.
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