From Ladka Bauerova, Bloomberg News (
www.bloomberg.com):
"It’s lunchtime in Paris, and the packed restaurant has neither
checkered tablecloths nor carafes of red wine. It’s a McDonald’s, and
the French are lovin’ it. While rising prices and record low consumer
confidence drive the French to throw their culinary pride to the wind
and embrace le Big Mac, traditional bistros are hurting. About 3,000
independent French restaurants filed for bankruptcy in the first half
of the year, a record 27 percent more than a year earlier, according to
Paris-based statistics office Insee. Meanwhile, France has cemented its
position as McDonald’s Corp.’s biggest earner outside the U.S.,
accounting for 13 percent of total sales. "A hamburger patty and fries
in a bistro around the corner from my office costs almost twice as
much," said Alexandre Cavanel, a 27-year-old computer programmer, as he
tucked into his 8-euro ($10.70) double-cheeseburger menu meal with
colleagues at a McDonald’s in Paris’ Opera district."