The Big Mac.
The Whopper.
Original Recipie.
Gordita.
These and other names are indicitive of one of the biggest products of American capitalism: the fast food resturant. I could fill this paragraph- no, this entire piece, with cliches about how the American landscape has been changed in more ways than one by the proliferation of fast food franchises. Franchises whose effects range from children being able to recognize Ronald McDonald to the debates over who has superior french fries. It doesn’t matter how you view them: fast food is out there. And it’s worldwide.
And when it comes to the Middle East, it’s in line with the rest of the world. If you’re looking for proof, check out this link I found via the indispensible FARK.com:
If you didn’t want to bother expanding a calorie on a mouse click, I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest version: Colonel Sanders has invaded Syria, and has set up shop in Damascus. And he’s ready to meet all of your finger lickin’ needs.
It’s an interesting read, and it made me think of some musings I’d love to share with you all. Things that didnt’ make it into previous incarnations of the Tarboush. Things that you may find amusing, or things that might pique your interest. Regardless, I ask for forgiveness in advance if the rest of the piece reads a little bit disjointed.
One of the funniest things I had the pleasure to lay eyes on (and unfortunately did not have the pleasure to have a camera for… on TWO separate occasions) is the spirit of entrepenuership that existed in places that franchises like KFC simply didn’t exist. While my sister and I knew that Kentucky Fried Chicken was a world away, we wanted more than anything to try a meal at the local KANSAS FRIED CHICKEN in Aleppo; no doubt the product of some enterprising individual that jumped at the opportunity to make some money off of something akin to something like the NES knockoff, Generation NEX. The fires of intrigue only flamed fiercer upon laying eyes on McDonald’s spiritual 3rd world cousin McDikes, as well as the local Pizza House that shared a similiar logo with it’s Western mirror, better known as a Pizza Hut.
But what does this sort of thing offer, aside from Western laughter at entrepenuership that flourishes outside the framework of trade mark laws? One could argue that it’s a reflection of attitudes towards uniquely American franchises that, up until recently, people in Syria didn’t have ready access to. Better yet, however, is that these ‘knockoffs’ serve their markets far more effectively than the originals can.
The biggest reason you don’t see the legit franchises in the area is because of the economy. The costs involved with the logistics of supplying food, as well as the retail mark-up in a place where currency inflation is rampant are large obstacles for any Western product or business to legitimately do good business. While the exchange rate of the Reuters piece is incorrect (50 Syrian Pounds = 1 Dollar), the price is still prohibitively high for your average Syrian. When I was there, our family dinners -usually numbering from 10 to 25 people easily- could easily be fed for pennies on the dollar; whole chickens could be purchased from the market with all sorts of accessory foods for 50 cents a piece, straight off of the rotisserie. If you’re short on cash, and you’re presented the opportunity to feed your family for one tenth of the premium price, I’d wager you’d go with the lower price. Opponents of this argument may piont out, as stated in the article, that the KFC location opened in a rich area of Damascus probably opened there in order to service wealthier clientele. I have no objection to that premise. However, in order to be as successful as they are in the US (by selling the perception of satisfaction at a dirt cheap price), this will be a major hurdle for them to jump.
But it was interesting to note that my impression took a 180 when we entered Beirut, the capitol of Lebanon. There were franchise ads as far as the eye could see. It would appear that Kuwait-based Americana Group had been hard at work in spreading every franchise that they could. My mother and sister were in awe of what looked like US street configurations of the 1970s, with a McDonalds and a Burger King separated by a few blocks. Also courtesy of the Americana Group, Lebanese consumers had ready access to about 12 flavors out of the 31 advertised at Baskin Robbins, as well as your standard choices at Hardees (that’s Carl’s Jr. for us West Coast folk). To this moment, it’s been a mystery as to who brought a Dominos to downtown Beirut, but there was a Pizza Hut not 4 blocks away- complete with scooter-assisted delivery service. What’s the difference, you might ask?
Capital.
It all goes back to the World War 1 period, where France administered Lebanon and Syria from Paris. Since then, Western powers -and increasngly the Gulf nations (i.e Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, etc)- have poured cash and investments into Lebanon like it was going out of style. This high amount of investment has lured MANY Western companies to the country, and thus has brought over the consumer choice that many Westerners are used to. (The effects of this capital influx are numerous, but those will be saved for another discussion) But in the case of Syria, and other regions like it, the capital simply was not there for the franchises to foster. Things are changing, albeit somewhat slower than some would like it to be.
But what about politics, you might ask?
That’s also a valid consideration too. While I won’t spend much time on it here, there’s a great article at Snopes.com regarding a boycott of Coca-Cola by Israel that highlights the clash between political attitudes and business sense. While the rhetoric has died down in recent years (it’s true about Coke today- I’ve got an Arabic can by my window), feelings still linger. And with the current situation in Iraq proceeding as it is, opinion in the region has shifted favor away from those labels that are historically American.
So, in the meantime, what can we as observers take away from this? If nothing else, franchises will go where the opportunity for profit is. In the eyes of the Americana Group, that now includes Damascus. And while the start may be slow, it probably isn’t going to stay slow. That, and the days of Kansas Fried Chicken may be numbered.
For this instance, that’s what’s Under the Tarboush.
