7 ms·

Honestly, the cleanliness and the "elegant" appearance of fast food restaurants are factors that add a lot to the allure. I noticed this in China where even pla

Honestly, the cleanliness and the "elegant" appearance of fast food restaurants are factors that add a lot to the allure. I noticed this in China where even places like Starbucks can really stand out in comparison to the other venues surrounding it. Taste aside, people really do value the safety of the food and the amenities that the restaurant provides. These are reasons why I think Western fast food restaurants are able to take root so quickly and in so many places. There's the atmosphere that extends beyond just the food that's sold.

fastfoodie 9y ago
Sure, I bet it has nothing to do with the fact that it's quick, cheap, and addictive. Poor people must really love the elegant atmosphere of their local KFC.
- TwelveNights 9y ago
  The atmosphere adds a lot extra value. There's obviously cheaper food options available that are as convenient available to them too. As for addictiveness, I'd say this is where fast food shines unfortunately. That's really only because it tastes good, though.
  - WalterBright 9y ago
    You can get a healthy meal at McD's: the quarter pounder sandwich, side salad, and a cup 'o water. Nobody says you gotta buy the coke, fries and shake.
    - tertius 9y ago
      Nobody sure is convincing for a lot of people.
- chickenfries 9y ago
  Those are for sure factors, but McDonalds just a pretty good place to hang out if you're poor, especially in the developing world. Lots of them have free wi-fi, power outlets. They're air conditioned / heated. You can basically hang out all day for next to free. Really, it has all of the amenities of somewhere like Starbucks, just at a lower price point. I'm not a fast food apologist, just saying that you're missing the perspective the gp is trying to bring.
  - Aloha 9y ago
    McDonalds often seems to serve as a local community center for the retired and young, most of them I go to outside of the PNW, have 4-10 older guys sitting together for coffee in the mornings.
- 13of40 9y ago
  Versus a man-du stand on the street with walls made of plastic sheeting and a propane heater, a KFC is pretty elegant.
- gexla 9y ago
  In the Philippines, the fast food restaurants have the appearance of being relatively high scale and the food is relatively expensive.
- PhasmaFelis 9y ago
  I'm not sure you understand what real poverty can look like. Compared to an unregulated street food stall, or a tiny, roach-infested kitchen, or nothing at all, yeah, KFC does look elegant.
- Aloha 9y ago
  You seem to have created this account just to comment on this thread. Fast food is quick and cheap, but barring something more substantive that empirical evidence (or one single study cited elsewhere in the comments), its probably not addictive. When you're a single mom raising one or more kids and working a full time job, drive-thru starts to sound mighty attractive, same with those poor folks who don't have a real grocery store, also for those folks in developing counties who don't really have affordable options for dining out. We all aspire to better things, but for many being able to afford to regularly eat out is a sign of 'having arrived' its also a leading cause of obesity (and it doesn't matter if its fast food or fine dining).
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
- martinko 9y ago
  This is a very US / Europe / Developed world view. Believe it or not, these restaurants are considered 'higher class' in many areas in the world.
  - marindez 9y ago
    I guess so. I'm based in Europe and I think McDonalds restaurants are subpar, as they are always fairly dirty and usually full of scum and kids.
vostok 9y ago
I feel the same way when visiting certain parts of the US. The McDonald's might not be the best restaurant, but it's certainly not the worst. I've had some really awful experiences and it's just not worth the risk. I've never had a bad experience at a McDonald's. I dislike their beef products, their sausage, and their cheaper chicken products. Their bacon and their more expensive chicken products taste fine to me.
- pkaye 9y ago
  Also McDonalds and many other fast food places have nutrition information on all their products so one can make a good decision. With smaller restaurants, there is no such information available.
  - ssijak 9y ago
    Yeah, you can deicide between bad and the worse in mcdonald.
  - fredsir 9y ago
    > so one can make a good decision As in deciding not to order anything? Joking aside, when is McDonalds a good decision? At least in Denmark where I live, you can get the same equivalent food (say a burger, fries and a soda) for half the price (if not even less) if you go to a supermarket and buy the stuff, and it will also be healthier (more good nutrients, less bad things). You can cut the cost even more if you decide to make everything from the ground up, and then it's even healthier than both the McDonalds and the supermarket alternatives. I can see how something like coffee or ice-cream could be an okay choice at McDonalds, but the ignores the fact that the coffee is bad and the ice-cream isn't very good either compared to what you can get in other places. McDonalds isn't ever a good choice. It might be the best out of a bunch of bad choices, though.
    - jtchang 9y ago
      How is that fast food? McDonalds be definitely be a good decision between eating nothing or eating something.
gexla 9y ago
In the Philippines, the customers seem to be of a middle class or higher. Most people can't afford to eat in McD's unless they want to spend half a day of pay or more to eat a Big Mac meal. That attracts more of the same.
mc32 9y ago
In places where food safety reg is weak, this definitely a reason people would consider western fast food vs local hawkers sidewalk food stalls. Only time I'll eat from a sidewalk food stall, if I can trust the ingredients, is if it's cooked in front of me at high heat and straight into a disposable container.

fastfoodie 9y ago

Sure, I bet it has nothing to do with the fact that it's quick, cheap, and addictive. Poor people must really love the elegant atmosphere of their local KFC.

TwelveNights 9y ago
The atmosphere adds a lot extra value. There's obviously cheaper food options available that are as convenient available to them too. As for addictiveness, I'd say this is where fast food shines unfortunately. That's really only because it tastes good, though.
- WalterBright 9y ago
  You can get a healthy meal at McD's: the quarter pounder sandwich, side salad, and a cup 'o water. Nobody says you gotta buy the coke, fries and shake.
  - tertius 9y ago
    Nobody sure is convincing for a lot of people.
chickenfries 9y ago
Those are for sure factors, but McDonalds just a pretty good place to hang out if you're poor, especially in the developing world. Lots of them have free wi-fi, power outlets. They're air conditioned / heated. You can basically hang out all day for next to free. Really, it has all of the amenities of somewhere like Starbucks, just at a lower price point. I'm not a fast food apologist, just saying that you're missing the perspective the gp is trying to bring.
- Aloha 9y ago
  McDonalds often seems to serve as a local community center for the retired and young, most of them I go to outside of the PNW, have 4-10 older guys sitting together for coffee in the mornings.
13of40 9y ago
Versus a man-du stand on the street with walls made of plastic sheeting and a propane heater, a KFC is pretty elegant.
gexla 9y ago
In the Philippines, the fast food restaurants have the appearance of being relatively high scale and the food is relatively expensive.
PhasmaFelis 9y ago
I'm not sure you understand what real poverty can look like. Compared to an unregulated street food stall, or a tiny, roach-infested kitchen, or nothing at all, yeah, KFC does look elegant.
Aloha 9y ago
You seem to have created this account just to comment on this thread. Fast food is quick and cheap, but barring something more substantive that empirical evidence (or one single study cited elsewhere in the comments), its probably not addictive. When you're a single mom raising one or more kids and working a full time job, drive-thru starts to sound mighty attractive, same with those poor folks who don't have a real grocery store, also for those folks in developing counties who don't really have affordable options for dining out. We all aspire to better things, but for many being able to afford to regularly eat out is a sign of 'having arrived' its also a leading cause of obesity (and it doesn't matter if its fast food or fine dining).
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
martinko 9y ago
This is a very US / Europe / Developed world view. Believe it or not, these restaurants are considered 'higher class' in many areas in the world.
- marindez 9y ago
  I guess so. I'm based in Europe and I think McDonalds restaurants are subpar, as they are always fairly dirty and usually full of scum and kids.

vostok 9y ago

I feel the same way when visiting certain parts of the US. The McDonald's might not be the best restaurant, but it's certainly not the worst. I've had some really awful experiences and it's just not worth the risk. I've never had a bad experience at a McDonald's. I dislike their beef products, their sausage, and their cheaper chicken products. Their bacon and their more expensive chicken products taste fine to me.

pkaye 9y ago
Also McDonalds and many other fast food places have nutrition information on all their products so one can make a good decision. With smaller restaurants, there is no such information available.
- ssijak 9y ago
  Yeah, you can deicide between bad and the worse in mcdonald.
- fredsir 9y ago
  > so one can make a good decision As in deciding not to order anything? Joking aside, when is McDonalds a good decision? At least in Denmark where I live, you can get the same equivalent food (say a burger, fries and a soda) for half the price (if not even less) if you go to a supermarket and buy the stuff, and it will also be healthier (more good nutrients, less bad things). You can cut the cost even more if you decide to make everything from the ground up, and then it's even healthier than both the McDonalds and the supermarket alternatives. I can see how something like coffee or ice-cream could be an okay choice at McDonalds, but the ignores the fact that the coffee is bad and the ice-cream isn't very good either compared to what you can get in other places. McDonalds isn't ever a good choice. It might be the best out of a bunch of bad choices, though.
  - jtchang 9y ago
    How is that fast food? McDonalds be definitely be a good decision between eating nothing or eating something.

gexla 9y ago

In the Philippines, the customers seem to be of a middle class or higher. Most people can't afford to eat in McD's unless they want to spend half a day of pay or more to eat a Big Mac meal. That attracts more of the same.

mc32 9y ago

In places where food safety reg is weak, this definitely a reason people would consider western fast food vs local hawkers sidewalk food stalls. Only time I'll eat from a sidewalk food stall, if I can trust the ingredients, is if it's cooked in front of me at high heat and straight into a disposable container.