Easter Every Day
Apparently, in Switzerland eggs come in a rainbow of colors for no particular reason. In a bold, slightly off-kilter palette too.
Posts from the ‘International Intrigue’ Category
Oct 14
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I’m Loving It
Many Americans (ok, probably just a few) find White Castle to be perfectly appropriate for Valentine’s Day celebrations, so it’s not that much of a stretch to see why Hong Kongers might want to get married at a McDonald’s.
For me, this might be one of the few ways that a marriage ceremony would be palatable.
Playing Lady and the Tramp with a French fry instead of a curling string of spaghetti? Fun.
Is a cake of apple pies really that different from our ubiquitous cupcake pyramids and nearly as popular Krispy Kreme towers?
The only missing part of this story is where an onion ring was used in the marriage proposal.
Chain Links: Eat Like an Egyptian
Heinz ad from The Inspiration Room
When you think you’ve heard of everything, you can still be caught off guard by an unknown chain like Nick-N-Willy’s. I didn’t even know that take-and-bake pizzas were still a thing, let alone that they’d want them in Egypt. [press release]
Not to be left out of the lucrative Middle Eastern market, Schlotzsky’s, a chain I know by name only, is heading to Egypt and will spread to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. [press release]
Egypt is going for the trifecta of third-tier brands. Maybe you’ve heard of the Dixie Cream Donut Company? Magdi Rizk, co-owner of the franchise company Vision Brands astutely observes that Egypt’s doughnut market is “vastly untapped.” The bacon-on-everything market is probably also untapped in Egypt—someone should jump on that. [QSRweb]
They were lining up for Krispy Kremes in Bangkok. I guess the malls are now safe for American doughnuts. [CNNGo]
Dairy Queen is getting bigger in China and not just in the big cities. You just know they’re putting red beans on their soft serve. [Bloomberg]
Chain Links: I Hope They Don’t Call Them Sammies in South America
Quiznos has never done much for me, though I have bought a Sammie from the location across from my office twice in three-and-a-half years. No matter, they’re expanding to Chile, Ecuador and Argentina. They have to serve a choripán. [press release]
Is Smashburger a big deal? I don’t know. They’re creeping ever closer in New Jersey, and are soon to spread all over South Korea too. [QSR]
Chain Links: Spreading Our Food Culture One Rib At a Time
Five chains that once gave up on Singapore are now back in business. Regarding TGI Friday's: "Over the years, Singapore has become a more cosmopolitan city with more Singaporeans increasingly becoming exposed to different cultures and foods from around the world. And that's why now is the time to make a re-entry into the Singapore market." Happy to be spreading our food culture by way of Jack Daniel's ribs. [CNNGo.com]
You'll find McDonald's and Pizza Hut all over the universe; Wendy's is now playing catch up. [Portfolio.com]
Friendly's wants to expand overseas. "Anywhere else in the world, there is not a single full-service restaurant chain whose differentiator is ice cream and treats," CEO Harsha Agadi says. He might want to rethink his position. Swensen's immediately comes to mind. The ice cream-centric chain is a staple in Asian malls and is also present in the Middle East and Latin America (ok, just Bogota). [Boston Herald]
I still don't understand how there can be a Coldstone Creamery and a Marble Slab Creamery, but the latter is coming to Australia. [press release]
Robeks, a smoothie chain I've never heard of, is going to open 500 cafes in 13 Asian countries. [press release]
Photo from Jack Daniel's Meats
From Dusk Till Dawn
Ramadan has never meant much to me other than being able to ogle all the amazing market food that pops up annually on Malaysian food blogs. (Masak-Masak always has the most comprehensive Ramadan bazaar coverage for Kuala Lumpur.) This year I've learned two things.
That my old block in Ridgewood, Queens (not in a "from the block" sense but in a nostalgic, hey, my first NYC apartment was on Woodbine Street and Fresh Pond Road way) is home to many Albanian Muslims and that local teens make the fasting all day thing easier by sleeping in late, which is totally what I'd do. Street vendors also have it rough.
Also, that every chain restaurant (and Dean & Deluca) in Kuwait is offering iftar specials. I had no idea the holiday was so commercialized in the Middle East. Even Ikea has gotten into the spirit.
I pondered it; then Time wrote about it.
Photos from B&D Kuwait
Chain Links: Transylvanian Pizza
Soon you’ll be able to send melons, pineapples and berries carved and arranged to look like a floral bouquet in Mumbai. I do hope that Edible Arrangements, owned by a Pakistani immigrant in the US, uses local fruit—don’t they have like hundreds of varieties of mango in India? [QSR Magazine]
Fifty Buffalo Wild Wings will cross over into Canada in the next five years. I could be wrong about the polite Canadian stereotype, but I just don’t see a Brooklyn-style riot over 50-cent wings occurring up north. [FastCasual.com]
Fatburger is coming to Jakarta and Kuwait City. Beijing and Dubai locations already opened in 2010. [QSR Magazine]
Chain Links: Eat Burgers, Pray, Love
A combo Wendy’s/Arby’s is coming to Russia. 180 of them in the next decade. It only makes me more sad that Brooklyn’s only Arby’s has already died a quick death. [Reuters]
El Chico is opening in Saudi Arabia. Consolidated Restaurant Operations already franchises a slew of American restaurants I’ve never heard of in Saudia Arabia and Egypt: Cantina Laredo, III Forks, Silver Fox, Good Eats, Luckys Cafe and Cool River Cafe. [Press release]
I’ve been to a Singaporean Carl’s Jr. (more than once!) so it shouldn’t be surprising that they’re venturing into nearby Indonesia. I imagine Eat, Pray, Love being a much more compelling story if there had been less yoga and more American hamburgers. [Press release]
“Freshly toasted sandwiches translate well across many countries and cultures.” Of course they do, hence Quiznos is expanding throughout Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Ok, pretty much the world. [QSRweb]
Eco-friendly Freshii will be opening four locations in Austria this summer. I wonder whatever happened to the Freshii promised for NYC this spring? [Fast Casual.com]
Chain Links: Broasted Chicken
“Mucho Burrito provides customers with fresh and authentic Mexican food in a contemporary and casual setting.” It’s also Canadian and spreading to Oman. Now the Middle East will be able to experience taco salads served in fried tortilla bowls. The parent company, Extreme Brandz, will also be exporting their Extreme Pita and Pur Blendz concepts. Hopefully, Oman residents won’t get the idea that all North Americans substitute Z’s for S’s. [Fast Casual]
It’s not often you hear about a Malaysian chain coming to the U.S. I would love to try SugarBun, but sadly it’s opening in Quincy, Missouri. The bizarre thing about their wide-ranging menu is that they serve “broasted” chicken, which I thought was an Oregon anomaly (it’s not). [The Star].
I’ve been to Singapore third times now, and every time I debate whether I should try the Hooters. Maybe next time. My (semi) point being that Hooters isn’t new to Asia. Now, they are bringing wings and tight tank tops to Turkey, India and Japan. [WSJ]
T.G.I. Friday’s is on a “Ambition 2015” bender that involves “expanding the brand to nearly 1,100 locations in more than 60 countries” by that date. [Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal]
Chain Links: Jack Daniel’s Chanterelles & Summer Squash
Despite the new Manhattan T.G.I. Friday's already having been open for a few weeks, tomorrow they will host an official ribbon cutting. Also this: "In a nod to the Union Square community and environment, they are also anticipating purchasing various items for seasonal specials from the green market." As long as this seasonal produce is encased in melted cheese, I'm ok with this uncharacteristic move. [press release]
A KFC is opened in China almost every single day. I have eaten at one. [CNN]
That hideous sounding McDonald's strawberry-banana smoothie could reinvigorate the entire smoothie market. [WSJ]
DeMarco's didn’t fare so well in the West Village, but that doesn't mean Dominick DeMarco Jr., son of the Di Fara's master won't try another venture. Dom DeMarco’s Pizzeria & Bar will open this year in Las Vegas, then onto Arizona, Texas and California. [New York Post]
