Abstract

The case is about the entry and expansion strategy of the world’s leading fast food restaurant chain McDonald’s in France. McDonald’s built its first restaurant in the country in 1979 in Strasbourg. Since then, it has been expanding steadily in France by providing outstanding quality, service, and value to its customers. For McDonald’s other than its home market, the US, France was the largest growth market with 1,161 restaurants as of 2009. This was despite there being various cultural differences between the company’s home market and France, and its entry into the French market being initially viewed as an invasion of American culture in a country known for its rich heritage of cuisine. The company’s strategy in France was to focus on local menu options, convenience, and value. The case details various aspects of the operational strategies of McDonald’s in France and the different localization strategies adopted by the company. It also lists the various challenges faced by McDonald’s in France.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Study and analyze the entry and expansion strategies of McDonald’s in France. Understand how McDonald’s overcame various challenges including cultural ones and conquered the market in France Examine some of McDonald’s efforts to localize its offerings in

Keywords

Fast Food Industry, Globalization, McDonald’s France, Expansion Strategy, Operational Strategy, Golden Arches, Quality, Service, Cleanliness & Value (QSC&V), Localization, French cuisine, Super Size Me, Cultural invasion, ‘Come as You Are’ campaign, McCafes