: Over here if I have to go for lunch to a self service restaurant, I have no where else to go apart from McDonalds near my office. They have killed off the competetion by offering cheap burgers. I am talking about freedom of choice, which is slowly eroded wherever McDonalds goes.
Quit whining. Yes there are quite a few McDonald's in Hong Kong (nearly 150). But there are plenty of other restaurants, as well. I went to Hong Kong twice last year and everywhere I saw a McDonald's I saw other restaurants. I don't know what part of Hong Kong you work in, but I find it very hard to believe there are no other restaurants nearby. And besides, you do have other options. You can bring your lunch with you, or go without.
Despite the number of McDonald's in Hong Kong they are still far, far outnumbered by the local restaurants and eateries. And probably always will be.
As for your analogy of France (or any other country) opening fast food restaurants in the United States with a food that is so alien to our tastes and driving burger joints out of business: First, if the cuisine were that alien, and people didn't like it, they would not eat it no matter how little it cost. Second, if people liked it so much then it would be a good thing to have. If the competition can't compete they either adapt or go out of business.
In Hong Kong there is about one McDonald's per 40,000 people. The good local restaurants will survive because they offer an alternative to burgers. The casualties in this situation are the other fast food companies. Wendy's, KFC and Burger King are almost non-existent in Hong Kong. Other American fast food restaurants are non-existent there. Contrast this with the United States where there is one McDonald's per 20,000 people. Plus there are several thousand Wendy's, KFCs, Burger Kings, Hardees, Roy Rogers, Jack-in-the-Box, White Castle, Krystal, Church's, Popeye's, Back Yard Burgers, Arbys, etc. And still there are plenty of restaurants offering foreign cuisine. McDonald's is not to blame for opening a restaurant where they can make a profit. You can't force someone to eat something they don't want.
