American cultural hegemony continues to abound throughout the world. Indeed, even as McDonald’s revenue fell in the United States, it grew by a double-digit margin in Europe.
McDonald’s Corp., the world’s largest restaurant company, said first-quarter profit rose more than analysts estimated after European revenue gains blunted the first drop in U.S. comparable-store sales in five years. Sales by European restaurants open at least 13 months jumped 11 percent in the quarter, as France, the U.K. and Germany led a record gain for the region. U.S. comparable-store sales fell 0.8 percent in March, the first decline since March 2003 as consumers pinched by rising fuel costs and sinking home values cut spending.
McDonalds is a staple of American capitalism and excess. In bygone days, a French farmer who opposed globalization drew worldwide renown when he led an attack against the chain in southern France. Let me be the first to welcome our new European friends to this gluttonous paradise.
