This fancy new McDonald’s in Paris has no burgers or fries

Dana McCauley
SEPTEMBER 19, 2016
news.com.au
IT’S MACCAS like you’ve never seen it before.
There’s not a French fry in sight at the new McDonald’s Paris outlet, where burgers have made way for macaroons, bagels and coffee.
Traditional cafe fare like soup, salads and sandwiches are on the menu, but Big Macs and Royales (the French version of a Quarter Pounder) are not.
Muffins, pastries, tiramisu, flan, cupcakes, marshmallow bars and brownies are also on the menu, along with yoghurts, plus espressos, macchiatos and lattes made with “100 per cent Arabica coffee”.
Le Figaro reports that, aside from its name, “nothing indicates that this restaurant belongs to the American chain”.
It’s a French take on the concept that Australians have been rocking since 2014, when McDonald’s opened The Corner, an experimental McCafe in Sydney’s inner west.
Perched next to the RPA Hospital in Camperdown, it’s a hipster pit stop where egg and bacon rolls are served on brioche buns and quinoa salads are served up next to four-cheese toasties and pulled pork sandwiches.
Located on Rue Rambuteau in the centre of Paris, the new French McCafe seats 30 people and is part of McDonald’s drive to experiment with different formats.
The last time the chain opened a burgerless McDonald’s in the city of lights, in 2010, it was closed within a year.
McDonald’s is facing competition in France from Burger King and local independents as locals embrace the international burger craze.