Perspective from Morocco

          Anonymous Survey Participant from Morocco           

         1.  What have been your experiences with McDonald's in your home country?

   McDonald's is very popular with families and children — I remember loving going there on sundays with my family when I was younger. As I grew up, it became more of a place to grab a quick burger after spending the whole day shopping or after a night out. It's convenient, quick, and cheap, and strategically located in the main neighborhoods of my city so that it's never really hard to get there.

2.     How often do you go to McDonald's when you are in your home country?

      Whenever I crave it (which is about once a month-ish). I rarely actively leave my apartment to actually GO to a McDonald's. It usually happens if I'm already around and get crazy hungry, and I usually get it to go or eat quickly inside.  

3.     Do you think there are any cultural ties to the McDonald's in your home country?

     No, I don't think so. 

4.     What are your personal perceptions of McDonald's in your home country(positive or negative) and  why? What do you think are the general perceptions of McDonald's from people in your home country  (positive or negative) and why?

As an establishment, I really like McDonald's. As I said before, it's convenient, cheap and quick (and delicious, at least back home). However, I don't really like actually staying there because 1. it's become sort of the headquarters of all the pre-teens in town, including a bunch of cat-calling pubescent boys who will stand up in front of McDonald's and hit on everyone and 2. it actually attracts a lot of beggars who will follow you on your way out and ask for your food / insult you if you don't give them anything. Which is why I prefer going through the drive-thru if I have the choice. 

5.   How does McDonald's in your home country compare to McDonald's in America (which one is perceived better and why)?     

     How does class fit into this perception of McDonald's ?

      Hands down, the food quality at McDonald's in Morocco is way better. The food actually looks like what's on the pictures, and tastes delicious (which might have to do with the fact that the meat is Halal, but I'm not positive about this). However, although I personally think it's relatively cheap, it is considered super expensive for most people in Morocco and is still a middle-upper class thing. Although it's not perceived by the upper class as such, since there are way more expensive restaurants around, it is definitely not catering to poor people. 

Due to McDonald's in Morocco adjusting to the cultural and religious tastes of the country such as using Halal meat in burgers it has helped McDonald's to become very successful. The class ties of the McDonald's in Morocco shows that the food is seen as more of a middle to middle-upper class food. Also similar to perceptions in China it is still seen as a treat and not an every day meal.

2nd Perspective from China

2nd Anonymous American Survey Participant who was a Visitor in China

    1.  What have been your experiences with McDonald's during your visit ?

    In China, I went to McDonald's once quickly before seeing a movie. The McDonalds was in an elite mall and was very clean and busy. My Chinese friend who accompanied me did call the meal a snack and didn't really like the cheese. He also laughed when I tried to throw away my own trash. I also stopped at a McDonalds once in a train station to grab coffee, and noticed quite a few young business men and couples having breakfast before boarding their train. In some parts of the city, the outside of McDonald's buildings were decorated to look like a traditional Chinese building. 

     2.    How often do you go to McDonald's during your visit ?

        I went there 2 times while in China.

    3.     Do you think there are any cultural ties to the McDonald's in the country you   visited ?

      I think there are definitely ties to McDonald's in that it is a restaurant that you can find all around the city. However, it is still very much so perceived as an American establishment.

   4.   What are your personal perceptions of McDonald's in the country you visited (positive or negative) and  why? What do you think are the general  perceptions of McDonald's from people in that country (positive or  negative)  and why?

    I found the McDonald's to be pretty modern and liked the clean bathrooms. I would say that the nation's perception is overall positive, although my friends were sometimes frustrated with such a high price for such a small quantity of food.

    5. How does McDonald's in your home country compare to the McDonald's in the country you visited (which one is perceived better and why)? 

     How does class fit into this perception of McDonald's ? 

      The McDonald's play very different roles - it is a modern and relatively expensive restaurant in China but a cheap fast food chain in America. I liked the Chinese McDonalds better, just because they were cleaner and as an American outsider, my Chinese friends kind of enjoyed experiencing American food with me.  

     I think it fits well - although I would add important context - there is cheap "fast food" stands every where you go in the city with a huge variety and types of meals. McDonald's would not want to and would not be able to compete with these cheap, local street vendors and so really had to create a "localized" restaurant that fills a different niche. 

I think it is important to note that similar to the other McDonald's perspective from China the cleanliness of the restaurant is a very important distinction from McDonald's in America. Also I love the comment on how the localization of McDonald's in China really helps it compete with other fast food chains because McDonald's had to adapt to Chinese culture so the food would be more appealing and the restaurant would have success in China.

Perspective from Jamaica

             Anonymous Survey Participant from Jamaica

          1) What have been your experiences with McDonald's in your home country?

            I have had largely negative interactions with McDonald's in Jamaica. At one point, the fries were great but the quality quickly fell and I think a large part of that is that they did not use local ingredients (they imported EVERYTHING). The meals were smaller than the kid's meals here. For instance, their biggest burger was about the size of my palm and flat which would have been fine I suppose if it had not been expensive. Furthermore, I personally encountered multi-colored chicken tenders which quickly dissuaded me from eating there. 

         2) How often do you go to McDonald's when you are in your home country?

          I did not eat at McDonald's frequently back in the day and the McDonald's franchises were           shut down some years ago. It was just not a favorite among Jamaicans. KFC, on the other hand, is a booming success because they use local products and changed the menu to reflect Jamaicans' love for spice and well seasoned food. 

         3) Do you think there are any cultural ties to the McDonald's in your home country ?

             Jamaicans associate McDonald's with foreignness. I don't believe that it is missed at all. It would be fair to say that McDonald's in America is much better than it was in Jamaica but I still would take Jamaican KFC over it any day. 

           4) What are your personal perceptions of McDonald's in your home country(positive                 or negative) and  why? What do you think are the general perceptions of McDonald's from people in your home country  (positive or negative) and why?

              I had largely negative perceptions of McDonald's in my home country as discussed above. Jamaicans, in general, I think have poor perceptions of McDonald's in Jamaica because of the poor food quality but I think we also think it would be better abroad (foreign is better mentality).

                5) How does McDonald's in your home country compare to McDonald's in America                         (which one is perceived better and why)? How does class fit into this perception of McDonald's ?

                 McDonald's is of a much higher quality in America when compared to what it had been                in Jamaica. American McDonald's is also perceived as being better and a big part of this is the mentality among Jamaicans that most things are better abroad (which I do NOT believe about food at all). It's strange in Jamaica because fast food consumption is not associated with lower classes like it seems to be in America. I am in no way saying that there might not very well be a strong association if it is studied but my impression is that everyone loves KFC and patties (our real fast food addictions). There is a KFC right in the middle of one of the wealthiest areas in the island and KFCs in rural areas. It might be true that people from poorer classes go to fast food restaurants more (which would be amazing considering how expensive it is in Jamaica) but I have no numbers to prove this.  

 The lack of success of McDonald's in Jamaica displays the importance of fast food restaurants like McDonald's adapting to the food culture and foodways of that particular country. KFC has been able to become a success in Jamaica because they were able to adapt the food in the restaurant to the food interests of Jamaicans. This experience very much contrasts the experiences of people in China.

Perspective from America

             Anonymous Survey Participant from America

         1.     What have been your experiences with McDonald's in your home state?

               There were about 3 McDonalds close to my high school and I would basically always eat there with my friends. It was like our hang out spot and a place to all eat rather cheaply. 

2.     How often do you go to McDonald's when you are in your home state?

      I don't usually go to McDonalds anymore since I came to Grinnell. I usually just went during my lunch hours in high school. 

3.     Do you think there are any cultural ties to the McDonald's in your home state?

    I think the McDonalds in different neighborhoods look pretty much the same. I don't really see a difference. But McDonalds in other countries tend to look different and have a different cultural feel. For example the McDonalds in Milan has a really fancy cafe and is not really looked at as a fast food establishment. 

4.     What are your personal perceptions of McDonald's in your home state (positive or negative) and why? What do you think are the general perceptions of McDonald's from people in your home state (positive or negative) and why?

     No i have no type of perceptions of McDonalds in my home state. I don't really see a difference. I see all kinds of people there and can't make judgement calls as to who goes and who doesn't. 

5.    How does McDonald's in America compare to McDonald's in other countries (which one is perceived better and why)? How does class fit into this perception of McDonald's ?

      I mentioned this earlier but overall McDonalds in America is seen as more cheap and of a lower class establishment. I don't agree with this statement but all around several people who stereotype it as that. In other cities like Paris and Milan the food is more expensive and the establishments are nicer looking with cafes. 

     Because the food is cheap McDonalds is supposed to a lower class food establishment. But again I see all kinds of people eating at McDonalds not just lower class people. 

This experience and perception of McDonald's in America very much falls in line with the mainstream American perceptions as McDonald's being equated to lower and working class people. Since the food from McDonald's is cheaper in America than in other countries, the food in America will still be seen as cheap food which is a different experience than people from other countries. 

Perceptions from China

            Anonymous American Survey Participant who was a Visitor in China

           1.  What have been your experiences with McDonald's during your visit ?

              Not particularly positive or negative. Just very crowded, I remember.

          2.    How often do you go to McDonald's during your visit ?

     I didn't go very often because I was more interested in eating the local foods that China had to offer but we went when we weren't very sure exactly where we were and didn't know if the other places were good. We mostly ate french fries and ice cream. It was very hot when we visited. We went twice during our two-month trip.

3.     Do you think there are any cultural ties to the McDonald's in the country you   visited ?

     The main differences that I observed was that McCafe was a separate, more "classier" joint that the ones we have back here in the US. The regular menu also consisted of more fish to cater to a more Chinese consumer.

4.   What are your personal perceptions of McDonald's in the country you visited (positive or negative) and  why? What do you think are the general  perceptions of McDonald's from people in that country (positive or  negative)  and why?

     It's alright. Not negative or positive. Going to McDonald's was a treat for me when I was a child because it was cheap for my parents. I only go to McDonald's now if I crave a hamburger or a drink. I wasn't in China long enough to get a clear sense of what the perceptions were, but I get the impression that KFC is "better" because it expanded to the local tastes more (congee, chicken feet, etc). But the two times I went to McDonald's, they were full and we had a hard time getting seats.

5.   How does McDonald's in your home country compare to the McDonald's in the country you visited (which one is perceived better and why)?     

     How does class fit into this perception of McDonald's ?
 I don't know if Chinese people know the difference between American McDonald's and Chinese McDonald's. I personally like the fact that they have a separate section for McCafe and I really liked some of their localization menu: aloe ice cream soda! I don't like fish sandwiches, so I like the beef- based menu of the US better. In regards to class, I do think McDonald's is considered a special treat in China because there are cheaper options, but less so in the US. 

This perception of McDonalds in China very much is representative of the general reactions about McDonald's in China that we have read for class. I also like how this person notes that in America typically McDonald's is the cheapest thing you can get whereas in China it is not there are cheap fast food places to eat at so that is fine McDonald's in China is seen more as a treat than a regular meal. 

Perceptions from Mexico

Anonymous Survey Participant from Mexico: 

1.  What have been your experiences with McDonald's in your home country?
      I haven't had McDonald's in my home country (or any other country) for a very long time, but mostly my experiences have been very similar to McDonald's in the U.S. However, McDonald's is much slower in Mexico than it is in the US, meaning it usually takes a lot longer to get your orders than it would here. Overall, my experiences have been very similar to the US.

2.     How often do you go to McDonald's when you are in your home country?

        Not at all if I can help it. I've probably been to McDonald's once in the past two years.

3.   Do you think there are any cultural ties to the McDonald's in your home country?
     Not at all, but I guess it depends on what you mean by cultural ties. I think people in Mexico see McDonald's just like any other restaurant or fast-food place. There isn't more cultural weight to a McDonald's, it seems to just be there and accepted as something American that we also have in Mexico.

4.  What are your personal perceptions of McDonald's in your home country(positive or negative) and  why?  What do you think are the general perceptions of McDonald's from people in your home country  (positive  or negative) and why?
     I don't think people think about McDonald's or any other fast-food chain very much in Mexico. It's basically seen as a restaurant that has been around for many years. I think everyone knows it's not really "fast-food" because they take longer to give you your order than they do in the States, but it's not necessarily seen as negative, rather just the way it is. It's interesting because a Johnny Rockets opened recently where I'm from in Guadalajara, but it was opened up in such a fashionable way that marketed it as a really trendy and awesome restaurant that it became super popular and people really wanted to eat there. It also opened in one of the nicest upper-class malls and I think that the perception people had of it was that it was meant for a "nicer" crowd. McDonald's, on the other hand, you can get pretty much anywhere and therefore people don't see it as anything amazing or exclusive or even worthy of thinking about.

      Personally, I dislike McDonald's because I dislike most unhealthy food, but it has nothing  to do with the company itself and rather a preference for other types of restaurants/eating  out.

5.   How does McDonald's in your home country compare to McDonald's in America (which one is perceived better and why)? How does class fit into this perception of McDonald's ?
     I wouldn't say McDonald's is perceived better or worse in Mexico than in the US, but as I  mentioned before, it is common knowledge that in the US McDonald's is actually "fast  food" and in Mexico it isn't. 

          

This person found the experiences of McDonald's in Mexico and America to be similar which is interesting. What is different is the 'fast food' aspect because McDonald's in America food is typically already made while in Mexico they make the food right there for you which takes the customer longer to get their food.