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.