…but are the hunchbacks really necessary?

If you want to embarrass an American family in France, serve peas. The Americans will undoubtedly touch a few peas with their fingers to get them on the spoon, and the French will laugh hysterically. 

Pardon the wrinkles, but I loved the imagery from the bag of bread I bought…I thought of it too late, but I had to capture it!

In perfect timing in light of our recent post on McDonald’s first foray into France over 30 years ago, the company this month announced the introduction of a new addition to their menu in France: The McBaguette. The sandwich features a shorter version of the traditional french baguette with ham, cheese and potato topped with lettuce and mayonnaise. If you’re feeling a bit more risque, you can go for the chicken & pepper or spicy beef alternatives.

Ironically, the McBaguette represents McDonald’s push to capitalize on France’s economic slump and 13-year-high unemployment rate. With times being tight, the proud French may be much more likely to eschew their cafe culture and embrace the cheapest meal they can find. Perhaps a 4.50-Euro McBaguette?

The newest addition to McDonald’s France lineup

As we outlined previously, French people do not necessarily dislike their American counterparts. In fact, as with most of the world, many young French people are heavily influenced by American pop culture, given the prevalence of American music and film on the global stage. This wasn’t always the case, though, and I wanted to share a really interesting story I remember my Strategic Marketing professor telling me about how McDonald’s began the infiltration of American culture into France.

When McDonald’s emerged in France in 1979, the country didn’t have fast food. It was a new concept. As highlighted in another post, the French and eating fast typically don’t mix. Secondly, the audience McDonald’s market research team found that the people it should target initially were those old enough to remember World War 2, as they were the sector of the French population who liked America, which McDonald’s represented, the most. These older people simply didn’t understand the concept of eating with their hands. So the marketing task became a matter of educating their target market first on the process of ordering without being served by a waiter, then seating themselves, and finally that they could actually touch food with their hands—a huge taboo in traditional French culture.

So when McDonald’s first started marketing in France, their advertisements introduced an elderly couple demonstrating a range of “firsts” in the country: walking into the McDonald’s lobby (which was vastly different from competing cafes), standing in line (a new concept), reviewing the menu (French cafes at the time—besides obvious tourists ones— didn’t have a menu, as the French genetically understand what is on a café’s menu), ordering with a smiling server (French restaurant staff rarely smile), and bringing their own food back to the table (French cafes always had a gausson, or waiter). When the couple was set to eat, they realized that they didn’t know how to eat the hamburger, reaching for a knife and fork (as touching food was unthinkable in France). Finally, a group of teenagers spotted the couple, approached them and demonstrated how to pick up and unwrap the burger.

McDonald’s became popular in France, and the French had become American without even knowing it!

Just in case you need a little help in crossing a Paris street…

There is a common belief that a bitter rivalry exists between French people and Americans. Having spent a significant amount of time in France, I know this is vastly overblown—sure, there are a few folks here and there who don’t like each other—but generally speaking if either party approaches the other respectfully, they will be treated respectfully in turn.

In cases where this is true, however, it is highly likely that an American visitor approached the French person, in France, addressing them immediately in English. While this is acceptable (and in some cases even desirable) behavior in some parts of Europe, making no effort to learn even a few basic pleasantries is probably the average French person’s No. 1 beef against Americans.

It’s not hard to learn your pleases, thank yous, excuse mes and good mornings. So if you want to make your time in France more enjoyable, commit a few to memory, practice some pronunciation, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how easily it is to interact with locals here. They may not like to admit it, but many French people speak at least basic English, which makes sense given the importance of tourism to the country’s economy and it’s close economic links to England. But you’ll probably never learn the extent of their English skills unless you can start your approach with a word in French.

When you are riding the Metro in Paris, this is the warning you get to keep your fingers out of the door…

One of the joys of spending time in France, and indeed one of the very staples of French culture, is to spend your afternoons sitting in a café, sipping on a coffee, in the company of friends or at least a good book. If you want the full experience, add a semi-rude waiter to that equation.

You see, as charming as its cafes are, and as much of a premium as French culture places on gastronomy, service is not typically considered one of its strong points. If you know this going in, you can actually find the lack of service charming.

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your experience:

1. If you’re on a tight schedule, take your drink to go:  Dining in French cafes or restaurants can be painfully slow at times. Don’t complain, just expect it and look at it as if you’re sitting in a theatre people watching.
2. Don’t order café au lait:  You want to impress the waiter with your knowledge of French, but in this country, that drink is enjoyed in the morning, at home, from a bowl. You’re probably thinking of a café crème instead.
3. Say your s’il vous plaits:   Manners are a must in France. Whatever you order, follow it with s’il vous plait.
4. Don’t talk back:  If you’re asked “how was it”, simply reply “tres bien”. If you didn’t like it, he doesn’t care, and surely isn’t going to do anything about it.
5. Keep the tip:  Part of the reason French waiters don’t have to be polite is that they aren’t dependent on tips. If you do get lucky and have a pleasant server, rounding up to the nearest euro or leaving a few euros on the table is more than enough reward.
6. Use all your senses:  Make sure to enjoy all of the sights, sounds and smells from the world surrounding you!