Global Expansion of U.S. Fast Food Restaurants – A Case Study of McDonald’s in Italy

Walking through the streets of Italy in the morning, you will notice the smell of coffee, croissants, and pastries. You will see Italians reading the local newspaper, slowly waking up before going home to work in their shop. You will walk by tobacco stands selling cigarettes, papers, more coffee, stamps, and bus tickets. You will see store owners opening their small shops by themselves, content to open and close for the day whenever they feel like it. One thing you will not see is the daily American life you would recognize. You won’t see the hustle and bustle, the honking and speeding, the bright orange and pink double D’s, the daily chaos that is the 8:45 am of many Americans, hurrying to make it to work on time in traffic. You won’t even see the comforting Starbucks logo as you decide to get away from the drive-thru for that extra 10-minute treat of Grande Vanilla Chai latte you love so much. There is one thing you may recognize, however, towering over the Italian landscape. Oh yes, the Golden Arches are ever-present. Why, you may ask? How could McDonald’s, practically a symbol of American glutton