McDonald's

It took traveling to the former Soviet Union for me to figure out why McDonald’s is so popular all over the world.

Don’t get me wrong, I have read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan and am fully aware of the evils that industrialized food have wrought upon America and the world.

Nevertheless, much to my own bemusement, I often find myself eating at McDonald’s when I am doing research or study trips to the former Soviet Union.

Part of the appeal of McDonald’s for me is that when I am abroad, I’m eating local food three times a day, every day. After a while you can definitely experience cravings for American-style food. I’m not against Eastern European food, but eating it day after day is tiring for someone who likes variety. Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of delicious dishes in Russian/Ukrainian/Moldovan cuisine. I just had grilled peppers and eggplant yesterday, which was quite delicious. Nevertheless, your average housewife here doesn’t really season food. Instead they load it the food up with either sour cream or dill, which in the long run does not satisfy my tastebuds. So after several weeks or months of this I just want some salty fries with ketchup, gol’ darn it! Even though I shudder to think of McDonald’s as American-style food, realistically it’s the best substitute I am going to get given that I don’t cook for myself here.

Putting that aside, there are other advantages of McDonald’s in Eastern Europe that are not always obvious at first glance. The Soviet Union had a very poorly developed restaurant culture. People either ate at cafeterias or ate at home. Your average (non-rich, non-Westernized) person who grew up in the Soviet Union does not eat at restaurants except for special occasions like birthdays and weddings. As a result, the restaurants are a total mixed bag. Some of them are expensive but good because they cater to a tourist crowd. Many are just bad, with indifferent staff and poor quality food. You can’t just walk in to any restaurant and expect to have a good meal. And if you’re looking for something “cheap and cheery,” as the Brits like to say, you’re usually out of luck, unless you’re a big fan of pizza with toppings like ketchup or mayonnaise. (For some reason, inexpensive pizza with very un-Italian toppings is not hard to find.)

The people who run McDonald’s realize that there is a demand for food that is consistent and served with a smile. McDonald’s here are new and clean. The bathrooms are not gross. The prices aren’t cheap for locals, but they’re not extravagant either. Perhaps most importantly, you always know exactly what you are going to get for your money. That McFlurry that you like is going to be the same McFlurry every time! No unpleasant surprises, no inflated bill at the end of the meal. 

You've got to admit, this McDonald's in Sevastopol is pretty classy.

Sometimes McDonald’s main advantage in the former Soviet Union is that it is simply the only game in town. If you’re up extremely early or extremely late, McDonald’s is a godsend. Plus, McDonald’s are the only restaurant where you can bring in something like a backpack or a suitcase without getting weird looks from waiters. As a result, they are a haven for travelers. When my train arrived in Odessa at the absurd time of 4:50 in the morning, I had no idea where to go. Then I saw a dozen people standing around McDonald’s like zombies entranced by the glowing lights. It was 5:15 and the McDonald’s was opening in 15 minutes. The crowd grew to two dozen, and I happily joined them. I think I was never happier to see a McDonalds. I knew that waiting for me through those doors was a hot meal and delicious brewed coffee, which is difficult to find here in the land of instant coffee. At 5:30 in the morning after a long train ride, it was a godsend! 

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. Some places like Georgia and Armenia are blessed with delicious local cuisine that you can quickly get addicted to. Furthermore, with success comes competition. In many parts of the former Soviet Union, local fast-food chains are giving McDonalds some good competition. If they make a tasty, consistent product, I say more power to them.

Overall, my experiences in Eastern Europe have given me a more positive view of McDonald’s. To me it just goes to show that you can’t immediately assume that American cultural products, be they fast food or Lady Gaga, have the same meaning in other cultures that they do for us at home. I almost never eat at McDonalds in the States because 99% of the time I have a better option, but here sometimes McDonald’s really is is the best you can get.