McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC, and Domino’s Pizza are some of the most popular fast food Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in Sri Lanka. The fast food consumption in Sri Lanka has been increasingly growing in recent years and so has the number of fast food outlets.
I used to think about how fast-food companies have universalized the food consumption of people around the world. Anywhere you go around the world, you will most likely find one of the most popular fast-food restaurants and would feel a little closer to home. Even on the day I landed here, the first meal I bought was from KFC and literally felt no different to the burger I have eaten back in Sri Lanka.
However, probably the only difference I noticed here is the absence of rice meals in those fast-food restaurants. In Sri Lanka, McDonald’s offers McRice, Burger King has BK Rice and KFC has KFC Chicken Spice Rice and KFC Biriyani. Rice constitutes a big part of Sri Lanka’s culture and these MNCs recognized it and customized their menus.
Image Source: Burger King Sri Lanka Official Instagram
When comparing the fast food MNCs in Sri Lanka and here in Canada it is the biggest difference I noticed. In addition, I noticed how those fast food brands offer the option of adding or substituting poutine or coleslaw here in Canada which you can not find in Sri Lanka. Poutine is considered a national dish in Canada and fast food MNCs cleverly caught that.
Image Source: McDonald’s Canada
As a student in PR and communications, when I learnt about how brands glocalize their brand strategy and products in foreign markets, the first thing that came to mind was McRice and BK Rice in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankans are more used to eating rice, therefore fast food restaurants in Sri Lanka customized their menu by introducing rice meals as an addition to their typical burger meals.
It is quite impressive how these fast-food MNCs have universalised how people eat in different parts of the world but with a little touch of locality. This is a perfect example to show the significance of culture in a country and the role that food plays in it also unmissable.
As McDonald’s and Burger King glocalised their brand with McRice and BK Rice in Sri Lanka, have you ever find those had done the same in your country?
Share your thoughts in the comments, curious to know!
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