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McDonald’s Forced to Give French People Forks and Knives With Burgers

Much fancier already. Photo: FaceMePLS/CC/flickr

In an effort to fit in better in France, McDonald’s has started passing out forks and knives that customers can use to eat its hamburgers. Le Figaro reports that from now on, the chain will provide recyclable plastic utensils at its 1,400 French locations, a first for the American burger-slinger. The move caters to French people’s dining habits, which are much stuffier than Americans’, and also McDonald’s probably thinks it will help them sell more “gourmet” burgers, a twist on the stale Big Mac that they’re still trying to get the hang of. Americans who order from McDonald’s Signature Crafted sandwich line are targeted with the Frork, but the French — they get civilized utensils.

In a statement, Xavier Royaux, head of marketing for McDonald’s France, explains that this is “a development rather than a break with the past,” adding that as a “pioneer and leader” of the Gallic burger scene, McDonald’s needed to hat-tip to French table etiquette. The two utensils were tested out at about a dozen locations around the country, and apparently the people who got them approved. For now, they only come standard with Signature burgers, the “top-of-the-line” range that runs about $15 per sandwich in France.

The Telegraph notes that cutlery might roll out in other countries eventually, but assume that this implies “except for in America.” As Mayor de Blasio and President Trump have both learned, using a fork, knife, or any sort of handheld implement on food God created for fingers is a foolproof way to have your patriotism questioned.

McDonald’s Introduces Forks and Knives in France