McDonald’s Location in Paris Ditches Burgers and Fries

Fast-food giant McDonald’s has opened a new café in Paris—adding to the country’s more than 1,300 locations—but this iteration is markedly different. In lieu of burgers, the new Parisian dining spot offers bagel sandwiches, salads, soups, and coffee, moving noticeably away from American classics such as chicken nuggets, French fries, and Big Macs. With reported profit losses in 2015 which necessitated the closing of 700 locations worldwide, the chain has made several attempts to modernize the brand, including by offering what was marketed as healthier options. Despite adopting the slogan “Will never be kale” to advertise its Big Mac in 2015, McDonald’s introduced a kale salad to the Canadian market this year—which is loaded with more calories, fat, and sodium than most of the burgers on the menu. In a recent interview with ABC News, Humane Society of the United States’ Paul Shapiro gave McDonald’s a piece of advice. “So many of McDonald’s competitors are serving plant-based entrées, and McDonald’s is lagging behind,” Shapiro said. In recent years, competitors White Castle, Subway, Wendy’s, and Chipotle have all begun to offer vegan options in response to customer demand.