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Fast food manufacturer's wasted no time introducing as many consumers as possible to their products and were eager to find new markets for their products. The natural progression for most American fast food outlets seemed to be Canada first and then other countries around the world in quick succession. That was the path followed by Dairy Queen, A&W Root Beer, Shakey's, and MacDonald's just to name a few. The first European target for American fast food was Germany because after World War II it was occupied by the American Military. It was basically the same situation in Japan. Once American forces occupied a country it was a simple matter to introduce American fast food to the population. Germany and Japan have become two of MacDonald's most profitable operations.

There is nothing new about fast food being introduced into countries all over the world by a company in order to increase profits and gain recognition for their product. For example, Cracker Jacks was the very first junk food ever created in America and it was introduced into the United Kingdom and Canada over 100 years ago.

Coca-Cola quickly follow suit and began selling their famous soft drink in the United Kingdom as far back as 1909 and soon after developed bottling operations in many other countries. It wasn't until the Berlin Wall came down that Coca-cola was able to invest in a market that was once considered "off limits." However, once the flood-gates opened their logo and product were soon splashed all over Eastern Europe. It took a bit longer but eventually Coke cracked the lucrative market that China provided and today Chinese children have adopted Coca-Cola as their favorite drink. To ensure their product was found in pretty well every corner of the world, new bottling facilities were introduced to Africa near the end of the 20th century.

The early 1970's saw a rush of fast food outlets into Japan. Over an eleven year period from 1970 to 1981 Dunkin' Donuts, Dairy Queen, MacDonald's, Arby's, and 7-Eleven, all set up shop in Japan. Currently there are over 10,000 7-Eleven stores in Japan. Kentucky Fried Chicken was the first to react when China finally opened its doors to fast food companies. It was a brilliant move on their part as even today Kentucky Fried Chicken is more widely recognized in China than Coca-Cola, MacDonald's or any other other franchise.

It must have been quite a spectacle when thousands of eager customers lined up for hours in Beijing to be one of the first in the country to sample a Macdonald's hamburger. China was not the only country to be driven into a frenzy by a MacDonald's outlet. When the Middle East exploded into growth following the Gulf War, Macdonald's was once again quick to set up shop and the line of cars that waited to drive through was about eight miles long.

It doesn't seem to matter what country people live in, there always seems to be an eagerness to leave the confines of the family kitchen or dining room to occasionally indulge in the world of fast food.

Learn more about this author, Ray Fauteux.
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