The invasion of American food chains in cities around the world is not a new trend. In almost every major world attraction, museum, or transport station, there is a McDonald’s within walking distance.
It’s not just McDonald’s, either; KFC, Burger King, Subway and many more have also expanded outside the United States, further flooding the food market.
One reason why McDonald’s and the rest of the large chains of American food have succeeded is their ability to spend massive amounts of money on traditional advertising and promotion. They are able to advertise at every commercial break and on every street corner because of the large amounts of capital they have and the sheer size of these organisations. Such large advertising expenses are not feasible for most companies and it may prove difficult to model expansion after a multinational corporation.
So how is the recent emergence of two new American food chains any different or remotely positive for small businesses? What can small businesses learn from Five Guys or Chipotle? The answer lies in how these companies have achieved their success using a different approach from most of their competition.
