McDonald's: McDonald's to build a restaurant 20 minutes from every home in France

McDonald's to build a restaurant 20 minutes from every home in France McDonald's has revealed plans to increase openings from 20 to 30 a year to 50 in this year alone - Edward Berthelot Two thirds of French consumers are boycotting US companies like McDonald's and Tesla in response to Donald Trump's tariff threats - X McDonald's is planning to open dozens of restaurants in towns and cities across France in the hope that there will be one within 20 minutes of every household. Already the largest fast food chain in France, the company revealed aggressive expansion plans that would accelerate growth in the country from an average of 20 to 30 openings a year to 50 in 2025 alone. "The demand is there, and in nine cases out of 10 we are well received by the local authorities," Jean-Guillaume Bertola, McDonald's marketing director for France, told the French newspaper Le Figaro. Since McDonald's opened its first outlet in France in 1972, its popularity has grown remarkably. Despite being the birthplace of haute cuisine, France has become the company's biggest market in Europe, with more than 1,590 restaurants and revenues of €6 billion (£4.63 billion) last year. McDonald's' optimism in its future growth contrasts with the overall trend in the restaurant sector, which is seeing restaurants go bust in record numbers. The 'right to a McDonald's' In January, 17 per cent more restaurants went into receivership compared to the average in the pre-Covid period between 2010 and 2019, according to the Banque de France. Mediocre food is cited as a key factor , along with rising costs and changing customer habits, experts and owners say. By contrast, McDonald's is seen as cheap, convenient and open when most restaurants in smaller towns and cities are closed. "Why deprive ourselves? Every French person has the right to a McDonald's, less than 20 minutes from home," said Mr Bertola. Mr Bertola has his sights set on small villages and towns like La Châtaigneraie in Vendée, where the population is 2,500, and Saint-Geniès-de-Malgoirès, in Occitanie, with 3,000 inhabitants. However, the path is less certain as anger in the country grows over Donald Trump's anti-Europe rhetoric and threats to impose a 200 per cent tariff on French wine , champagne and spirits. Within four weeks of its creation, the " Boycott USA: Buy French and European " Facebook page has grown to more than 25,400 members. A post showing the US president, his son Donald Trump Jr., Elon Musk, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US health secretary, getting ready to tuck into a McDonald's meal has a caption underneath that reads: "For those who are hesitant to boycott McDonald's... here's a good reason". An Ifop poll published March 25 by the Liberation newspaper also found that two out of three respondents said they support a boycott of MAGA America. The top three US brands French consumers said they were boycotting are Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Tesla . "There is a Trump effect on the image of the United States, which translates into a desire to sanction the country and its products," said Francois Kraus, an Ifop analyst. Alain Fontaine, chairman of the French Bistros and Cafés Association, denounced the chain's expansion into French food deserts, saying they've contributed to the rise of obesity in France and the erosion of traditional bistro culture. "The bistros and cafés of tomorrow must resist the Americanisation of our consumption," he told news channel BFMTV. Play The Telegraph's brilliant range of Puzzles - and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.