The US Fast Food Chains That Failed Internationally

Weird History Food looks at the wildly popular fast food chains in the US that did not succeed internationally. Some of these failures seem obvious, particularly due to the location and local food (Domino’s Pizza in Italy and Taco Bell in Mexico). Others were just a poor cultural fit (McDonald’s in Russia, Starbucks in Israel, Wendy’s in the EU).

Because fast food chains are so prevalent across America, it can be difficult to imagine a place where well-recognized logos don’t light up the night skies, promising tasty food and quick service at fair prices. However, these chains don’t always go over as well in other countries as they do here in the United States.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.