14 of the craziest knockoff fast-food chains from around the world
- There are many knockoffs of fast-food chains like McDonald's and Burger King around the world.
- They often have funny names, like "McDoner" and "Burger Friends," and their menus are often similar to the stores they're copying.
- Sometimes the stores open because the countries don't allow franchises of the traditional chain. Other times, the reason why they exist is less clear.
In many countries across the globe, you'll often see copycat fast-food restaurants named things like "Mash Donald's" or "McDoner" with the same font, logo, and colors as McDonald's. They aren't the only imposters: knockoff versions of Burger King, Starbucks, 7-Eleven, KFC, and more exist all over the world.
The names might be funny, but some of them were born out of deeper political issues. Mash Donald's, for example, opened because the Iranian government's anti-American sentiments make it impossible for the chain to open McDonald's franchises in the country, according to The New York Times. This is also the case for Pizza Hat (Pizza Hut), Burger House (Burger King), and other knockoff restaurants in Iran.
China has imitated everything from individual products to world-famous landmarks, and fast food is certainly no exception. You'll find many knockoffs of McDonald's, KFC, and Starbucks throughout major cities in China.
Here are some of the craziest fast-food knockoffs from around the world:
The Future of Retail 2018 by the BI Intelligence Research Team.
Get the Slide Deck Now »