Fast food restaurants grow popular in Algeria
2008-05-14
The recent explosion of fast food franchises and independent restaurants is credited to more than Algeria's positive economic changes and investment incentives. Thanks to an improved sense of security, Algerians are spending time at all hours in fast food shops.
By Said Jameh for Magharebia in Algiers – 14/05/08
 [Getty Images] Algerians walk out of a "Quick" fast food restaurant in Algiers' Emir Abdelkader square. With increasing security in the country, residents are spending more time socialising outside of their homes. |
Fast food restaurants are opening up across Algeria, thanks to the change in people's eating habits. Algerians unwilling to spend hours at their dining tables for what they call "hefty" spreads are instead flocking to fast food restaurants for convenient, quick and affordable meals.
The new businesses have become wildly popular over the past few years. It is now difficult to name a street in Algeria's major cities without a fast food spot frequented by residents, pedestrians and workers of all social strata.
Algeria is becoming increasingly receptive to fast food and other franchise businesses. A 2007 report from the International Franchise Association (IFA) noted "the increasing number of international franchise systems that have recently opened shop in Algeria, the majority of which originate from France".
"Other signs that Algeria is at a turning point of greater acceptance for franchising include the successful conclusion of the first franchise fair in Algeria in February 2006, inaugurated by the Algerian Minister of Trade, [which] saw the birth of the Algerian Franchise Association," the IFA added.
Restaurant ownership is no longer limited to young Algerian entrepreneurs. After the government offered investment incentives such as customs tariff reductions, foreign companies joined the market. Well-known Belgian food chain Quick invested more than one million dollars last year to open a restaurant on Larbi Ben Mhidi, one of the main avenues in Algiers. The company plans on another 20 outlets across Algeria by 2012.
In the competitive environment of fast food enterprises, restaurant owners try to lure clients any way they can. The explosion of sidewalk signs in city alleys reflects the growing tug-of-war for patrons.
Fast food shop owners can get very creative. Some choose to imitate brand-name logos or opt for the colours and emblems of soccer teams. Others go for catchy words like "Cappuccino" or the names of world cities. In an endeavour to win customers' confidence, many place ads in local papers announcing their prices.
The explosion of fast food franchises and independent restaurants is credited to more than Algeria's positive economic changes and investment incentives. The growing popularity of fast- food stores is also attributed to the reduced threat of terrorism faced by civilians.
Citizens link the growing popularity of food shops and the budding nightlife in some Algerian cities to the prevailing sense of security.
Most Algerian cities – under the terror threat endured in the nineties – were completely deserted by sunset, and in some regions, long before that.
Thanks to their improved sense of security, Algerians have developed new habits over the past few years. Many now delight in the time they spend in fast-food places and coffee shops.
"I drop by my favourite places after a long day at work to unwind and forget about the pressure at work," Sabrina told Magharebia. She likes to spend time with her girlfriends at restaurants serving "non-Algerian meals", she said, "to relish international cuisines".
Smoker Hanane, who is in her thirties, has a different reason for frequenting the shops: "Fast food outlets give me some space where I feel enough freedom to light up a cigarette, away from people's eyes. [Most] generally frown on a smoking woman."
It is rare to see an Algerian woman walking down the street with a cigarette in her hand. There are no problems for women who puff away in the fast-food shops.
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malek Posted 2008-05-15
Long live progress and all the bad habits that come here with it!!! An inferiority complex means taking everything that comes from Europe as being beneficial. Add to that the problem with obesity, and that is the straw that breaks the camel’s back: we get both the problems of the Third World and those of the rich countries. I always thought the advantage of the people of the Maghreb was being skinny without resenting it. Bon appétit!
Mohamed Tariq Posted 2008-05-17
Man what is happening with this society, i thought we the people of north africa are well know and by far the best in term of cuisine and diet, plus because of that you don't find like MALEK sad it, obesity in this land of north african were ever you go either poor or rich they all eat heathy so, again and again we always go back to rise the question of education, people are not being educated even if so and so got a such and such degree.. but don't blame me like says the servant blame my master ( the system). like we say in Algeria and which i will say it in english, tell me how you eat i will tell you who you are!.
slim16 Posted 2008-05-18
With the arrival of these sandwich shops from abroad, we have to wonder if this is what is called— and with great pomp— help for the young, unemployed graduates!!!??? Given that the owners are almost always foreigners, we are reducing our unemployed graduates to taking this dive even though they are already sinking under the problems. We need to encourage them a bit more. We have to wonder in what way these sandwich-investors are participating in our national economy??? Are our locals not able to cook some eggs or simple French fries??? When we look at our national cuisine, couscous, being made in cafés abroad, we say that the Algerians have made an investment in France? But, it is the French who are raking it in with our know-how. And, here (not there), it is still the foreigners who are still stringing us along to the detriment of the locals. Long live openness! Long live sandwiches! Forget about the unemployed graduates!
nabyl Posted 2008-05-18
This is sad! So, we are supposed to revel in the success of fast food in Algeria?... the success of junk food, cholesterol and all those things the Europeans are running from in good reason! When the second-generation-Maghrebi French would like to taste Algerian cuisine and when the foreign tourists—when they come here—are looking for Algerian authenticity, we are bum rushed with Mc-Dirt-ald’s and BigMucks!!! What a sorry state of affairs!! At the same time when tabacoo is considered in the West to be sour grapes, we get told that the Algerians take pleasure in smoking while safe from view! This is really scary! Over there, they are making progress; here, we are backsliding!!! This is a law of socio-cultural physics that I cannot help but deplore. We are going to end up by fleeing our big cities to go back to authenticity of our huts in the countryside! This is for sure!
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