There goes the neighborhood.....PARIS–News that a McDonald's is to open shortly in the bosom of the Louvre has sent waves of shock and horror worldwide.
Appalled art lovers are cringing at the possibility.
The proposed McDonald's is to be in Le Carrousel du Louvre, a modern subterranean mall run by a private company and not operated by the state-owned museum.
As malls go, Le Carrousel is clean and pleasant, leading to either the subway or a doorway opening at 99 rue de Rivoli, the busiest street in all of France.
The Louvre could quash the deal if it wanted to. But it doesn't want to, not while it maintains the title of being the most visited museum in the world, with some 8.5 million paying customers a year. Nor should we forget that shopping is one of the realities of museum-going and an increasing source of museum revenue.
The real shock is the realization how big a presence McDonald's already has in France.
France, with more than 1,100 outlets, and is the fast-food empire's second biggest market after the United States. The Champs-Élysées McDonald's is reportedly the most profitable outlet in the world, the result of non-stop tourist traffic. And the Louvre outlet will help the company celebrate its 30th anniversary in the country.
Taking over the world, one Big Mac at a time...
courtesy of http://www.thestar.com
No comments:
Post a Comment