Are there any American chains that you were surprised to find abroad?

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BoydCrowders_Smile@reddit

This is bending the question quite a bit, but it reminded me of 20 years ago. Japan's McDonald's started selling a mega mac (and variations, like +egg or +tomato). At the time as a college kid, I loved the idea, 4 patties, extra cheese on the whole big mac spiel. I had this made in America and the cashier made a face lol.

Anyway, 7/10 it wasn't that memorable. But the McD's I had in Japan was pretty good. I'd prefer the takoyaki (trying to save face for getting mcds outside murica)

[-]

gioraffe32@reddit

(trying to save face for getting mcds outside murica)

Hey, no shame. Several years ago, I was in Barcelona for business. I was there for like 6 days. And oh my god, the food was amazing. Didn't matter where I went; a little paella dive outside our hotel, the hotel's bocadillo de jamon, or a fancy restaurant elsewhere. I loved everything I had. And none of it was "American" food.

...However, by my last day there, a free day for me, I was craving McDonald's. Hard. I don't know why. I don't know if McD's is like programmed into our American DNA. Idk. So I tracked one down. I got a McChicken sandwich, some fries, nuggies, and a drink (WITH ICE!). And it was OK. It's just McDonald's after all. But I was sated. All was right in the world.

Also been to one or two McD's in the Philippines. Those are interesting because they sell fried chicken with rice or spaghetti. I didn't try them sadly.

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BoydCrowders_Smile@reddit

To your last point, I think it's mostly homesickness. It pops up in weird ways

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jeremiah1142@reddit

Denny’s in Japan. Didn’t know about it before I went and it felt weird to see a chain failing in my area have several locations in Tokyo.

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froglicker44@reddit

Also 711 is everywhere there

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esstused@reddit

The global parent company is actually Japanese now. Apparently they're currently trying to make American 711s more like Japanese ones to increase their popularity, with better food.

I live in Japan and have a 711 about 1 minute walk from my house - in the countryside. It's pretty awesome.

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Tricky-Wishbone9080@reddit

711 bought the speedway chain. We have speedways but no 711s in my town. They got rid of all the best stuff at our speedways but you can get it at the 711s an hour away :/

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jameyiguess@reddit

Omg please. I miss convenience stores almost more than anything else whenever I leave Japan, haha. Lawson's 4 lyfe.

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zephyrskye@reddit

I miss japanese convenience stores so much! I would kill for some Famichiki right now

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okamzikprosim@reddit

FamilyMart tried this in the US and it didn’t go so well for them. Hope 7-11 can do better.

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okamzikprosim@reddit

FamilyMart tried this in the US and it didn’t go so well for them. Hope 7-11 can do better.

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sadthrow104@reddit

I would mind America convenience stores in general learning from the ones in east Asia

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GF_baker_2024@reddit

Nice! I loved 7-11 and Lawson's in Japan.

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planesandpancakes@reddit

I was shocked to see so many 7/11s in Scandinavia

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facedownbootyuphold@reddit

711s are everywhere in the world

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cohrt@reddit

not in my area

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GF_baker_2024@reddit

They aren't, actually. "7-Eleven operates, franchises, and licenses 84,500 stores in 19 countries and territories as of January 2024." (Source)

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facedownbootyuphold@reddit

I don't mean they're literally in every country on earth, I mean they are all over the world.

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OmegaPrecept@reddit

I was pleasantly surprised when I found one in Gothenburg. They had fresh local pastries that were absolutely delicious!

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SilentSchitter@reddit

Also Burger King, McDonalds and Wendy’s

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Mrs_Muzzy@reddit

A&W (like the rootbeer) fast food restaurant in Okinawa

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Tricky-Wishbone9080@reddit

Few of em around me. Nothing to get super excited about. Though have a lot of nostalgic memories of root beer floats and chili dogs as a kid lol.

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JLR-@reddit

Seeing a Bob's Big Boy in Japan was shocking

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cohrt@reddit

do those even exist in the US anymore?

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JLR-@reddit

Cali has some as does Nevada

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talarthearmenian@reddit

Wait WHAT? I thought it was a California thing!

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mundotaku@reddit

Also their menu is completely different and they are owned by 7 Eleven there.

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boldjoy0050@reddit

Japan is one of the most Americanized yet at the same time, least Americanized countries I've ever been to. Almost everything about their culture is opposite of American culture. But the shops are so similar.

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dachjaw@reddit

I ate at a Denny’s in Japan. My host thought I would want to eat at an American restaurant. The food looked exactly right but all of it, meat, starch, and vegetable, had the same texture as as if it had gone through a blender. 0/5

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kirbyderwood@reddit

Seeing a Shake Shack in Tokyo surprised me more.

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spookyhellkitten@reddit

Finding a TGIFridays in Prague was weird. It just seemed out of place.

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TywinDeVillena@reddit

There is one in Madrid too. In that the city there is also McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Popeye's, Carl's Jr, Little Caesar's, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Domino's, Dunkin' Donuts (named Dunkin' because Donuts is trademarked by Panrico), Five Guys, Subway, and probably something else.

There is also a Costco in the region of Madrid.

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powertop_@reddit

Burger King is weirdly popular with Spanish kids. When I lived there, all the high school kids would hang out at the local Burger King. Their version of a Dairy Queen I guess

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mis_no_mer@reddit

What do you mean “their version of a Dairy Queen?

Are you saying that it’s popular for American high school kids to hangout at Dairy Queen?

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powertop_@reddit

Don’t they? I’m a California boy but I’ve heard the DQ is the place to hang out in the Midwest

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Tricky-Wishbone9080@reddit

I mean they stay busy and all but never seen people just hanging out there either.

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mis_no_mer@reddit

I’m an American male who grew up in Maryland. I graduated high school in 2001. We had plenty of Dairy Queens in my area but I’ve never once heard of anyone hanging out there. Maybe that’s a thing the newer generation does?

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powertop_@reddit

All due respect, is MD the Midwest?

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mis_no_mer@reddit

No it’s not. I was just explaining my point of view.

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External_Class_9456@reddit

I don’t know about other parts of the country, but around here everyone hangs out at Sonic or Cookout. No one goes to Dairy Queen lol

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ashleebryn@reddit

Yes, but up until about 50 years ago.

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mis_no_mer@reddit

I’m an American male who grew up in Maryland. I graduated high school in 2001. We had plenty of Dairy Queens in my area but I’ve never once heard of anyone hanging out there. Maybe that’s a thing the newer generation does?

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planesandpancakes@reddit

Yes! My cousins there all love BK and are shocked when I told them it’s gross af in the US and no one just hangs out there

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powertop_@reddit

I also saw a Steak ‘n Shake in Madrid which I thought was odd

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TywinDeVillena@reddit

It is now permanently closed, for what I see.

As for American chains, there is Tony Roma's in Madrid. And there is at least one Tim Horton's (I know it's Canadian, but it is interesting nonetheless).

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allieggs@reddit

The geographic distribution of Tim Horton’s is fucking wild.

I visited one of their few UK locations, in Glasgow of all places. And then I saw multiple in the Philippines.

But they won’t open anywhere in the US that isn’t spitting distance of the Canadian border.

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powertop_@reddit

No surprise, it was dead when I went in there last. I didn’t even know there were still Tony Roma’s here in the states 😂

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BankManager69420@reddit

And yet we can’t even get a Dunkin’ or TGIF in Oregon smh

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Squirrel179@reddit

Yet another mid to bad chain restaurant? Why would we want them?

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penguin_0618@reddit

They changed the name to just Dunkin’ everywhere, actually

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TywinDeVillena@reddit

Interesting. In Spain they were never authorised to use "Dunkin' Donuts" due to trademark issues with Panrico, that's why prior to being Dunkin' they were Dunkin' Coffee.

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divorcedbp@reddit

Oh god, I had no idea that chain had escaped containment. To all the good Czech people out there, I sincerely apologize on behalf of all my countrymen.

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spookyhellkitten@reddit

I felt the same. I wanted to stand outside and apologize to anyone that came out haha

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LonelyGuyTheme@reddit

New York City here.

A couple years ago in Manhattan I came across some Germans asking directions.

They were trying to figure out where the Applebee’s was.

I begged them not to go there. That they were in New York City, the best of the world’s foods. I offered to give them directions to Chinese Japanese, Italian, the Carnegie Deli.

They refused. They wanted the American food they’ve been seeing on TV for years.

I finally gave up, and told them where an Applebee’s was a couple of blocked over.

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spookyhellkitten@reddit

That actually hurts my heart a little lol I lived in Germany for 3 years and I hate that there are now Germans in the world that think Applebee's is the best of what we have to offer lol

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imogen1983@reddit

I’ve seen TGIFriday’s in central Delhi and Kuala Lumpur. It looked like the one in Delhi was actually busy when we walked by in 2004. I lived in KL and walked by the one there frequently, and it was always empty.

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KR1735@reddit

My first night in Warsaw the only thing open and within walking distance from my AirBnB was a TGIFridays. It was so strange being in Poland and ordering a quesadilla at a restaurant with a carbon-copy floor-plan as a random suburban chain restaurant.

It felt like being transported back home. The only way you'd know it wasn't in the U.S. was the beer selection. Otherwise it was like some weird dream.

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AladeenModaFuqa@reddit

In a way, that kind of sounds like a good time of being reminded of home (if it was missed at all).

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ashleebryn@reddit

Not on your first night 😂

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vampyire@reddit

I had the same experience in Dublin, I never expected to see a TGIFridays there

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JourneyThiefer@reddit

I’m from Ireland and not gonna lie I didn’t even realise it was in the US 💀

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vampyire@reddit

It is US corporation buy they are all over!!

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idont_readresponses@reddit

Im in Iceland at the moment and there is one here in Reykjavik.

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pseudoburn@reddit

TGIF in Arequipa, Perú es solid.

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gabrielsburg@reddit

Yeah, saw one in Italy surrounded by obviously better local options. It was strange.

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qwerty_ca@reddit

Finding a TGI Friday's in Pune, India was even weirder.

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ResearchingThisTopic@reddit

TGI Friday's in Taiwan. Really TGI anywhere in America is weirder than finding it abroad ha

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designgrl@reddit

We had it in Saudi too

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Tylerama1@reddit

They're out of place almost anywhere. I think they might have folded in the UK as haven't seen one for ages.

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DynamiteWitLaserBeam@reddit

I found one in Athens too. I felt the same way.

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Nouseriously@reddit

There was one in Busan as well

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Pizzagoessplat@reddit

They're all over Europe

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NativityCrimeScene@reddit

Shakey's Pizza was started in the US and barely exists here anymore, but they're everywhere in the Philippines

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Wermys@reddit

Man I miss Shakeys when I was a kid and we traveled to a place with it in Minnesota or visiting California. Something about the Pizza was special. But this was the 80's so who knows and my pallete has changed. Used to love Deepdish Pizza 20 years ago and now I just look at them with dread while I LOVE NY style pizza's with thin airy crusts.

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BankManager69420@reddit

My coworker who lived in the Philippines for a year said there’s a few chains like that.

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WesternTrail@reddit

I haven’t been to Japan, but I read that they have a convenience store chain called Lawson that started in Ohio in the 30s. There’s none left in the U.S. and the corporate headquarters are in Japan now.

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Persianx6@reddit

There’s a Lawson in Hawaii now

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BankManager69420@reddit

Reminds me of DHL (the shipping company). It started in the US to compete with FedEx and UPS, but was bought by the German postal service and is now primarily a European company. You can’t even use it to ship domestically in the US anymore.

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didyouseeben@reddit

I lived in Japan for 2 years and Lawson, Family Mart, and 7/11 were so clutch for snacks after a night out drinking.

Also, TIL that Lawson was started in Ohio.

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larch303@reddit

Is that the restaurant cartman tried to recreate with stem cells? 😂

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allieggs@reddit

It’s to the point that Filipinos often don’t even know that Shakey’s operates in the US.

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intrepidsnark@reddit

There's also at least one in Tokyo! It was my favorite restaurant growing up and no longer exists in my hometown, so seeing one while walking around Shibuya early last year was wild.

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jgeoghegan89@reddit

I was surprised when an Australian guy I met online told me they have a Target over there

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JLR-@reddit

K-Mart in Guam. Shakeys and Bob's Big Boy in Japan. Carls Jr in Thailand.

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Darmok47@reddit

Guam is part of the US. I think that K-Mart is the last one in America.

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LigmaSneed@reddit

Guam is a U.S. Territory.

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Cat-attak@reddit

IHOP in Pakistan of all places

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Darmok47@reddit

Well it is the International House of Pancakes after all.

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guerochuleta@reddit

Did you order bacon and eggs?

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jmheinliniv@reddit

I think it was underground in the train station in Munich I found a Dunkin. I was overjoyed because I was really needing an iced coffee which had been hard to find before then.

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airsign@reddit

there's a Subway in Reykjavík that looked out of place especially when there's not much fast food around in general

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airsign@reddit

i can't believe I thought of that first and not the Hooters in Ginza, Tokyo (an upscale area)

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Quercus@reddit

KFCs in Ondangwa, Oshakati, and Oshikingo Namibia.

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Temporary_Present640@reddit

KFC seems to be everywhere in Africa.

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Drummergirl16@reddit

When I was in South Africa, I drove past a giant billboard with a KFC advertisement that read, “All roads lead to KFC.” They weren’t wrong, lol!

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notapunk@reddit

They're huge in Asia. Certainly one of those American brands that are more popular abroad.

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Persianx6@reddit

KFC pardons a chicken every year in Osaka and the colonel is a Christmas staple there, it’s so weird.

Also one of the Japanese baseball teams has a curse that involves the colonel and his secret recipe.

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IntrovertedGiraffe@reddit

I live in a US town that is pretty much just a mall, so there’s barely any mom and pops and only chains, and we’ve never had a KFC. Got pretty much everything else, but no KFC

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cohrt@reddit

King of Prussia?

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IntrovertedGiraffe@reddit

Yup

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vim_deezel@reddit

KFC got swalled up and outdone by a dozen other places selling chicken

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Slow_D-oh@reddit

KFC in Maylsia is amazing and I hate KCF in the States.

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quebexer@reddit

People from certain demographic loves fried chicken.

/s

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TapirRN@reddit

I had never seen a line for KFC until I went to Jamaica

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SavannahInChicago@reddit

For the people in Chicago. I found a Goose Island Brewpub in London randomly.

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imogen1983@reddit

A Red Lobster opened in Kuala Lumpur when I lived there and they tried to make it upscale, which was really strange. It’s closed down now, which isn’t surprising. It was overpriced for the same menu as the US.

What I always looked forward to in Thailand was Dairy Queen.

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KR1735@reddit

Was surprised to see Caribou Coffee in Istanbul. They're hard to find outside the upper midwest and Minnesota in particular.

This might not count, but Tesco in Europe has a very American feel compared to other grocery stores. I went to one in Krakow, Poland, and it felt like I was at a nice Walmart in the U.S. Bizarre experience. The wide aisles and hypermarket feel are not something you encounter as much in Europe as you do in North America.

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Cleveland_Grackle@reddit

I didn't go inside the Tesco when I was in Krakow, but as someone who grew up in the UK, I wonder how it compares to the home grown versions.

Also, does anyone remember their brief foray into the US?

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Pleasant_Studio9690@reddit

In the US Tesco launched “Fresh and Easy”. One was a mile from my apartment in California and I shopped there nearly every day after work. I loved it. It was smaller format than most US supermarkets so it was easy to get in and out of. I loved that it had really good, inexpensive, pre-made meals I could grab for dinner and bake or toss in the microwave. They were well-seasoned and tasty. I’d often grab the ones on clearance for extra-cheap dinners. The format was unique in that it was also 100% self-checkout with just an attendant for all the registers to help you if there was an issue. That was ten years ago and I’ve never been to another store of any kind that is 100% self-checkout. I was really bummed when they pulled out and closed all of their stores after just a few brief years. I kept hoping someone else would buy the chain and give it nother go, but they sold all the stores piecemeal. Mine became a CVS pharmacy.

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imogen1983@reddit

I wish the UK pre-made meals concept would catch on here. Going to a Waitrose or M&S and being able to get a really good meal that’s ready to eat or heat up was so nice.

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Karen125@reddit

Mine became Planet Fitness.

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marko719@reddit

My Fresh and Easy is now an Advance Auto Parts.

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I_Am_Mandark_Hahaha@reddit

A slight variation to the Q - American chains abroad that are surprisingly already dead/dying in America:

Kenny Rogers Roasters

Shakey's

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_meshy@reddit

K Mart is popular in New Zealand and Australia. But I think the company is now totally separate from the US company.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kmart_Australia

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imogen1983@reddit

Australia has Target, but it’s a completely different company and owned by the same company that owns K Mart. They even use the same logo.

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Magic_Al42@reddit

The ONLY Kenny Rogers Roasters I have EVER seen was in the basement of a mall in Jakarta

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rylnalyevo@reddit

The first Orange Julius I ever saw was in Singapore.

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I_Am_Mandark_Hahaha@reddit

Decades ago, there was a knockoff store in the Philippines called Mango Brutus

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03zx3@reddit

They still have them in malls around here.

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namhee69@reddit

There’s still a whole bunch of Kenny Rogers Roasters in Thailand. Popular enough there.

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notapunk@reddit

I was surprised to see so many (Kenny Rogers) in SE Asia. Figured I'd give it a try. It was fucking awful. I think it may have been the one restaurant I've gone to that had absolutely zero redeeming qualities in the form of food, ambience, or service.

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cyvaquero@reddit

Given most Americans would be surprised to see a Kenny Rogers Roasters period, is it still considered American? Today it is headquartered in Mayasia.

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Educational_Crazy_37@reddit

First place that comes to mind that has Kenny Rogers Roasters is the Philippines.

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Altril2010@reddit

All the KFCs in the UK just seemed weird.

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RecordHigh@reddit

The first time I went to London was 1983 and there was a KFC down the street from the hotel I was staying at, so they've been in the UK for a very long time.

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arcinva@reddit

I understand that they don't even have biscuits. Seriously. The only good thing you can get at KFC and the thing that Brits are so sadly missing in their cuisine... and they don't flippin' have it on the menu?! It's a travesty!

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Altril2010@reddit

Oooh… we never went into one, but that is seriously the only thing I’ll eat at KFC.

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nightly_mystique@reddit

and people wearing cowboy boots.

The cowboy aesthetic originated in Spain

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RarelyRecommended@reddit

Shakey's Pizza in Manila. They've been gone from the US since the 70s. They have straw hats, red and white striped shirts and plinky piano music.

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minion531@reddit

They've been gone from the US since the 70s.

No, that's wrong. There are Shakey's Pizza here in Palmdale, California and in Evanston, Wyoming. But well into the 90s, there were still lots of Shakey's Pizza. But yeah, Shakey's is still around.

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GradeAccomplished303@reddit

It was really interesting to see Carl’s Jr. in Istanbul Turkey in a mall given that I have never even seen one in the us living in the east coast and the midwest.

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normal_mysfit@reddit

Mine is finding Taco Bell in Thailand. I just wasn't ready for that. I know have to try it

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Gertrude_D@reddit

I was super surprised to see an Aldi's in Germany!

/s

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inevergreene@reddit

You wouldn’t believe my surprise when I came across an IKEA in Sweden!

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Gertrude_D@reddit

Wow! USA brands are spreading in some surprising places :)

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101bees@reddit

I'd love to go to a German Aldi. German week every day!

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allieggs@reddit

Something even more surprising is that some Aldi stores in Germany carry Trader Joe’s items.

It makes sense as they’re owned by the same company. And I did learn this from a friend there who acquired a taste for their food while studying abroad here. But still

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SekritSawce@reddit

You should not have been. From Wikipedia: Aldi (stylised as ALDI^([6])) is the common company brand name of two German multinational family-owned discount supermarket chains operating over 12,000 stores in 18 countries.

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Gertrude_D@reddit

Why do people miss the /s at the end?

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SekritSawce@reddit

Because we just really want to make our smart comment so bad we don’t even see it 😳.

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Gertrude_D@reddit

lol. forgiven

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Temporary_Light2896@reddit

Wait, isn’t Aldi a German company?

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rattlehead44@reddit

And I still do t have any near me haha

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SlyHutchinson@reddit

We drove from Sac to Fresno, the closest one to us, to check it out. 4 out of 10. Would not reccomend. But that may just be because it is in Fresno.

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Alex_2259@reddit

Fucking lmao was going to say

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Cutebrute203@reddit

Sbarro was pretty popular when I was living in Saint Petersburg, Russia a decade ago. We also had a Cinnabon in the fancy mall on Ploshchad Vosstaniya. I’m sure they’re all closed now because of the war though.

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imperial1968@reddit

Its a German company

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Gertrude_D@reddit

Uh, yeah. That's the joke.

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c0-pilot@reddit

Burger King in Malaga, Spain.

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ashleebryn@reddit

I was surprised to find a KFC on nearly every corner in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was like Starbucks. Freaking everywhere. It was funny how often we'd see them.

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kitzelbunks@reddit

Pizza Hut in London 1999. It was delicious back when it was a sit-down restaurant. I had low expectations as I am from a place known for pizza. I had eaten it at home but wouldn’t go there after I was old enough to go out without my parents. It was delicious; of course, I may have been in withdrawal. 😊

They still have them looking like fast food counters. I don’t think we have any by me anymore.

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austexgringo@reddit

I live about an hour south of cancun. People visit us constantly from the United States. I tell people that this is the most American place not known as Canada, there's three Petco, office depot, office max, Sam's, home Depot, etc. the mall has standard US Mall stores, except here more culture still exists so they're thriving not dying. This is in Playa del Carmen. Population 150000. Cancun is well over a million, and they have basically every chain imaginable there, including multiplications for lots of them. Restaurants alone account for dozens.

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OnThe45th@reddit

a Five Guys in Paris

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sahm67@reddit

Steak & shake in Italy

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kaps84@reddit

Jamaica is serious about their KFC, but won't allow McDonalds on the island

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Chapea12@reddit

Where I lived 7/11s were dying out, so seeing one in Copenhagen that was nicer than any I’d ever seen was a surprise

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No-BrowEntertainment@reddit

I was surprised to find Five Guys in London. There’s one right next to St. Paul’s. Can’t even begin to imagine how expensive it might be.

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JourneyThiefer@reddit

Five guys is literally so expensive in the UK lol

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PsychologicalDog1361@reddit

TK Maxx in Germany. (I'm guessing there's a trademark reason for changing the name by one letter.)

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JourneyThiefer@reddit

I’m pretty sure it’s TK Maxx all over Europe, it is in the UK and Ireland anyway

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aenflex@reddit

I feel like I saw a Chik Fil Et in London once?

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JourneyThiefer@reddit

5 guys is crazy expensive in the UK

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Dontbelievemefolks@reddit

Subway

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masterofnone_@reddit

KFC is in a lot of other countries.

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chip_the_cat@reddit

Only American chain I was surprised to see was the Dunkin in Amsterdam. Needless to say I stopped in and got my usual XL iced regular.

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gerund456@reddit

I went to a Dunkin in Shanghai. Same coffee, but way cuter donuts!

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Alex_2259@reddit

When I started traveling I slowly learned Dunkin wasn't only in the Northeast but also all over the USA. My fucking shock when I saw one in Switzerland. I think Shanghai, CN wins. That would surprise the hell out of me.

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gerund456@reddit

I do not lie, however I must now fight with Imgur!

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Marxist_Jesus@reddit

I don't consider European and American Dunkin's to be the same restaurant. European ones are too clean, and really go over the top on selling single donuts and are almost starbucks level pristine.

The Dunkin I grew up with had greasy floors and was essentially a truck stop. Hard to describe but they felt overall cheaper, a place the everyman goes to.

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TeddyDaBear@reddit

The Dunkin I grew up with had greasy floors and was essentially a truck stop.

Same with the one I grew up with.. in the 80s. Now they are really clean and well kept. Almost like completely different stores.

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vim_deezel@reddit

the dunkin's I go to is very clean and staff are friendly. It varies neighborhood to neighborhood and management makes all the difference. Also in Europe they get paid a lot better.

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SquidsArePeople2@reddit

Inseeer to god there’s a Dunkin every two blocks in Honduras

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thatswacyo@reddit

Dunkin Donuts has the donut market locked down in Latin America, and it's sad because Dunkin Donuts sucks.

Krispy Kreme had to pull out of Colombia after about five years because Dunkin Donuts just dominates the market, and for so many people who were raised on Dunkin Donuts, they're the Platonic ideal of a donut for so many people despite being very mediocre.

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Alex_2259@reddit

Was looking for this comment, I was also surprised to see them all throughout central Europe.

I thought it was only in the Northeast USA then I saw one in Cali. Then multiple euro countries. The world runs on Dunkin 🌍☕

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BankManager69420@reddit

And yet we can’t even get a Dunkin’ in Oregon smh

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SquidsArePeople2@reddit

Because we have real doughnuts.

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therlwl@reddit

Legendary

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jameyiguess@reddit

Well Amsterdam runs on Dunkin

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Techialo@reddit

There was a Fuddrucker's in Bahrain.

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ElysianRepublic@reddit

I was very surprised to find a Dickey’s BBQ Pit (a very regional Dallas-based BBQ chain) in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Wendy’s and Dunkin’ are everywhere there too.

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soaring-arrow@reddit

I went to target in Rwanda, like 10 years ago. That was a bit mind blowing

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anneylani@reddit

The US Target company doesn't have international locations.

I wonder if it was the Target Australia company? That's weird too.

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TheJessicator@reddit

Omg, yeah, Target in Australia reminded me a bit of Ross stores in the US.

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anneylani@reddit

Really? I had thought it was similar to US Target.

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JollyRancher29@reddit

Completely different company though

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soaring-arrow@reddit

Oh I didn't realize that! Interesting

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Nodeal_reddit@reddit

KFC

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pseudoburn@reddit

Flavor town in the main airport in Bogota, Colombia lacked flavor

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JJfromNJ@reddit

I'll give an opposite answer to this. I was surprised and ecstatic when my city in the US got a Pollo Campero.

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mundotaku@reddit

On weird chain within the US, there is a Jollibee in Philadelphia!

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cohrt@reddit

are there a lot of Filipino immigrants in Philly?

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mundotaku@reddit

Definetely they are one of the many communities here.

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guerochuleta@reddit

I used to live near one in Miami. A Guatemalan friend came to visit and absolutely insisted we go. When I visited Guatemala I went to campero, was absolutely astonished, the chicken was only a little bit better, but it was a full sit down fried chicken restaurant! Delicious

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ucbiker@reddit

Pollo Campero isn’t American? There’s been one in my hometown (outer DC suburb) since like 2000. The local population even thinks it’s American since the Latino guys would refer to it as “gringo chicken.”

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JJfromNJ@reddit

It's Guatemalan.

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send_me_potatoes@reddit

There’s a few near me in Texas, but I honestly thought it was an American company given how popular Tex-Mex is in this region.

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hellcicle@reddit

It’s the only place around I can get yuca fries from drive through

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General_Duh@reddit

We got one about 35 minutes from my house and if I have money left in my food budget I may get that for dinner

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missxmeow@reddit

I was surprised to find multiple A&Ws in Okinawa. Was a lifesaver coming home from flights though.

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Sumo148@reddit

Visiting Interlaken, Switzerland in the beautiful alps and there was a Hooters there… seemed very out of place.

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penguin_0618@reddit

Everyone is wearing cowboy boots and driving pickups is because cowboy fashion/culture is mostly from Mexican vaqueros, not Texas.

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OodalollyOodalolly@reddit

I’m also confused by OPs example. Home Depot and Lowe’s, HEB and Walmart are not Texan exclusively. And the cowboy stuff is just because people are like that. They aren’t copying Texas and probably never been there

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guerochuleta@reddit

Am Texan and lived in Monterrey for a bit. Despite the veracity of what you're saying there's a very Texan vibe to Monterrey. San Pedro de la garza feels like Dallas especially.

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OodalollyOodalolly@reddit

Maybe Texas has a Monterrey vibe

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Luckytxn_1959@reddit

I was in military from early to mid 80's and I arrived in S. Korea. Now this was before Olympic's and the north assured the games would not happen and it was constant alerts and nationwide blackouts and stress.

After about 7 months and constant Korean food and kimchi which is good but I had to go to another base and hour away and when arrived I saw a Burger King and was surprised that it was them and not any other fast food outlet but a Burger King.

I right away went there and ordered a Big Mac. As I took the order to a table just smelling it made me ravenous and devoured it and remember it tasted like gourmet food. Yes, a Big Mac tasted like gourmet food. I went and ordered another and ate it and memories flooded me of home and good times with family and friends.

I did what duty brought me there and before I left to go back to my base I went and ordered a couple more and took them back and feasted later. It is a big memory still and I never took for granted home again about anything.

Yes I know that these fast food places are just so so and Burger King is mid range of fast food but I can still decades later recall every part of that memory and smell and taste and feel back then. To be fair I remember the stress and constant readiness to go war for real and even an injury that put me in coma and hospital that still affect me but a fucking Whopper was there for me when I least expected it to raise me up.

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grizzlyblake91@reddit

Going to a Fuddruckers in Bahrain right outside of the Navy Base there was pretty surreal to 20 year old me, who had previously never left the country before that.

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Dumbledore27@reddit

I was surprised to find a Dunkin Donuts in downtown Madrid. I’m from Massachusetts, so I’m used to seeing 5 every square mile, but finding it in Europe shocked me.

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moonwillow60606@reddit

Hooters in Shanghai. I didn’t go. But I did have an interesting cultural experience trying to explain the double entendres to my work colleague.

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guerochuleta@reddit

I frequented Hooters in Mexico because it was one of the few places with Sunday ticket.

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Educational_Crazy_37@reddit

Besides China there are Hooters locations in Taiwan & Indonesia too. India had one at one time in the past.

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r21md@reddit

Hush Puppies and Deep South Clothing were US Brands I didn't even know existed until I moved to Chile.

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Fingers_9@reddit

Hush Puppies were quite big in the UK in the 90s.

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Werewulf_Bar_Mitzvah@reddit

Currently also big in India now too as I understand it.

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cyvaquero@reddit

The shoes or the food?

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Fingers_9@reddit

The shoes. I don't know what the food is. Have I misunderstood this post?

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r21md@reddit

Funnily enough I didn't know the shoes existed until I was here, I only knew about the food despite both being from the US.

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giscard78@reddit

I’ve only ever heard of hush puppies as food and have no idea what the shoes could be lol.

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Fingers_9@reddit

Just had a quick Google and I've seen that hush puppies are a bit like Jamaican festivals, which I've had a few times.

From memory, the big sellers in terms of the shoe company were quite sensible comfy boots. Like a less cool Timberland.

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phrits@reddit

Comfy and quiet. The soles were some kind of rubber.

I was born in '66, and I remember them as a brand that parents liked a lot more than the kids they forced into them. It's also possible my memories have conflated Buster Browns, but I think those cost more than was budgeted.

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alexfaaace@reddit

You didn’t misunderstand, the capital letters imply a proper noun with would be the brand. Also, the brand is two words. Hushpuppies (one words) are also a type of side dish mostly served with seafood and Cajun food in the Southern US. They are essentially deep fried cornbread balls, definitely worth trying if you ever have the chance.

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Fingers_9@reddit

Yeah, I've just Googled them, and they may be similar to Jamaican festivals, which I like.

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alexfaaace@reddit

I looked those up and yeah, I’d say they’re in the same family. Both fried and made with cornmeal at least.

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Pale_Field4584@reddit (OP)

Do they mean Western clothing? How does Deep South clothing even look like?

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r21md@reddit

Nah it's this place. No clue if it's owned by them or just ran by a local, but my city has a store for just their clothes.

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05110909@reddit

Looks like my kind of place

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Pale_Field4584@reddit (OP)

Ahh, gives me Academy vibes!

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cohrt@reddit

didn't think i would find a subway in India. strangest chicken teriyaki sub i've ever had

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littlemiss198548912@reddit

I was surprised that TJ Maxx is in the UK, but they call it TK Maxx there to avoid confusion with another store.

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jlt6666@reddit

Siem Reap Cambodia has a Hard Rock Cafe and a Dairy Queen. I was truly baffled.

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lernington@reddit

Steak and shake in portugal

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ucbiker@reddit

I saw a bunch of Church’s Chickens in Costa Rica, which is strange because it’s only located in the worst neighborhoods in the U.S.

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Freyja2179@reddit

Wasn't surprised by McDonald's but the KFC in Berlin really threw me for a loop.

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bananapanqueques@reddit

Coastal and South Texas are more like Mexico than the USA IMO.

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Sea-Louse@reddit

I was surprised to see a TJI Fridays in Copenhagen a few years ago.

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Spinelli-Wuz-My-Idol@reddit

I was surprised to how much people wore Levi’s logo shirts and how Carhartt had completely rebranded in Europe (meaning UK/France/Spain)

Like there were a LOT of Levi’s t shirts which was weird coming from the US where we really just see them as a jean brand and not like a company to wear their logo around idk

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bunabhucan@reddit

I remember people flying to the US being asked to bring Levis back to Ireland. And when you could get them in Europe, I remember people bringing Levis to the USSR to trade for vodka.

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Spinelli-Wuz-My-Idol@reddit

Lol i guess theyre iconic

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anneylani@reddit

How is carhartt different in Europe?

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Spinelli-Wuz-My-Idol@reddit

They had it marketed all hipstery and there was no trace of being working mans clothes

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Evil-Cows@reddit

I think Shakeys is dead in the US but still going strong in Japan.

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mundotaku@reddit

Popeyes and Little Caesars in Negril, Jamaica.

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makeuathrowaway@reddit

Chili’s in Mexico. What is the point of having Chili’s in Mexico?

Sears is everywhere in Mexico. Sears’ Mexican operations are now owned by a Mexican conglomerate, although they’ve kept the name. It actually seems to be doing rather well there, particularly in comparison to Sears in the US.

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Distinct_Damage_735@reddit

Probably for the American tourists, honestly. Same reason there's a Señor Frog's in Nassau. A depressing number of tourists just want what they have at home, but with better weather and no responsibilities.

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vim_deezel@reddit

chili's has lots of American style food, not just tex mex?

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CuriousOptimistic@reddit

I was surprised to see Chili's in Guadalajara. There was also a Taco Bell lol which seemed even more pointless but my local coworkers said "it's just another kind of American food" lol

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Glittering-Border787@reddit

Ashley Furniture Home Store in Kenya.

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therealdrewder@reddit

Fuddruckers in Bahrain

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Agile_Property9943@reddit

OH SHIT!! No way!! 😭

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that-Sarah-girl@reddit

This totally sounds like a garage band

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cyvaquero@reddit

When I was in Bahrain in the mid 90's there was KFC and Pizza Hut, there was one of the fast food American burger chains but it wasn't MacDonalds, instead they had Jasmi's (Jasmin's?) complete with the Big J.

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pneumatichorseman@reddit

Double bacon cheeseburger at Fuddruckers made by a Pakistani guy in a cargo container at Jebel ali naval base...

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ItsBaconOclock@reddit

Setting Hooters in Tokyo was sort of surprising, so we went, just to see, and it was really fun. The staff put on these big high energy song and dance numbers. The whole thing was really upbeat.

Then later that trip, we were in Beijing, and saw a Hooters. That one was so sedate, it was like going to a regular restaurant, but it was covered in the normal Hooters stuff on the walls.

We didn't mean to become international Hooters afficinadios, but seeing them in those places necessitated a look.

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WillingPublic@reddit

Did the servers wear the traditional Hooters uniform? Asking for a friend.

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ItsBaconOclock@reddit

In Tokyo, yes.

But in Beijing the one server wore a "Hooters Orange" sweater that was so bulky that she looked like a pumpkin.

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MajorWexley@reddit

Applebees in Canada

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tutamuss@reddit

Outback Steakhouse, Dennys and Popeyes in Guadalajara México. We're not right on the border.

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Educational_Crazy_37@reddit

Raising Cane’s in the UAE and Kuwait, especially when they don’t even exist in Canada yet.

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Alex_2259@reddit

I heard Kuwaitis love American chains and they made them fat 💀💀

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Pleasant_Studio9690@reddit

Caine’s sauce is like crack.

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ikonet@reddit

I went to Hooters in Tokyo. It was full of cigarette smoke and smelled like fried fish. Our waitress was a very pretty English speaking black woman; which was unexpected in a room full of Japanese employees and customers. The place was kinda wild.

I don’t normally suggest going to American chains when traveling internationally, but Tokyo Hooters was definitely an experience.

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PhunkyPhazon@reddit

Seeing a Five Guys and a TGI Fridays across the street from each other in Glasgow was unexpected.

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Catahooo@reddit

Outback Steakhouse in Australia seemed like an odd slap in the face since there's nothing remotely Australian about it, and their advertising is mostly off base caricatures of Australian culture.

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spkr4thedead51@reddit

I had to explain Outback to some Australian friends when we drove past one. They may have been more confused after I explained it

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DonSmo@reddit

There's only a couple of stores in one state in Australia and nowhere else. Most Aussies don't even know they are there, and the ones that do also find it very strange.

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tnick771@reddit

Seems like they don’t find them too strange if they’re commercially viable with multiple locations in any state of Australia.

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fasttyping@reddit

Wouldn't think about that too much, American chains seem to love putting one or two locations in random places abroad. They're usually trying to determine if they are commercially viable or not.

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tnick771@reddit

No, 8 locations is not a test market play. It’s established, and has been in Australia since at least 2014, and has actually expanded a site since then.

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fasttyping@reddit

8 locations in 10 years is alright but not big enough to stop most Australians finding it strange. Wimpy has 62 locations in the UK and most people believe it died in the 1990s.

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tnick771@reddit

I don’t think I said they didn’t think it was strange, but “very strange” is an exaggeration when the restaurant has shown growth there while it’s actually shrunk in the US.

Fun fact there’s theme restaurants in the US that portray American caricatures, such as Longhorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse, but nobody is thinking they’re “strange”.

Is Wimpy a UK-themed establishment in the UK?

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fasttyping@reddit

People in the UK don't find Wimpy strange, they just think it doesn't exist anymore. Point being, having 8 restaurants in Australia isn't proof that Australians don't find the Australian branding strange.

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reverielagoon1208@reddit

It’s not worth trying to argue it. Lots of Americans have that kind of shallow reasoning. A few Starbucks exist in Australia so that means it’s a widely successful chain and Australia doesn’t have good coffee otherwise, right?

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tnick771@reddit

Did I say it was widely successful and was there any discussion about Outback Steakhouse bringing “good food”?

What are you even trying to say?

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tnick771@reddit

There’s a bit of a false equivalence here. Unfamiliarity isn’t the same as not thinking a concept is strange.

I can be unfamiliar with something but still find the concept to be “not strange”. You’re arguing two different things. Clearly, for those who are familiar with it, they don’t have an issue with it.

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fasttyping@reddit

I'm not Australian so I don't know if they consider it strange or not, just pointing out you can't dismiss an Australian saying most Australians find it strange just because they have 8 restaraunts there.

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tnick771@reddit

Again, I really think you’re drawing a weird line between “unfamiliarity” and “strange”.

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tnick771@reddit

I think you’re drawing a weird false equivalence here. 8 locations and growth does demonstrate that it’s not “very strange” to Australians.

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reverielagoon1208@reddit

Plus with a 30% foreign born population right now you’re more inclined to get a few people to try it out, potentially not knowing what it is

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DankBlunderwood@reddit

Seems to me like if they wanted to operate in Oz they shoud leave the menu the same and just change the name and drop the Aussie schtick.

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MashTheGash2018@reddit

Seeing KMart in New Zealand blew my mind

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spkr4thedead51@reddit

There is a Five Guys on the Champs Elysees

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Original_Security674@reddit

Carl's Jr. and Coco's in Tokyo. I wasn't really surprised to see most of the American chains I saw there, but those two were unexpected.

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ThrowingTheRinger@reddit

I’ve seen KFC in St Lucia, El Salvador, and South Africa.

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Nicktendo94@reddit

I was in London earlier this summer and was a bit surprised to see both Krispy Kreme and Chipotle

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Trouvette@reddit

I was surprised to find that Papa John’s was in London. I knew that Dominos and Pizza Hut were there, but I didn’t expect that one.

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KarmicWhiplash@reddit

Circle K is all over the place in Vietnam, which kinda blew me away at first.

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anneylani@reddit

Cosi in the middle east

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DontCallMeMillenial@reddit

I went to an Outback Steakhouse... in Pohang Korea.

Being in an Australian-themed American restaurant in an region that doesn't speak much english was kinda weird. It was like a 'dream' version of Outback.

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]

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NathanDrakeOnAcid@reddit

I saw a Papa John's in Moscow, with the name transliterated into Cyrillic. That felt odd. Of course, that was in 2017, so I have no idea if any American chains are still there.

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Zippity-Boo-Yah@reddit

Texas Roadhouse inside the Burj Kahlifa shopping mall in Dubai.

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smugbox@reddit

Surprised at the number of Shake Shacks in London

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OO_Ben@reddit

I remember finding out that KFC is huge in Japan and that was wild to me lol

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dachjaw@reddit

I was astounded to see Strak n Shake in Monaco. It smelled so good.

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WeathermanOnTheTown@reddit

Little Caesar's in Bogota, Colombia.

Side note: Colombia has surprisingly great pizza. I've spent a year of my life there and every pizza I've ordered was either average, good, or really great.

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voteforbk@reddit

I was surprised to find a Five Guys in Oxford (UK) in 2017. I didn’t go, but it was packed!

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vilLynn@reddit

Randy's Donuts have multiple locations in Philippines, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. I thought it was just an LA thing.

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jyc23@reddit

Denny’s is big in Korea and Japan.

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phord@reddit

I'm surprised the International House Of Pancakes is only in the US.

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GF_baker_2024@reddit

I was really surprised to find a Krispy Kreme donut shop (with a line out the door) in Shinjuku, Tokyo about 14 years ago.

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YetYetAnotherPerson@reddit

Subway in Vienna

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TokyoDrifblim@reddit

I was astonished to find Popeyes in Paris last year

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JtheNinja@reddit

Not quite the same thing, but when I visited a Five Guys in the UK I was really expecting all the newspaper review clippings they put on the wall to be British or something. But no, it’s all American clippings, just like in the US. In fact, the location on the “potato source” sign was the only indication I wasn’t in a US five guys at all, and it really bugged me.

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jurassicbond@reddit

I used to think Bennigan's was a fictional restaurant from South Park until I saw one in South Korea

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Dekutr33@reddit

The Garrett's Popcorn location in Nagoya station in Japan

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therlwl@reddit

Unfortunately I was well aware based on stories from my Grandma.

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Ok_Investigator_6494@reddit

I went to Pizza Hut in Krakow, Poland.

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VintagePHX@reddit

Taco Bell in a mall in Bucharest felt weird to me.

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thehawaiian_punch@reddit

TGI Fridays in a random mall in Daejeon South Korea was fun. Like I know there are a lot of American chains but TGI Fridays of all of them

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sgtm7@reddit

Having lived in quite a few countries, and not having lived in the USA in nearly twenty years, I am usually surprised when a specific food chain isn't available. Most of the major ones have been in every country I have lived. What is surprising, are the chains that are in other countries, but unbeknownst to me(because I haven't lived there in so long)have closed all(or almost all) their stores in the USA. Or stores that were bought by a foreign company , that I thought were still American owned.

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porkchopespresso@reddit

Hooters in Interlaken Switzerland

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Footedpjphrek@reddit

I haven’t been but when I discovered there is a KFC in view of the pyramids I was surprised. In fact, I’m surprised of all the fast food chains KFC is popular in a number of countries I wouldn’t expect.

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bonvoyageespionage@reddit

They have Buffalo Wild Wings in India....

And Pizza Hut China will solve the US/China diplomatic issues.

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breathless_RACEHORSE@reddit

I'm more just disappointed at the amount of American chains I see in my travels.

I could deal with fewer McDonalds.

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ghjm@reddit

Decide to take a vacation from NC to England, fly over the whole Atlantic, get off the plane in Heathrow, and what do you see but a giant Krispy Kreme staring you in the face.

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th7024@reddit

TGI Fridays in a mall in India.

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Long-Island-Iced-Tea@reddit

I tried Cinnabon in Siberia

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tara_tara_tara@reddit

I was very surprised to see a Dunkin’ Donuts at the Lima airport

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TightHeavyLid@reddit

I lived in Germany recently for grad school, and I was surprised how much they liked Pringles. I even found a Pringles advent calendar for sale at the grocery store by my apartment. All of the other chip brands there were German (and mostly paprika-flavored), but man did they have a Pringles selection. Of all the american brands to have, it just struck me as funny.

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belinck@reddit

When I was 10 in 1985 we moved to Egypt. At that time, Egypt had a strict law against foreign investment. Basically, foreign companies weren't allowed to buy land in Egypt. But there were two exceptions. Wimpy's from the UK, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

It was the only place an American could get a burger (they weren't good) so that was my treat as an American living in Cairo.

The funniest commonly known secret was, when beef prices got high, KFC burgers would be camel meat. It was actually better than their crappy beef burgers.

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03zx3@reddit

Seeing Kenny Rogers Roasters in SE Asia was kinda mind blowing.

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cv5cv6@reddit

Lawson’s in Japan. Started out as a local convenience store chain in Cleveland. Died in the US in the 1980s. Massive 7-11 like presence in Japan now. Just was mind bending.

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jameyiguess@reddit

Lawson's and Famima rule

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jimbopalooza@reddit

I went to a Fuddruckers in Saudi Arabia. That was weird.

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NomadLexicon@reddit

There’s a Howard Johnson hotel in Curaçao.

The ubiquity and quality of 7-11 in Japan was surprising.

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usernameb-@reddit

Kenny Rogers Roasters in the Philippines. They’re all over.

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CPolland12@reddit

I was genuinely surprised at the number of 7-11 in Copenhagen.

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harlemjd@reddit

Go to Taipei. I swear those are really the entrances to your local emergency shelter in case the PRC ever invades.

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harlemjd@reddit

I was surprised to get off the funicular at Taksim Square in Istanbul and see Shake Shack

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EmmalouEsq@reddit

Just went by Chilli's in Colombo Sri Lanka last night.

So I had to sing the song.

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namhee69@reddit

In the mall near the Shangri-la hotel by the park on the ocean?

Yeah that was a surprise when I was there, too.

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EmmalouEsq@reddit

Back in the day there was a TGIFridays by the World Trade Center

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namhee69@reddit

My friend went to a Cinnabon in Mongolia.

Sizzler is still a thing in Thailand.

Swensons ice cream is also big in Thailand. It’s from San Francisco and I think that location is still open.

Popeyes was in South Africa but closed recently.

My friend worked at an Outback Steakhouse here in the states and in one in Australia when studying abroad.

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Wise_Ad_3173@reddit

Charlies Cheeseteaks is on every military installation I've been on and I find that shocking because they're not even a big brand in America. I think the military is their business model lol

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LikelyNotSober@reddit

Chili’s in Santiago, Chile.

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Zephyr_Dragon49@reddit

Slim Chickens in the UK and Kuwait. I haven't been abroad to compare it to stateside but a chain found mostly in larger southern cities doesn't usually go abroad like that especially given how young they are (founded in 2003)

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HoldMyWong@reddit

Taco Bell in Finland

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lantech@reddit

Not completely relevant but I was shocked to see a Red Lobster in Portland Maine when I came home after a while away. There's a million better seafood restaurants in close proximity. It didn't last long.

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The_Bjorn_Ultimatum@reddit

Pita pit is in Canada. Turns out it is actually Canadian.

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WesternTrail@reddit

When I was a kid there was a pizza chain in Hollywood called Rafallo’s. The boxes listed their locations. They had about 5-6 in LA… and 1 in Guatemala.

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Somewhat_Sanguine@reddit

KFC in Iceland. Idk why, KFC being anywhere but America feels weird to me. I was surprised to see it in Canada as well, but at least that kinda makes sense. At least in English speaking Canada it does. I can’t believe there’s so many in Quebec when they have to compete with Benny & Co., St. Hubert, Ti Coq etc.

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alexfaaace@reddit

It takes 3 hours to drive all the way around Sao Miguel but they still have a McDonald’s by the airport. Almost died climbing a dormant volcano and the comfort of McDonald’s brought me back to life.

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keenonkyrgyzstan@reddit

Until recently, the only American chain in Kyrgyzstan was Nathan’s World Famous Hot Dogs.

In Mongolia, the only “Mongolian BBQ” place used to be a Kenny Rogers chain.

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