McBurger
July 25, 2005
The NY Times published an article about a Starbucks knockoff in Addis Ababa on Friday:
The hottest cafe in the Ethiopian capital is not a Starbucks at all but a knockoff, the creation of a Starbucks devotee who tried to bring the real thing to Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, by many accounts. But she had to settle for a look-alike after the Seattle coffee giant rebuffed her partnership request.
It looks like a Starbucks inside and the staff wear green aprons, but it's interesting to note the differences the owner knew were needed:
When it comes to knowing the ways of Ethiopia's finicky coffee consumers, Ms. Asrat clearly has a leg up on her rival. She points out that Ethiopians do not like to order their coffee from the counter, Starbucks style. She has a counter, compete with a Starbucks-like glass case for her baked goods, but her clients by and large sit down in their Starbucks-like chairs and issue orders to workers.
"Ethiopians like to be treated like a king when they come to a place like this," she explained. "They like to say, 'Waiter, a Macchiato. Waiter, come back, warm this up. Waiter, how about a muffin now?' "
They also expect parking-lot service, something that is not to be found in the business plan of a typical Starbucks. Many Ethiopians, especially young hip ones, enjoy pulling up to a cafe and ordering directly from their car windows. At a rival cafe there was far more car service than actual cafe service on a recent afternoon.
This reminds me of a place close to our home, called McBurger. Guess which American fast food chain it emulates? At least on the outside. C. took a picture of McBurger the night of our Luna Parc d'Amusements photo shoot. I don't know what it's like inside; I haven't worked up the nerve to eat there yet ...
I have a shot in my flickr gallery of a Burger Queen in Addis Ababa too: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dizzyisland-gallery/22772730/in/set-525831/
Pretty hilarious! :)
FROM MISS PEACE KABBA
COTE D'IVOIRE ABIDJAN
WEST AFRICA.
peace_kabba1@yahoo.fr
DEAR ,
PERMIT ME TO INFORM YOU OF MY DESIRE OF GOING INTO
BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.
I AM MISS PEACE KABBA, THE ONLY DOUGHTER OF DR UBBA KABBA. MY FATHER WAS A VERY WEALTHY COCOA MERCHANT BASED IN ABIDJAN, THE ECONOMIC CAPITAL OF IVORY COAST BEFORE HE WAS POISONED TO DEATH BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES ON ONE OF THEIR OUTING TO DISCUSS ON A BUSINESS.
WHEN MY MOTHER DIED ON THE 21ST OCTOBER 1984, MY FATHER TOOK ME SO SPECIAL BECAUSE OF THE DEATH OF MATHER AND ALSO AS THE ONLY CHILD OF DR UBBA KABBA.
BEFORE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER ON 29TH JUNE 2002 IN A PRIVATE HOSPITAL HERE IN ABIDJAN. HE SECRETLY CALLED ME ON HIS BEDSIDE AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAS A SUM OF 12.300,000 ( TWELVE MILLION THREE HUNDRED THOUSANDS DOLLARS,)AND DYMONDS GOLDS DEPOSITED IN A SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN ABIDJAN.HE USED MY NAME AS NEXT OF KIN AND NOT THE BENEFICIARY DUE TO OUR POLITICAL STATUS AND THE NATURE OF DEPOSIT I CAN NOT SERVE AS THE BENEFICIARY.
HE ALSO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS WEALTH THAT HE WAS POISONED BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES. THAT I SHOULD SEEK FOR A FOREIGN PARTNER IN A COUNTRY OF MY CHOICE WHERE I WILL TRANSFER THIS MONEY AND USE IT FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSE, (SUCH AS REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT).
I AM HONOURABLY SEEKING FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS.
2)TO SERVE AS THE GUARDIAN OF THIS FUND SINCE I AM IS STILL YOUNG GIRL OF 24YEARS.
3). You honestly take me as your family?
4). Can I completely trust you?
5). What percentage of the total amount in question will
be good for you after the money is in your country
6).TO MAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR ME TO COME OVER TO YOUR
COUNTRY AFTER THE MONEY HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED.
MOREOVER, I AM WILLING TO OFFER YOU 15% OF THE TOTAL SUM AS COMPENSATION FOR YOUR EFFORT/INPUT AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOUR COUNTRY OVERSEAS.FURTHERMORE, YOU CAN INDICATE YOUR OPTION TOWARDS ASSISTING ME AS I BELIEVE THAT THIS TRANSACTION WOULD BE CONCLUDED WITHOUT PROBLEMS.INTEREST TO ASSIST ME.
ANTICAIPTING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.
THANKS AND BEST REGRADS.
MISS PEACE KABBA
Yeah, I was going to delete it (I do all the others) but this one is too amusing. Thanks Miss Peace Kabba! For making my day!
Multiple comments are allowed, that's good.
Comment 1 is that I'm reminded of a real Starbucks near my home in Bailey's Crossroads (VA - where Bailey's Circus used to spend the winter before it became part of Ringling Bros. and spent all the time on the road) where there is always a large number of Ethiopians drinking coffee - except maybe they are Eritreans - which is it? But one can't ask, can one? That would be offensive? Hell if I know. And of course it really makes no difference to me ...
Comment 2 is that the "knock off" thing happens everywhere I guess - in Yekaterinburg Russia they have "MakPik" (pronounced MacPeak) that is their copy of McDonalds - it was a special treat to take the kids there when I was living there a few years ago. And they were open fairly early and offered coffee (awful) and "ponchiki" (donuts) - so they weren't completely fixed on the McD menu.
It was kind of like that episode of Star Trek, though - things looked right but didn't necessarily taste right. Americans use sweet pickles on burgers, not (strongly) dill pickles.
