Fast food restaurants grow popular in Algeria

[Noraaa]

Hiiiiii
I just wanted to share with you this article about fast food in Algeria
By Said Jameh for Magharebia in Algiers – 14/05/08

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.
So first of all tell me what does “hefty” mean ? And then you can leave comments about the article
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[أم بدر الدين]

God bless you for the thread
Right fast food restaurants are every where

[tlemceni]

humm, none can deny the outrageous increasing number of that type of res...resto..., well onfact they are not to be named restaurants cause i believe that all they have in common with the real restaurants is the salt and noway you can say that they serve you food, that is not food, not on the level of property nor the quality without talking about the quantity, sometimes they don't even serve water for one reason to push you buying soda or any kind of a drink...

I think that the one who wrote this article is far away from the reality af the Algerian restauration

Enjoy your meal

SALAM

[Cheddad]

Fast Food in Algeria? That is quite amazing. Let’s see what all these fast food stores have in common, they all:


* Make you fast (cuts time)


* Make you fat (just an “S” is dropped not a big deal): fast means fry and fry means deepened oil, and oil means cholesterol

* Make you addicted to it: use kind of flavor enhancer (MSG: which stands for Mono Sodium Glutamate)


Make women in Algeria forget to appreciate the traditional food and how healthy it is. I was always proud (being an overseas student) about our women who can make couscous from semolina (dgig) and who can make home-made bread (matlou3). But this admiration has dropped somehow after my last visit to my home town where I saw my nieces relying more and more on commercial couscous rather than doing it themselves. The reason was not enough time, of which the fast food is coming to solve

[أم بدر الدين]

المشاركة الأصلية كتبت بواسطة Cheddad

Fast Food in Algeria? That is quite amazing. Let’s see what all these fast food stores have in common, they all:


* Make you fast (cuts time)


* Make you fat (just an “S” is dropped not a big deal): fast means fry and fry means deepened oil, and oil means cholesterol

* Make you addicted to it: use kind of flavor enhancer (MSG: which stands for Mono Sodium Glutamate)


Make women in Algeria forget to appreciate the traditional food and how healthy it is. I was always proud (being an overseas student) about our women who can make couscous from semolina (dgig) and who can make home-made bread (matlou3). But this admiration has dropped somehow after my last visit to my home town where I saw my nieces relying more and more on commercial couscous rather than doing it themselves. The reason was not enough time, of which the fast food is coming to solve

Totally right brother but don't you notice that our health doesn't bear all that homework...I do really appreciate the traditional food and i prepared it at home but now no more energy to do that;for that reason we somehow depend on what is sold in the supermarkets

[Cheddad]

Don’t get me wrong here sister. I know how much tough work our women are going through especially the ones staying at home, I should acknowledge my admiration and respect to all. I know, a woman in our culture wakes up to make breakfast for the family, shortly after that she has to start making lunch (lucky she is if her man does not bring along guests), then she starts washing then getting a wee nap and finally making some evening coffee followed by dinner preparation. And if she has a side work, such as what is known in Djelfa as “el-mensej” don’t know how to say that in English as it does not exist, then that is another nightmare.
Women in the west or in the Gulf countries are much more relaxed compared to ours.

In my previous message I was just condemning the attempt to crush our traditional cuisine and the skills we have therein. It is obviously fine to buy things from supermarkets (readymade couscous) when time necessitates that, but am not of the opinion to take that as a habit.

[أم بدر الدين]

المشاركة الأصلية كتبت بواسطة Cheddad

Don’t get me wrong here sister. I know how much tough work our women are going through especially the ones staying at home, I should acknowledge my admiration and respect to all. I know, a woman in our culture wakes up to make breakfast for the family, shortly after that she has to start making lunch (lucky she is if her man does not bring along guests), then she starts washing then getting a wee nap and finally making some evening coffee followed by dinner preparation. And if she has a side work, such as what is known in Djelfa as “el-mensej” don’t know how to say that in English as it does not exist, then that is another nightmare.
Women in the west or in the Gulf countries are much more relaxed compared to ours.

In my previous message I was just condemning the attempt to crush our traditional cuisine and the skills we have therein. It is obviously fine to buy things from supermarkets (readymade couscous) when time necessitates that, but am not of the opinion to take that as a habit.

Sorry brother but i didn't say that you were wrong but i was talking about my self
Women before were more active and had a good health...i am kabylle and i do prepare all the traditional dishes and i love doing that too much but my health is not so good for such painful work
Our traditional cuisine will last 'cause we can't live without it
god bless you

[Cheddad]

Just a small note:
"Don’t get me wrong here sister." means don't misunderstand my statement.

[أم بدر الدين]

You are always welcome brother