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
.