Fast Food Rejection: McDonald’s Shuts Down All Restaurants in Bolivia
In some parts of the world, good food is food prepared with care, attention, and a plenty of time. This sort of food philosophy, where meals are made with fresh ingredients and patience, doesn’t lend itself well to fast food where cheap ingredients are premade so they can be warmed and slapped together in record-time. This sort of food dichotomy is exactly why McDonald’s couldn’t thrive in Bolivia—the first Latin America country to essentially kick the fast-food-giant out by keeping them in the red.
McDonald’s restaurants operated in Bolivia for 14 years. In 2002, they had to shutter their final remaining 8 stores because they simply couldn’t turn a profit—and if you know fast food companies, you know it’s not because they didn’t try.
The Golden Arches sunk plenty of money into marketing and campaigning—trying to get the food-loving Bolivians to warm to their French fries and burgers, but it simply wasn’t happening.
Some 60 percent of Bolivians are indigenous. “Fast” and processed foods are simply a foreign concept to them. Why would you pay someone to provide you with a less-than-delicious and unhealthy alternative to real food? This attitude is one that the U.S. fast food nation could learn a thing or two from.
Opposition to McDonald’s in Bolivia didn’t have to be super organized; they didn’t have to protest or use petitions. Instead, they simply made healthy choices and the company couldn’t drum up enough business as a result.
The losing battle that McDonald’s fought there inspired a documentary, “Por que quebro McDonald’s en Bolivia” or “Why did McDonald’s Bolivia go bankrupt”. In it, the filmmakers use interviews with cooks, nutritionists, teachers, and everyday Bolivians to try and explain why the fast food giant couldn’t succeed there.
In addition to inspiring a documentary, Bolivia has inspired people. When you truly value food, when you really enjoy it, fast food is a poor substitute. And though some cultures still adhere to this idea, many have lost themselves in the fast and convenient world of prepackaged food-like products.
“Fast-food represents the complete opposite of what Bolivians consider a meal should be,” explained the Hispanic blog El Polvorin. “To be a good meal, food has to have been prepared with love, dedication, certain hygiene standards, and proper cook time.”
Because McDonald’s survived in Bolivia for 14 years, you can’t say the battle was a quick one. But when you consider the citizens of that country simply did what came naturally and chose health, it was an easy one.
Wish this would happen here!
stop going there, each one of us. one at a time. It would be done.
I'm having trouble seeing how Bolivia, probably South America's poorest country with massive malnutrition and poverty, should be held up as a great example of healthy eating. I would bet that the reason Mickie Ds didn't make it there is because not enough people have the 20 pesos to buy a Big Mac.
You are completely right! McDonald's is expensive in South America! They don't care about fast food – Pizza Hut does well there. There are fried chicken stand everywhere. The people are too poor to afford McDonald's.
So did they not lower their prices any percentage wise, to make up for the fact they were in a poor country? They do that here in the US, depending on the prices in the region. So why wouldn't they do that in SA?
Ridiculous article. Please stick with facts and forget the lame innuendo. MacDonald's is not evil, it is not good, it just is. At least people are still able to choose what to eat. If certain progs in America have their way, we will have few choices here. I feel compelled to add that I don't eat at McDonalds but know many healthy, happy people who do. Well, and many sick jerks, too, to be fair. If people are starving in Bolivia,as was said above, then why so happy? Eating McDonald's is preferable to starving.
You need to do your research. Sure people can choose what to eat-but when they eat garbage which is all McD's
has to offer, then these fast food junkies should make sure they have the health insurance that will cover the consequences of their very bad food choices!
If you had the money to eat at McDonalds then you wouldn't be starving anyways. Americans are just too lazy to cook for themselves,europeans are getting the same way also. Mc donalds and the rest tof the old fast fooders weren't bad when they started out, only when meat began to get "processed" did the feces and eyeballs begin to be added to the "all beef" definition of their product. Remember when the elected president actually ran the country? It was around that time you could order a hamburger just about anywhere and not being afraid of what you might be eating, you see some kind of connection here?
I agree with you drketdc…People are so concerned about stupid things like this..But they don't do anything to be sure we don't loose our Freedom! I Prefer America where we have a choice, if you don't like something or disagree with what a company is selling..Don buy it!!! But don't dictate what someone else might want to do!!! (And No I don't eat junk food, if I did I wouln't be on this site)!
You have a brain starved mind . McDonalds is not food its junk . Its is where many disease like diabetes, cancer are coming from . They are in a round about way like child molestrers too. They go after innocent children and brainwash them with ads like the beer & alcohol , credit cards industry go after young teens and college with their marketing .. We are not protecting people from them. The poor countries dont eat from the king's table of America . They are the smart people in these foreign poor countries & the fools are in from America that have health plagues . Their food is processed and the waistline of American and all the countries that eat McDonalds is blowing up . MCDonald's will get you to the Gold Arches faster but you wont get in it either because it is Unclean food . You also have signs of dementia with your comment to think McDonalds should be eaten . McDonald's is poison …its just on a slow release to kill you in years instead of immediately. It just a way to a slow death and more pain and suffering !
A Mc Ds closed in Gibsons BC Canada too, for lack of business.
They all should be shut down! Espscially here!
Agreed 110% , their garbage makes people overweight and sick in the long run. Good for the smart eating Bolivians.
the mcdonalds closed in tahoe city ca this year…..
Growing up in Puerto Rico back in the 70's & 80's I remember the same thing happening there – McD went bankrupt (although they made a come back many years later but don't know what happen after that). But Burger King did extremely well. And the reason was because of the flame-broiled taste of their meat patties as well as their look – McD's doesn't even look like a burger. That's also the reason why Wendy's was popular too – even though their burgers were square at least they didn't look like spray-painted meat on a bun. I bet Five Guys would bankrupt all of them.
As for eating good homemade meals all the time, it's just like everything else. Eventually you get sick of it too and want to "treat" yourself to something that is not perfect a few times a month without paying too much – not to mention get out of the house.
It’s a whole new world coming about now, People are tired of being dictated to on what to eat , what to buy , what to die from. We have been fed poisons for sixty year and we’re finally waking up. Halaluya Baby.
Bolivians have been shifting their diet away from their traditional foods for years. There is such a high demand for quinoa in the developed world that the price has shot up and Bolivians now sell their crop rather than eat it. The article is complete nonsense when it talks about Bolivians healthy choices. They are shifting to fast food, unfortunately. McDonald's was not forced out of Bolivia by healthy eating habits. What a crock! Check out this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/world/americas/…
So… Obesity is now considered a disease. Anyone on this site ever go to an "All-you-can-eat-buffet"? Ever watch the waist lines of those in line? Has anyone ever been to the drive-thru and seen the SUV in front of you with 3 or more kids? I used to be one of those people. I am not obese either. I would be if I did this. I stopped this after my first child was born.
The economics of growing your own food and buying organic far outweigh… (ha-ha), the medical outcome of eating the junk offered. And now those of us eating healthy and organically with no illnesses will have the potenial in this country to suffer the 'weight' of dollars in health insurance for those with a 'DISEASE'.
Just like smoking is banned in buildings and perimeters… Maybe junk food should be as well. And I am all for the organic potatoe chips and the grass fed beef burgers.
It is time that we go back to the basics and cut out all of the additives and crap that are diluting and poisoning our food. If fast food wants to survive it needs to consider offering 'Good food', less they pay the bills for our nations health care costs.
Well said Debi
Lol its a really small percentage of people that actually “starve” in bolivia. America hypes every thing way too much, there is too much food in bokivia to go around. Its known as the cuisine capital of south america…fyi
yes…this was years ago…and Bolivia’s indigenous people are more than 80%…around 88%…I believe..and actually McDonalds was to expensive for bolivian people..so only elites could access to it…and probably that is one of the reasons why they are gone..I am bolivian…so…