His and Her Hobbies: Living in America: What U.S fast food places are in Australia

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Living in America: What U.S fast food places are in Australia

The United States has dozens of well known fast food brands but only a small group of them have been successful in Australia. Others like Taco Bell tried to make a presence in Australia but failed. Here are the ones that have been successful.

McDonalds: The world's largest hamburger restaurant chain has been in Australia for decades. Like its American counterpart it also has a nickname. In America it is Mickey D's and in Australia it is Macca's. The menu is similar but the breakfast menu is much more limited than its American cousin. The McCafe is also much larger than in most American McDonalds and offers a wide variety of cakes and other baked treats and often has its own separate counter for people to order. Take a look at their Aussie menu here

Burger King / Hungry Jacks: The Burger King chain is known as Hungry Jack's in the Australian market as the Burger King name was trademarked by a local café owner in South Australia prior to Burger King's arrival in Australia. Its menu in Australia is similar to the American stores and is one of the few places where you can get free refills on your soft drinks (or fizzy drinks as it is known in Australia) Take a look at their Aussie menu here

KFC: Colonel Sander's creation has also been in Australia for several decades. In addition to the fried chicken and sides, it also has a wide variety of sandwiches, many of which are not available in America. Take a look at their Aussie menu here

Subway: This sandwich shop chain now has more locations worldwide than McDonalds and it is clearly evident in Australia. They have been in Australia since at least the early 90's but now there seems to be a location in every city and town. Its menu is fairly similar to the menu in America. I guess there is only so many options for sandwich toppings right? Take a look at their Aussie menu here

Pizza Hut: Many pizza chains have come and go but Pizza Hut has stood the test of time and has a strong presence in the Australian market. Their restaurant locations often have the world famous buffets and they have a wide variety of pizza choices. The big difference between the Aussie and American menus is that many of the Australian pizzas have bbq sauce instead of pizza sauce. Take a look at their Aussie menu here

Domino's: Although it got a later start than Pizza Hut, Domino's now has more stores and sales than any other pizza chain in Australia. It has a wide menu of pizza choices and also features an easy number to call from anywhere in the country, which will connect you to the closest store. Take a look at their Aussie menu here

So which are my favourite items?
Sadly my favourite item is no longer available but it was the tower burger from KFC (anything on a bun is called a burger in Australia whether it is beef, chicken or another meat) It had a chicken fillet, mayo, lettuce and a potato scallop. Yum Yum! I am also a fan of the pizzas from Domino's and Pizza Hut that use the BBQ sauce rather than pizza sauce.