FRENCH people are traditionally portrayed as elegant and slightly snobbish.
Now McDonalds appears to have agreed with the stereotype by offering its French customers the classier option to eat their burgers with cutlery rather than with their hands.
In a nod to the French table etiquette, the fast-food company will offer forks and knives made of recyclable plastic at its 1,400 outlets in France.
But the offer will only be available for customers treating themselves to one of McDonald’s “signature” burgers.
Signature burgers are a range of premium burgers created by a team of chefs with experience from Michelin star restaurants. They cost almost double the price of the original one.
The move is one of the company’s latest attempts to modernise its image while battling competition with posh rivals Five Guys and Shake Shack.
Xavier Royaux, head of marketing at McDonald’s France, told French newspaper Le Figaro that the burger market has grown in France with more products on offer including the “gourmet burger”.
“As pioneer and leader, it was vital for us to position ourselves,” he added.
Royaux said that the launch of cutlery in McDonald’s restaurants was a “development” rather than “break with the past”, much like the introduction of table service which is now available in 80 per cent of French McDonald’s.
French outlets also include McCafés, serving fancier coffees and baked goods than the main part of the restaurant.
The fast-food chain began table in service in France as early as 2015 before rolling it out in the UK last year.
A spokesperson for McDonald’s UK told the Sun Online there are currently no plans to introduce cutlery in UK restaurants.
McDonald’s first opened in the UK in 1974 and now has more than 1,250 restaurants.
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