In Heart of One French Ghetto, the Local McDonald's Served as the Eye the Storm During the Riots and as the Symbol of Republican Principles

The only bright spot, at least in Clichy-sous-Bois, in the story of French ghettos becoming increasingly islamicized, seems to be the local McDo (McDonald's), where everybody — jeunes (youth), law officers, young couples — come together in harmony, and which was one of the rare places in the 2005 riots to be spared the damage that inflamed the surrounding buildings and businesses. (Meanwhile, the much-ballyhooed Beurger King Muslim met with little success and had to close its doors in 2007.) As for the McDonald's,

"It plays a significant role in the local job market," said Gilles Kepel, pointing out that since its opening, some 1,000 people in total have worked there, usually part-time.

... "The continued success of the McDonald's outlet along with the of rout its competitors are linked to the fable of the iron pot and the earthen pot," says Gilles Kepel. "Teams of full-fledged management teams benefiting from the expertise of the world's largest multinational fast food company on the one hand, and relatively inexperienced operators and an artisanal approach on the other." Along with the paradox of a multinational, a symbol of America, becoming a place of "quasi-republican integration" by offering hamburgers and fries, an area of conviviality, and jobs.

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[Quant au McDo] "Il joue un rôle non négligeable sur le marché de l'emploi local", explique Gilles Kepel, que depuis sa création un millier de personnes au total y ont travaillé, généralement à temps partiel.

… "Le succès persistant du McDo et la déroute de ses concurrents tiennent de la fable du pot de fer et du pot de terre, souligne Gilles Kepel. Des équipes de gestion parfaitement rodées bénéficiant du savoir-faire de la plus grande multinationale de la restauration rapide d'un côté, des opérateurs relativement inexpérimentés et une approche artisanale de l'autre." Avec ce paradoxe d'une multinationale, symbole de l'Amérique, devenue un lieu d'"intégration quasi républicaine" en proposant des burgers-frites, un espace de convivialité et des emplois.