Dunkin' Donuts Comes To The UK!!!!

I just think the world is not improved by homogeneity. If I'm travelling to different countries, I want to see different cultures, different foods, different ... everything!

 

Yeah, but we could do with more American restaurants here!! I keep petitioning on Buffalo Wild Wings Official Facebook page for them to come over here to the UK!! They would make a killing here!! Even the buffalo chicken wings served in TGI Fridays here are too mild for me!! The wings served at Buffalo Wild Wings kicks some serious ass for me!!

We could also do with more authentic Mexican restaurants here too!! There are Mexican restaurants here, but, by and large, British people havent got a flying clue about Mexican food!! To British people as long as its some stew or something with chilli powder thrown in, or wrapped in a tortilla under the guise of an enchilada, then its Mexican food!! Down here in Bournemouth theres a Mexican Restaurant here called Coriander, and one of their lunchtime meals is something called Chicken Vesuvius, which is a chicken hash or something and piled high with sliced potato and cheese and then put under the grill. Its just a chicken hash with some chilli powder thrown in for good measure, but the thing is its named after an Italian volcano!! The last I checked on a world atlas Italy wasnt anywhere near Mexico!!!

Havent got a clue!!

But WHY? Why should the UK have more American restaurants??? Why do you want to change the UK into another version of the USA? A lot of us came over here to escape all that over commercialisation crap. Yes a few things would be nice but you live in a foreign country now. It's called foreign for a reason it is not your normal and until you stop trying to remake the UK into something you are definitely longing for (ie living in the USA) it's will always be foreign to you. Those of us that have lived here long enough don't want another version of America. We have adapted.

and for your comment about China, Japan and India..we only get their of what they think we think their food is. I prefer the Indian food Indians actual eat.

Well, the UK is nowhere near China, Japan or India, either, but its saturation point regarding all those restaurants here!!

It's called a history of immigration, there isn't a history of immigration to the UK from Mexico.
A few years ago we had a superb Mexican restaurant right here in Barnsley. The owner and head chef was a Mexican who was also a doctor at our local hospital. My then partner was a nurse and worked with him. The restaurant served specialities common to the area of Mexico they were from, it was superb food. However one time we went in he came out to chat with us and said that they had also started doing chilli con carne and fajitas because thats what people were asking for, the look of sadness on his face said it all. The last time we went the place was packed, it was only after we'd ordered and got our food that he came to speak with us and said that it was their last night, they'd tried to make a go of it but they just didn't get enough custom which was a shame. It was also a shame because had I known it was the final night I'd have ordered a dish I fancied and had never had before.

But your comment about Mexican restaurants here is similar to my experience of getting Indian food in the US.

Unfortunately Britain didn't colonise Mexico! 

I just think the world is not improved by homogeneity. If I'm travelling to different countries, I want to see different cultures, different foods, different ... everything!

I agree completely. I don't understand why people travel and don't want to try new things. Friends just got back from Poland and they tried very few traditional Polish dishes and ate food that they could easily get here. I told them they missed out on some really nice food (I grew up in a Polish neighborhood in the 70's).
Its always nice here to be able to get a bit of "home" here...and there are some things I can't wait to have when we get back to the US, but this is the UK...and I feel better about going to British establishments while I am here and supporting them. I haven't found any good Mexican food nearby, so I just cook my own. Occasionally we go into town and end up having Subway, only because its one of the healthier options while we're there, but I'd much rather a pasty from one of our local shops that does the BEST outside of Cornwall that I've had...just doesn't fit with the healthier eating I'm trying to do.
I don't think DD's will do that well actually. I don't think there is such a eat or drink on the run culture like we have in the US.

I agree completely. I don't understand why people travel and don't want to try new things. Friends just got back from Poland and they tried very few traditional Polish dishes and ate food that they could easily get here. I told them they missed out on some really nice food (I grew up in a Polish neighborhood in the 70's).
Its always nice here to be able to get a bit of "home" here...and there are some things I can't wait to have when we get back to the US, but this is the UK...and I feel better about going to British establishments while I am here and supporting them. I haven't found any good Mexican food nearby, so I just cook my own. Occasionally we go into town and end up having Subway, only because its one of the healthier options while we're there, but I'd much rather a pasty from one of our local shops that does the BEST outside of Cornwall that I've had...just doesn't fit with the healthier eating I'm trying to do.
I don't think DD's will do that well actually. I don't think there is such a eat or drink on the run culture like we have in the US.

One of the reasons for that is because, for one thing, its illegal to eat and drink(I am talking about soft drinks, here!!LOL) and drive!! It comes under the same offense bracket as mobile phone use and driving!! If you cause an accident because you were distracted by eating while driving, then you are in big trouble here once they find out the cause!! And yet, its stupid, cos theres drive throu windows at MacDonalds, Burger Kings, and KFC, and yet its illegal here to eat and drive at the same time!!

Also, less working hours and less family obligations like sports meets and extra curricular school activities, than in the USA, so people here have more time to actual sit down to meals rather than grab takeouts and eat on the go!!

people here have more time to actual sit down to meals rather than grab takeouts and eat on the go!!

Surely that's something positive.

It's called a history of immigration, there isn't a history of immigration to the UK from Mexico.
A few years ago we had a superb Mexican restaurant right here in Barnsley. The owner and head chef was a Mexican who was also a doctor at our local hospital. My then partner was a nurse and worked with him. The restaurant served specialities common to the area of Mexico they were from, it was superb food. However one time we went in he came out to chat with us and said that they had also started doing chilli con carne and fajitas because thats what people were asking for, the look of sadness on his face said it all. The last time we went the place was packed, it was only after we'd ordered and got our food that he came to speak with us and said that it was their last night, they'd tried to make a go of it but they just didn't get enough custom which was a shame. It was also a shame because had I known it was the final night I'd have ordered a dish I fancied and had never had before.

But your comment about Mexican restaurants here is similar to my experience of getting Indian food in the US.

Unfortunately Britain didn't colonise Mexico! 

I know!! Whenever you mention Mexican food to most English people all they think of is chilli con carne, tacos, fajitas, tortillas, enchiladas and guacamole!! I have got a load of Mexican cookbooks and in some of them recipes for those I listed are not even in them, but a whole array of exqusite Mexican delights!!!LOL

I agree completely. I don't understand why people travel and don't want to try new things. Friends just got back from Poland and they tried very few traditional Polish dishes and ate food that they could easily get here. I told them they missed out on some really nice food (I grew up in a Polish neighborhood in the 70's).

Never understand that, we went to Krakow earlier in the year and loved the Polish food, so much we are buying a type of Polish vegetable salad /coleslaw that we liked out there. Had the best ever coleslaw out there and we just about lived on perogies for 4 days!

And yet, its stupid, cos theres drive throu windows at MacDonalds, Burger Kings, and KFC, and yet its illegal here to eat and drive at the same time!!

I wasn't aware that a drive-thru meant eating whilst driving, I've always driven there to buy something and then eaten when I got home or wherever. I've seen drive thru liquor stores in the US but you can't drink your purchase whilst driving.

Then again, the prevalence of drink-driving I've seen in the US compared to here perhaps you can!

The eating/drinking on the move is becoming more commonplace here, it's a shame really, people never seem to have time to just stop and have a break.

Some thoughts...

When I first moved here (eight years+ now) I was surprised at the amount of ready meals on offer in the supermarkets, way more than any local supermarket back home.

And I don’t understand why ‘take away’ culture is usually classified as American given the number of kebab shops and chippys I pass along my local high street – these aren’t American imports.

So I think people are fooling themselves thinking that it’s somehow ‘better’ here or that British people have more time than Americans, or whatever.

The reality (at least the way I see it) is that many people don’t know how to cook and more importantly, have no interest in learning how, despite the number of food and cooking programmes on telly.

The amount of moralising about people’s food choices (in general in the media and in this thread) perplexes me sometimes. I don’t get some of the distinctions people draw as to what is ‘good’ and what is ‘bad’.

I guess I'm being judgmental in that I think it's better to cook something myself from scratch, mainly because you know what's in the meal that you're eating. But I like to cook, other people don't and that's neither good nor bad.

I'm not sure what my point maybe someone can better articulate it.

The reality (at least the way I see it) is that many people don’t know how to cook and more importantly, have no interest in learning how, despite the number of food and cooking programmes on telly.

I agree that's true, both in the UK and US, and it's sad!

Personally, I don't think British is necessarily better. But I do like that where I live in the UK, there are so few chain restaurants that I can probably count them on one hand. Where I lived in the US, you couldn't walk a block without seeing yet another McDonald's or Dunkin Donuts. It's the independent places, regardless of whether they're British or American, that I love and that I'd hate to see vanish completely!

If that's moralising, then I'm fine with it.

Never understand that, we went to Krakow earlier in the year and loved the Polish food, so much we are buying a type of Polish vegetable salad /coleslaw that we liked out there. Had the best ever coleslaw out there and we just about lived on perogies for 4 days!

Chicklet has been asking for perogies lately...lol. They're so yummy! I've never attempted making them myself, but I can't imagine they're too hard. And Galumpkies are one of my favourite foods from childhood because the babcia of one of my closest friends when I was very young used to make it all the time. MMMMMgood.

I agree that's true, both in the UK and US, and it's sad!

Personally, I don't think British is necessarily better. But I do like that where I live in the UK, there are so few chain restaurants that I can probably count them on one hand. Where I lived in the US, you couldn't walk a block without seeing yet another McDonald's or Dunkin Donuts. It's the independent places, regardless of whether they're British or American, that I love and that I'd hate to see vanish completely!

If that's moralising, then I'm fine with it.

But is the area you live in typical? This is not directed to your comments or you but in reading this thread (and stories in the media in general) I find assumptions are made about what is typical in the US and the UK and I just don't see the differences myself.

I try to seek out and shop in independent shops too, but only if they're good. There are chains that I find sell a good product and some local, independent shops that are truly awful, at least where I live.

And then there are the supposedly 'independent' shops that turn out not to be. In the recent articles about Tesco owning 49% of indy coffee chain Harris & Hoole there was a mention that they also own a stake in bakery/cafe chain Euphorium, which has several locations in and around London. I thought they were a local and I know I shouldn't have but but I felt cheated when I found out (and I have absolutely no problem with Tesco btw).

I agree that's true, both in the UK and US, and it's sad!

Personally, I don't think British is necessarily better. But I do like that where I live in the UK, there are so few chain restaurants that I can probably count them on one hand. Where I lived in the US, you couldn't walk a block without seeing yet another McDonald's or Dunkin Donuts. It's the independent places, regardless of whether they're British or American, that I love and that I'd hate to see vanish completely!

If that's moralising, then I'm fine with it.

I agree!

I try to seek out and shop in independent shops too, but only if they're good. There are chains that I find sell a good product and some local, independent shops that are truly awful, at least where I live.

Yes, some local places are great and some are just terrible.

Every chain out there started as a local place.  If they have managed to expand to such an extent then they must have had something that people liked.  Although, as they get bigger it can be difficult to keep an eye on the things that made you good.