It's astonishing enough to read reports that France, the most celebrated country for cuisine, is the second most profitable market in the world for McDonald's. The chain conquered France with its promotional campaign using Astérix, the French cartoon character, with it winning over French farmers by sourcing 75% of its ingredients domestically, offering cheap food and opening McCafés, those stand-alone espresso bars offering lattes and macchiatos, and fruit tarts, macarons, and other classic French sweets.

Now McDonalds is pushing even further into the French culture with reports that it plans to open a restaurant at the Louvre. Local historians are outraged but given the success of McDoland's in France so far, you would have to say the battle of Le Big Mac is over.

Sad but true. Global markets are like that.