Now a McVisa???

There has always been a joke. McDonalds has always been referred tongue-in-cheek as the US consulate!

And looks like that was not a joke at all. At least if you are an American travelling in Austria, you need to get to the US Embassy, just stroll into any of its 194 McDonald’s outlets and the staff members will provide you with a 24/7 hotline number for the Embassy and also make a phone call if needed.

While Burger King or KFC or Pizza Hut might get upset with this preference given to McDonald’s, the irrefutable truth remains that the ‘Golden Arc” is as American as it can get.

For McDonald’s this is a very smart move as its engagement with US citizens abroad is very significant and thus that in itself makes them an ideal partner for consular outreach and help. Of course this has become the butt of many jokes on the social media but seriously, it’s a good move.

If India were to ever do this kind of an arrangement, which ‘global’ restaurant can we assign? Maybe Saravana Bhavan?