Talk:Pizza Queen

Do you watch food network David.... :P

I like this, but I've added the hedgewords, because I know that while american things do exist in europe, like Subway, McDonalds, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, they're not that prevalent *here* and I assume, *there*. For my two years in Europe, I found 1 Pizza Hut, 1 Wendy's, 2 Subways (one in Geneva, one in Lausanne) and of course, hordes of McD's. I guess what I'm saying is that while they may be fairly well spread, there's going to be somewhat limited coverage in non-NAL countries, I think. You should prolly bring this to the group, as well. :) BoArthur 13:10, 18 September 2006 (PDT)

I used to, back when I had cable. And yes, I am a fan of Rachel Ray. <g> I checked, btw, and there are actually 3,500 Pizza Huts here, so Pizza Queen is significantly smaller. Zahir 19:45, 18 September 2006 (PDT)

I hope it won't come out as too much of an insult but I can't realy see what it bring to IB. What I mean by that is that it seem so close to pizza hutt and the like from *here* that there is little point making an article about it. What with all the variety and quirkiness of IB, I would hope for the restaurant franchises to at least *feel* different.

I also have to agree with Dan as to the chances of *any* one franchise to become huge all over. Sure they might open the odd franchise in large foreign cities but outside (even more so then *here*) smaller markets wouldn't make it worth their while.--Marc Pasquin 19:23, 20 September 2006 (PDT)

LAstly, why would "let them eat pizza" cause controversy ? Even the monarchists (as far as I know) are not *that* sensitive. If it had been "take this and eat, for it is my pizza" on the other hand.....

Well, I created this for the sake of slightly adding to the background of IB and the NAL, as well as thinking it would be amusing. But I must also point out that Pizza Queen is approximately 2/3 the size of Pizza Hut in terms of actual locations. This makes it widespread but hardly overwhelming (especially compared to chains like MacDonald's). Nor do I think there was any hint that Pizza Queen was the only successfull fast food chain.

Seems to me that IB must have a lot of cultural points of commonality or matters would be far less stable than they are. IB is less violent than the RL, not more, which would indicate to me that there's a much greater sense of others being "us" rather than irredeemable "them" in most folks' hearts. Part of that would seem to be pace, as evidenced in the greater prominence of airships and train systems. Another is a lack of centralization, as evidenced in things like the lack of Papal Infallibility and the fairly common occurance of CoDominions. This same pattern would show up elsewhere. Why not in fast food?

But you've made a very good point about the "feel" should be different, and to some extent that is what I've done with changes to the article. If you have any further suggestions, I'm very willing to listen.

Finally, in my experience every culture has its bete noirs, which I grant you are not shared by all members of said culture. Although I'm an American, for example, our version of football is a source of passion that frankly baffles me. And in my experience, most of the French people I know have taken great umbrage when anyone makes any kind of joke based upon anything very French. It is a minor picadillo and IMHO no big deal. But I have included a small notation of same, because it seems likely to me that the motto "Let Them Eat Pizza" would rile some Gallophones. I'm not saying anyone would riot or that questions would be asked in the equivalent of Parliament, but that someobody would complain often enough for it to get mentioned. Mind you, the more I think on it I also like the version you mentioned and think I'll incorporate it in the article. Zahir 08:54, 21 September 2006 (PDT)

Regarding French sensitivity, those I have met(*) were, on the whole, not more (nor less) likely to get easily offended. From what I have noticed over the years, those non-french who got that feeling often, subconsciously or not, had a tendency to bait them. A guy I knew for example thought it was hilarious to refer to a french coworker as "frenchy" and repeatedly asking him if he got any croissant. When the other got offended, he told him to "lighten up". Other example: At my wife's old office, a girl kept putting on a clouseau-esque accent *everytime* she spoke to the french husband of one of her co-worker. Even back home, one of my fellow quebecois kept taking the piss out of french guy's accent until the later *did* start to get tetchy (and fair enough).

Now I'm not saying this is your case (although I'd be curious to know how you got that opinion) but my point is that the stereotype of the "overly sensitive" frenchmen is just that, a stereotype. Like any of them, you will remember more easily events that confirm it and forgot those that didn't. For that matter, I've yet to meet a frenchmen who *actualy* walked around with a stripped shirt, beret and baguette under his arm yet every adds that somehow relate to france seem to contain one such guy (usualy fondling a small moustache).

My opinion was formed from the reactions of a small group of French folks (including the Consul from New Orleans) with whom I moved while growing up in the Deep South, as well as a couple of students I knew at University (one of whom--let us be honest--I thought a totally irritating person to be avoided if at all possible). For the record, I found the Scots--with whom I have much further contact--frankly to have more or less the same quirk. Zahir 18:46, 28 September 2006 (PDT)

(*) Note: Contrary to popular belief, french consider the quebecois to be foreigners and vice versa. While on IB I have had to defend *its* version of France, my personnal feelings are not particularly favourably biased toward the french (nor too negatively for that matter). The only reason why I might sometime seem defensive is that in everyday life (*here* in australia), I tend to be lopped in with the french due to my native tongue (until they find out, they just assume I'm dutch or irish). I was told once or twice that "my people" had been save by "them" during WW2 which was quite puzzling to me the first time around. On that note, have you ever noticed the ridiculous amount of french jokes that involve a punchline relating to them surrendering ?

I've heard a few jokes in that direction. Personally I didn't find them funny. To click on my SoapBox icon for a moment, I suspect they aren't amusing to me because I recognize the "joke" rests upon an accident of history--some poor decisions made by military leadership at a critical time--rather than anything intrinsic to a cultural or human insight (the way Brits and Americans tend to think God is of our nationality, for example, or the generally gloomy POV that seems to pervade much of Russian literature). Okay, shutting up on that for now. Zahir 18:46, 28 September 2006 (PDT)

Expansion chances

As for the chances of franchises spreading thanks to condominium, its seem to be the reverse would be true: not only would a given restaurant have to compete with local franchises but also those from the *other* motherland. .--Marc Pasquin the witching hour, 28 September 2006 (PDT)

Marc, as far as I can tell, your point seems to be that international restaurant chains could not be successful in IB. Please tell me if this is the case. Honestly, I don't agree. Not at all. Zahir 18:46, 28 September 2006 (PDT)

Its not that it would be impossible for a given restaurant to spread outside it home country, I just don't think any franchise (restaurant or not) could have the clout to spread over the world in a way even remotly close to any *here*. In my opinion, A "succesful" chain on IB would be one that manage to open 1 restaurants in a few dozens large or capital city. The flip side of this of course is that instead of being "just another franchise" that get set up, every opening would be an event in itself (think of the Hard rock cafes that are quite famous even thought there is less then a 150 worldwide)--Marc Pasquin 19:38, 28 September 2006 (PDT)

You're of course entitled to your opinion, but it seems to me a restaurent chain could indeed be successful internationally in IB, to the degree and in much the same way as described in this article. But I'll bow to a majority opinion. What does anyone else think? Zahir 20:09, 28 September 2006 (PDT)

I look to Ytterbion's Principle in this. Unless otherwise necessitated, things will flow mostly like here. Restaurants dont' seem to spread much outside of their typical sphere (aside the Borg that is McDonalds). As I said, in my experiences in France, I saw 1 Pizza Hut in one city. I'm sure there were others in, say, Lyon and Geneva, but really, the only places that I saw American chains were Besancon, France (Pizza Hut), Lausanne, Switz (Wendy's) and Geneva (Subway). The mentality limits it. I could see things spreading well across the Commonwealth; I could see things spreading across the Gallosphere that Marc and I have discussed, but these _only_ if they came from within the cultural sphere, otherwise, they would be more niche restaurants. But the opinions of two does not a quorum make. BoArthur 20:55, 28 September 2006 (PDT)