But Eiffel Tower Keychains Are OK?
The chief deputy mayor of Paris needs a Happy Meal, quick.
He’s fuming over the proposed opening of a McDonald’s restaurant at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and says he’ll use all legal means to prevent it.
“It is time that the protection of certain sites in Paris is reinforced,” First Deputy Mayor Jean Tiberi said.
Tiberi’s ire was sparked by McDonald’s officials who said they plan to set up a branch of the fast-food chain on a boarding pier on the Seine River from which tourist cruise boats are launched.
Greatness doesn’t come easily, of course. The Eiffel Tower itself drew all-around sneers when it was built in the late 1800s.
While McDonald’s is widely popular among the French, many consider it an American cultural invasion that is perverting the culinary tastes of France’s young people.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
