From Pizza Hat to Mash Donald’s bootleg American franchises have been popping up in the Islamic Republic of Iran for a while now.
Amidst the occasional televised chants of "Death to America" that are mostly disregarded by the majority of the population, a common truth lies amongst the Iranian people: They love the American people and its fast food. Albeit hard to believe — given the current political stalemate that has brought about staunch sanctions — the Islamic Republic of Iran is the most pro-American country in the Middle East.
Although the US and Iran have no diplomatic relations, restaurant owners have attempted to emulate American fast food franchise. Since the early 2000s, bootleg American fast food franchises have made their way throughout the country and have captured the hearts and taste buds of Iranians alike.
Baskin-Robbins
Baskin-Robbins has popped up in Tehran, complete with 31 flavors and its signature pink spoon. According to its owners, the ice cream is in fact gelato ice cream.
Although there are bootleg Baskin-Robbins in Iran, Iranian ice cream company Choopan beat the American franchise’s Guinness World Record of having the largest tub of ice cream at 5 tons of chocolate, beating Baskin-Robbins’ 4 tons of vanilla. In a statement, Baskin-Robbins mentioned, “While we understand another company is vying to break this record, we remain focused on serving our guests around the world our delicious variety of ice cream flavors, custom ice cream cakes and frozen treats, and wouldn't rule out trying to break another record in the future.”
Chipotle
The Mexican grill fast food franchise known for its signature burritos and tacos has a bootleg version in Iran, complete with its smoked chili logo. Although it serves Mexican dishes like burritos, nachos, and virgin margaritas, it also serves Iranian pizza and hot wings.
What separates the original Chipotle from its bootleg sister is that it is the first American restaurant to reduce genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in its cooking and ingredients.
Via foursquare.com
Dominos Pizza
Driving on the main road by the Caspian Sea, there just so happens to be a conspicuous bootleg Domino’s Pizza. Whereas the original Domino’s is solely a delivery franchise, in Iran it is a restaurant where one can enjoy pizza or any of its other non-original menu items such as French fries.
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