# Foreign franchise chains established now in USA **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 27, 2017, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856 "2017-11-27T06:57:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/1 "2017-11-27T06:57:44Z")
What foreign franchise chains have become popular in the USA? The first I can think of is the Tim Horton doughnut shops, expanding from Canada with now over 800 US outlets. Jollibee is s Philippine ethnic chain, now in 36 US locations in ten states. Oxxo, the Mexican convenience store chain, has begun opening outlets in the USA. Aldi Supermarkets expanded from a German base. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/2 "2017-11-27T07:16:02Z")
IKEA, I think. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/3 "2017-11-27T11:03:02Z")
[Cemex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cemex), a Mexican cement manufacturer. I think their logo was originally red-white-and-green, but they changed it to red-white-and-blue when they entered the U.S. market. [Sigma Alimentos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigma_Alimentos), a Mexican food distributor, supplies a lot of grocery stores in the southwestern U.S. You see delivery trucks with the “Fud” brand (a bilingual pun) all over the place. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/4 "2017-11-27T13:16:14Z")
[Beard Papa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beard_Papa%27s) started in Japan, but now has a couple dozen locations in the US, and others elsewhere in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/5 "2017-11-27T13:24:54Z")
Uwajimaya, a Japanese supermarket, in the PNW. Only 4 stores, but what wonderful stores. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/6 "2017-11-27T13:27:58Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > [Cemex](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cemex), a Mexican cement manufacturer. I think their logo was originally red-white-and-green, but they changed it to red-white-and-blue when they entered the U.S. market. the cement manufacturer is not a franchise chain. that is the plain direct investment. of course the Aldi case is also not a franchise chain case. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/7 "2017-11-27T14:41:56Z")
I was going to suggest Pret A Manger (British sandwich chain) and Nando’s (South African chicken restaurant) but don’t know if either has franchised stores in the US or if they’re corporate-owned. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/8 "2017-11-27T16:23:50Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I was going to suggest Pret A Manger (British sandwich chain) and Nando’s (South African chicken restaurant) but don’t know if either has franchised stores in the US or if they’re corporate-owned. Nando’s only franchises in South Africa and Australia. As for the OP, I’ll add **Pollo Campero**. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/9 "2017-11-27T16:47:31Z")
[Ben & Jerry’s](http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/franchise). While the company was originally American, it was bought by the Dutch Unilever corporation in 2000. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/10 "2017-11-27T16:51:01Z")
If you’re counting Ben & Jerry’s, you should include Seven-Eleven, now owned by the Japanese spinoff. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/11 "2017-11-27T17:40:32Z")
In the opposite direction, the Lawson convenience store chain was once confined to the Cleveland area, and is now found only in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/12 "2017-11-27T17:44:15Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > The first I can think of is the Tim Horton doughnut shops, expanding from Canada with now over 800 US outlets. Just to complicate the picture: If I understand the corporate structure correctly, Tim Horton’s was essentially bought by Burger King and is now owned by a holding company that is in turn owned half by the Brazilian venture capital company that is the majority owner of BK, a little over a quarter by other BK shareholders, and the rest by former TH shareholders. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/13 "2017-11-27T17:47:52Z")
Citgo gas stations are franchises, and the company itself is Venezuelan state-owned. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/14 "2017-11-27T17:51:33Z")
Was there a Sicilian company called Cosa Nostra that opened a bunch of branches in the US? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/15 "2017-11-27T18:12:51Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Was there a Sicilian company called Cosa Nostra that opened a bunch of branches in the US? “You’very got a friend in the family”. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/16 "2017-11-27T18:13:18Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Was there a Sicilian company called Cosa Nostra that opened a bunch of branches in the US? yeah, but their customer service was brutal. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/17 "2017-11-27T18:40:04Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > In the opposite direction, the Lawson convenience store chain was once confined to the Cleveland area, and is now found only in Japan. There’s a few Lawsons in Hawaii (solely to cater to the Japanese market though) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/18 "2017-11-27T18:46:11Z")
I _lived_ on **Yoshinoya Beef Bowl** during college. _The Daily Trojan_ had “Buy-One-Get-One-Free” coupons in them and we would all go down and get a couple and eat one for lunch, and the other for dinner. From Japan, since 1899. [Yoshinoya - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshinoya) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/19 "2017-11-27T18:47:25Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > In the opposite direction, the Lawson convenience store chain was once confined to the Cleveland area, and is now found only in Japan. Same with Tower Records. Started in Sacramento, now only found in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/20 "2017-11-27T18:53:23Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Citgo gas stations are franchises, and the company itself is Venezuelan state-owned. And LUKOIL is a Russian company with franchises owned in the US. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856.md?page=2)