# 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:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**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 29, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/41 "2017-11-29T23:49:40Z")
Other foreign clothing retailers now in the US are Zara, Topshop and H&M. I’ve heard them described as “fast fashion” retailers. I understand that means that they jump on trends and sell whatever is hot within a short time of it becoming a trend. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/42 "2017-11-30T00:26:25Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Bimbo Breads started out as a Mexican company, and now owns Entenmann’s, Sara Lee, and Thomas’. Its headquarters is now in Pennsylvania. > > It’s funny to see their big delivery trucks in Southern California with the big BIMBO plastered on the sides. I was very sorry that they did not get the Hostess products. It would had been a hoot to see the Twinkies, HoHos or DingDongs delivered by Bimbo. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/43 "2017-11-30T05:50:44Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Daiso, the Japanese houseware/food/knickknack store, has several locations in California. Seattle area as well. Ha, I’ve eaten at Shakey’s and bought a shit ton of records at Tower in Sacramento, \*and \*frequented both when I lived in Tokyo ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/44 "2017-11-30T18:10:27Z")
> [@Tapiotar](#): > > Uwajimaya, a Japanese supermarket, in the PNW. Only 4 stores, but what wonderful stores. Uwajimaya is and always has been an American brand. There are exactly zero Uwajimaya stores in any country other than the US. The fact that it sells Japanese fare and was founded by a Japanese immigrant is beside the point, which is: a chain of retail establishments founded and operated first in a foreign country and then expanding into the United States. ETA: As **Smapti** said. ---
**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 30, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/45 "2017-11-30T18:33:21Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Could say almost the same about Shakey’s Pizza; started in Sacramento, now popular in Japan and the Philippines, according to Wikipedia. Also Mister Donut, now the biggest donut chain in Japan - with one single store remaining in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/46 "2017-11-30T18:50:04Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > There’s a few Lawsons in Hawaii (solely to cater to the Japanese market though) I was disappointed by Lawson’s. I was expecting a super-cool Japanese-style convenience store that would have more Japanese products to give Japanese tourists a taste of home. What I got was inferior to almost every other convenience store in Waikiki. Really embarrassing now with Mitsuwa down the street. Incidentally, Mitsuwa and Nijiya are not Japanese-headquartered. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856/47 "2017-11-30T21:09:32Z")
[BonChon](https://bonchon.com/) is a Korean fried chicken chain with a few dozen locations in the U.S., mostly California and the East Coast. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-franchise-chains-established-now-in-usa/802856.md?page=2)