Magret de Canard? Bof! Un Big Mac, s'il Vous Plait!

Falling consumer confidence, a global credit crisis, and high unemployment -- not to mention the new smoking ban that took effect this year -- have conspired to make life significantly harder for the French restaurant industry.

About 3,000 independent French restaurants filed for bankruptcy in the first half of 2008, a figure 27 percent higher than the same period last year, Bloomberg News reports.

Meanwhile, while the French may be as domineering as ever when it comes to boasting about the superiority of their native cuisine, their soft spot for McDonalds (or "McDo's," as it's known in the City of Light) is only growing.

France is now the biggest earner outside the U.S. for the chain, accounting for about 13 percent of total sales. Escoffier must be rolling in his grave.

France's ever-increasing enthusiasm for the American import helped lead McDonald's to a better-than-expected third quarter profit of $1.19 billion, up 11 percent from the same period last year.

International sales were the company's big growth engine, with comparable-store sales rising 7.1 percent globally. Europe delivered 23 percent earnings growth; Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa delivered 28 percent.

McDonald's said French revenue will increase 12 percent this year. Even in the home of the greatest number of Michelin three-star restaurants, when times get tough, it's hard to resist the siren call of le cheap hamburger.

by Liz Gunnison

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