Pakistan - A Cultural war Erupting from Foreign Firms Cashing in on Pakistan’s Appetite

Pakistan, the world’s sixth most populous country is culturally very passionate about food. Almost all occasions in the country varying from religious festivities like Eid-Ul-Adha, Shab-e-baraat, Eid-Ul- Fitar to non-religious occasions like birth of a child, a wedding or someone’s demise are all associated with specific kinds of feasts involving meals like biryani, sheer-khurma, daal chawal and much more.

Foreign Restaurants Exerting a Cultural Pull

Traditionally, the hot and spicy Pakistani food comprises of dishes like kebab rolls, nihari, haleem, biryani, and karahi chicken. These cuisines have always been a part of special occasions alongside large family gatherings. However, recent trends in urban lifestyles have introduced a trend of western dining and fast food in the country. Several international food chains including Subway, Nandos, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Dominoes, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) etc. have opened their doors throughout the country to cash on this opportunity. These restaurants have started attracting urban crowds on weekends, birthdays and even religious occasions like Eid. The entry of these international players in the food market has not only raised the level of competition in the local food industry but has also stirred somewhat of a cultural identity crisis among people. According to Sonya Rehman, based on the fact that the Pakistani youth views western food as much ‘cooler’ than their own, the fast food chains are capitalizing on this aspect. This affects cultural growth as the younger generation loses interest in its own culture.



February 2006 - Burnt KFC location in Karachi

Multinationals Facing Tough Challenges

On the flip side, though the foreign chains seem to be making huge profits, the costs paid in uncertain times are high. It is not uncommon to see a burnt or vandalized foreign food place (especially an American one) and an injured employee in the aftermath of any political commotion. Examples include burnt down KFCs and rioting at McDonalds. Moreover, since people associate western restaurants with western civilization trying to invade their cultural sanctity, businesses face a constant fear of backlash in politically unstable times.

The Result Remains to be Seen

Despite the presence of such a huge market, foreign investment in the food industry is still lower than investment in other sectors such as telecommunications given the political instability of the country. It appears to be a market just scraped on the surface by some foreign chains. Further effects on local dining culture (be it a move towards global trends or adoption of greater steps to preserve local tastes) still remain to be seen as more international chains venture into the Pakistani food market and test their potential in this land of over 169 million people.