GRAPHICS BY DENISE THUONGBY GARY LEE
STAFF WRITER
“Diversity is the mix. Inclusion is making the mix work,” Andrés Tapia said.
These days, diversity is everywhere, it is within people, it is within education and it is even in the food we eat. No matter how, no matter where and no matter when, there is always going to be diversity.
One of the finer things in life is being able to enjoy the variety of food options across the globe; with different cultures comes different flavors and styles of culinary art.
Some of the most diverse restaurants are actually the most common, including McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)
This diversity also extends to places such as convenience stores and markets, the most well-known location being 7-Eleven.
7-Eleven is just like any other convenience store, but in countries like China, Taiwan or even Japan, the idea of a convenience store has far different standards from that of American’s.
One day, an American might just stumble onto an online video about 7-Eleven in Japan; not only will they be surprised at the vast differences of the product, but they will also compare it to the 7-Eleven they are used to. It is a marketing strategy on the behalf of 7-Eleven, by making their chain locations so different, they entice new customers to visit their regional location just because they see how amazing it is.
In the case of 7-Eleven, many people might find it surprising that a 7-Eleven in Tokyo Japan has an auto cup-and-noodle machine, or like how a location at Urban Texas is self-serviced and cashierless.
In fact, these locations are well known for being different in every country they are found in. The reason for such diversities stems from factors like local resources, the locals themselves and many others.
The differences in many chain restaurants ranges from as small as slight coloration difference within the food to serving a whole new unique regional food. In the case of a famous fast-food chain like McDonald’s, the food served around the world is as diverse as any restaurant can be. For example, many of the regional foods include Toblerone McFlurry served in Switzerland, Saiman served in Hawaii or like how Teriyaki Burger in Japan.
However, such marketing strategy may contain a major flaw; although it is effective at attracting customers, it is hard for them to keep them. For example, individuals that have moved to a new country and cannot have the same experience in convenient stores and restaurants will likely find themselves severely disappointed by the difference within the convenience store they had known so well.
Even so, it is still good to have these variants as it serves as a way for any diverse culture to add on to any pre-existing notion of what kind of food should serve within many well-known locations.