Since opening its first French restaurant in Strasbourg in 1979, McDonald’s has sought to leverage the strength of the global conglomerate while tailoring its menu to the French palate. Although some elements of an international strategy were apparent in McDonald’s French entry, overall the chain was not responding to local market needs and opportunities. Strasbourg was chosen as the initial location in order to leverage the brand recognition that already existed in Germany, while keeping the same restaurant décor and recipes for France. According to Nawfal Trabelsi, senior VP for McDonald’s France and Southern Europe, “For the first 15 years, from 1980, what we did above all was offer people a slice of America.” However, in 1995, McDonald’s started using French cheeses such as chevre, cantal and blue, as well as whole-grain French mustard sauce. By changing the recipes in France, McDonald’s started executing a multidomestic strategy and winning the hearts of French consumers.