The Palestinian Territories are no longer devoid of American fast food: KFC has opened a location in Ramallah, a city in the West Bank.
The LA Times reports that American companies have tried to break into the Palestinian market since the mid-90s, but had repeatedly failed in the face of complex regional politics. It's not entirely clear what went differently this time, but Adeeb Bakri, a local entrepreneur, said he "went straight to the mother company" and said "I want my franchise," and they gave it to him.
Bakri "wasn't deterred" by calls for a boycott on his franchise for selling American goods, saying that everything about the location was "100% Palestinian" except for the Colonel's original recipe. The location will soon include a Pizza Hut, as well.
[LA Times via Consumerist]