The Belgian fast-food chain Quick is experimenting with halal
restaurants in France. The branches will only serve
products which comply with the Islamic food requirements. Since
mid-December, eight Quicks in France changed over completely to halal
food: Toulouse, Marseille (2), Roubaix, Villeurbanne, Argenteuil,
Garges-lès-Gonesse and Buchelay.
A notice at the door informs the visitors of the Islam-law
abiding character of the place. The meat is approved by experts linked
to the local mosque and the Great Mosque in Paris.
abiding character of the place. The meat is approved by experts linked
to the local mosque and the Great Mosque in Paris.
The news about the French Quick branches was reason enough for the
Belgian Vlaams Belang Party to sound the doomsday alarm, since “if it rains
in Paris, it drips in Brussels”. In response to the reaction by the Vlaams Belang Party objecting to this ‘Islamization’, and not wanting it in Belgium, operational manager
Dorian Verfaille of Quick, said “We’re certainly are not going to open any halal
restaurants in Belgium in this fashion,”. He said, “The situation in France with its suburbs is
socially and economically completely different than in Belgium. What
eventually might happen, dependent on the success in France, is that we might add one or two halal dishes to the menu in
some existing restaurants.
Just as we now already offer vegetarian burgers. But certainly not in
the short term.”
Belgian Vlaams Belang Party to sound the doomsday alarm, since “if it rains
in Paris, it drips in Brussels”. In response to the reaction by the Vlaams Belang Party objecting to this ‘Islamization’, and not wanting it in Belgium, operational manager
Dorian Verfaille of Quick, said “We’re certainly are not going to open any halal
restaurants in Belgium in this fashion,”. He said, “The situation in France with its suburbs is
socially and economically completely different than in Belgium. What
eventually might happen, dependent on the success in France, is that we might add one or two halal dishes to the menu in
some existing restaurants.
Just as we now already offer vegetarian burgers. But certainly not in
the short term.”
Verfaille admits that halal branches can
expect a lot of approval. “The first, in Toulouse, seem to run very
well. We nevertheless had no publicity for it, everything happened via
word-of-mouth advertising.”
expect a lot of approval. “The first, in Toulouse, seem to run very
well. We nevertheless had no publicity for it, everything happened via
word-of-mouth advertising.”
Translated by Esther
