In some pie-crazed parts of the world -- in this case, Dallas -- the competition for business can get so fierce, some chains will do just about anything to get your money. Even if that money is, well, pesos.
On Monday, Pizza Patron (with 59 stores spread across Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada and Colorado) began a two-month trial period in which they will accept Mexican currency at 12 per U.S. dollar (the current rate being approximately 11 to 1) to honor their Hispanic patrons and to make sure that no one -- no matter who they are or what they have in their pockets -- has to go without a large 15" or half 11" pizza (which appears to be the only things they offer on their menu). Hmm.
And while the news orgs will apply such obvious tags as the "growing Hispanic influence" and the "stifling immigration problem" -- because, believe me, all the major networks are covering this -- the real issue, I think, is whether or not a reactionary fallout will occurr. Will McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) start accepting all those impossible-to-exchange Scottish pounds? Will Burger King (NYSE: BKC) take those German marks left over from your backpacking trip through Europe?
The answer is, most likely, "nein."
B. Brandon Barker is the author of Operation EMU
On Monday, Pizza Patron (with 59 stores spread across Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada and Colorado) began a two-month trial period in which they will accept Mexican currency at 12 per U.S. dollar (the current rate being approximately 11 to 1) to honor their Hispanic patrons and to make sure that no one -- no matter who they are or what they have in their pockets -- has to go without a large 15" or half 11" pizza (which appears to be the only things they offer on their menu). Hmm.
And while the news orgs will apply such obvious tags as the "growing Hispanic influence" and the "stifling immigration problem" -- because, believe me, all the major networks are covering this -- the real issue, I think, is whether or not a reactionary fallout will occurr. Will McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) start accepting all those impossible-to-exchange Scottish pounds? Will Burger King (NYSE: BKC) take those German marks left over from your backpacking trip through Europe?
The answer is, most likely, "nein."
B. Brandon Barker is the author of Operation EMU
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