From the McDonald’s golden arches to the Starbucks green and white mermaid, many fast food chains have had their branding imitated by knock-off fast food chains. Let’s take a look!
Mash Donald’s
Prior to the 1979 revolution, according to the New York Times, Iran had real McDonald’s restaurants. These closed down, however, due to anti-American sentiment.
That’s when an entrepreneur named Hassan created his own restaurant called Mash Donald’s. He knew Iranians would enjoy the branding, despite the unpopularity of the American government.
Hassan’s son recommended the name Mash Donald’s, and this was the name that stuck. And according to the owner, the restaurant tries to directly replicate “the McDonald’s experience.”
Michael Alone
The name is very different, but the logo is nearly the same. We’re not exactly sure why the establishment is called Michael Alone, but one Redditor has a theory.
They suggest the name is based on the classic 1990s movie Home Alone. Home Alone is translated into “小鬼当家” in Chinese, which literally means “Little boy, the head of household.”
After translating McDonald’s to Chinese and back, it might translate to “Michael, the head of the household.” This, of course, brings us back to the movie, and voila!
McTorta’s
There are actually two McTorta’s on our radar. According to Yelp, a McTorta’s in Los Angeles is currently closed, but it used the same logo colors as McDonald’s.
The other McTorta’s looks a little less promising. The blue building features the knock-off logo and a man with a green hat holding a burger.
It’s hard to imagine this nearly identical branding coming into existence completely unrelated to McDonald’s. But hey, anything’s possible!
MaDonal
It isn’t hard to notice the similarities between this establishment and the more famous American version. Prior to opening MaDonal, restaurant owner Suleiman Qassab was a refugee in Vienna, Austria.
While there, he worked as a cook at McDonald’s. Qassab originally tried to open up an official McDonald’s restaurant, but after being denied, he created his very own iteration.
You might not be able to get a Big Mac at MaDonal, but you can certainly get a “Big Mack.” Close enough.
McDoner’s
This McDonald’s knock-off is based in the United Kingdom. Not only does the restaurant play off the original chain’s red and yellow colorway, but it also sells burgers.
No, Big Macs and Quarter Pounders aren’t on the menu, but you can get your hands on some wraps, kebabs, and chocolate fudge cake. We’ll take that.
It wouldn’t be too hard to mistake this small restaurant as a McDonald’s location. Undoubtedly, this is what the owners were going for when they designed the signage.
Pizza Hat
In Iran, Pizza Hut looks a little different. The Iranian restaurant recycles the original fast food chain’s logo and turns the iconic hut into a hat.
The logo prominently features a man wearing the red hut-turned-hat, giving us total Carmen Sandiego vibes. Of course, you can get pizza, but customers can also buy burgers and sandwiches.
It begs the question: which restaurant has better pizza, the Hat or the Hut? Just based on creativity points alone, Pizza Hat might be snagging the lead.
Stars & Bucks
Stars & Bucks is anything but subtle. At least, that is, when it comes to emulating the logo and branding of one of America’s favorite coffee companies, Starbucks.
The Palestine coffee shop has its own circular green and white logo. But instead of Starbucks’s signature mermaid, the image displays four coffee cups.
Just because its branding might not be original, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a visit. According to a review on TripAdvisor, it’s a “definite stop” for anyone in Bethlehem.
Sunbucks Coffee
Unlike the Starbucks mermaid and the Stars & Bucks four coffee cups, this Chinese Starbucks knock-off logo features a gnarly dragon, but this minor change isn’t fooling anyone.
The Chinese shop still employs the same green and white color scheme and bold white font. And of course, the name couldn’t be closer to the original.
We’re going to guess that Sunbucks Coffee sells much of the same fare as its counterpart. If you stop into Sunbucks for a cup of coffee, let us know.
Bucksstar Coffee
China must really love Starbucks, based on their high number of knockoffs! Here is yet another Starbucks knockoff that isn’t shy about stealing the company’s branding.
Tucked away in a shopping mall in China, a Bucksstar Coffee offers patrons coffee and other breakfast items. At least, that’s what one would assume based on their brand.
This knock-off simply switched up the original Starbucks name. The shop didn’t even bother to change the original two-tailed mermaid logo. Not exactly Starbucks, but close enough?
Star Box Coffee
This little coffee kiosk in North London might share a similar-sounding name with Starbucks. However, it doesn’t duplicate the coffee giant’s logo by any means.
That didn’t stop Starbucks from coming after the smaller establishment with a lawsuit, though. The cafe mogul wanted Star Box to change its name to “protect brand identity.”
But it looks like Star Box should be the least of the company’s problems. There are plenty of other businesses blatantly ripping off the Starbucks color schemes and logo design.
KKFC
No, that isn’t a typo. Kentucky Fried Chicken apparently has a bit of competition in the fried chicken industry, including this knockoff and several others.
Many knock-off fast food chains imitate KFC and barely even change up the name. This particular Nepal restaurant added an extra “K” to KFC to create Krispy Krunchy Fried Chicken.
Which restaurant name sounds more appetizing: Kentucky Fried Chicken or Krispy Krunchy Fried Chicken? Just based on spelling points alone, we’ll go with the former.
KLG
This KFC knockoff originated in Taiwan and now has locations in South Korea, China, and South Africa. And it’s not exactly subtle about stealing KFC’s branding.
According to KLG’s Facebook page, the restaurant hopes “that every bite of [their] fried chicken brings you back to times with family and friends.” That’s nice!
According to reviews, the fast food knock-off isn’t doing too bad, either. It has a rating of 3.5 out of 5. Could be better, but could be worse.
HFC
Halal Fried Chicken (HFC) is a family-style restaurant based in Ontario, Canada. Like KFC, it’s famous for fried chicken. No surprise there! But this chicken has a twist.
According to its website, it’s not just any chicken but “100% Halal hand-slaughtered mind-blowing fried chicken.” And surprisingly, that doesn’t seem like it’s an exaggeration.
One Google reviewer wrote that HFC has “great service, amazing prices, [and amazing chicken].” If you’re ever on the hunt for Halal chicken in Ontario, here’s your solution.
Duffin Dagels
Spain has its own version of Dunkin’ Donuts. The Duffin Dagels spot has basically the same logo and similar menu items. And the name isn’t too far off, either.
But it looks like Duffin might have Dunkin’ beat when it comes to creative doughnuts and extravagant coffee. And let’s face it, its name is just a bit more fun.
Sure, Dunkin’ gives us seasonal treats (like the Easter doughnut topped with a Peeps marshmallow), but who could resist the Duffin Dagels Cookie Monster treats and all those candy toppings?
Dippin Donuts
This Dunkin’ Donuts lookalike might not be found in locations across the globe. In fact, it seems to only exist in a few towns in Massachusetts.
The company uses the Dunkin’ Donuts bright orange logo color, which might score them some traffic. And according to Yelp, Dippin sells doughnuts that all the locals love.
In addition to coffee and doughnuts made from scratch, Dippin Donuts also provides sandwiches as part of the all-day breakfast menu. Doesn’t sound half bad!
Five Lads
Looks like someone across the pond really liked the street food and casual restaurant vibe of Five Guys. In fact, the London Five Lads food establishment specializes in juicy burgers.
However, the English hamburger spot has a completely different logo, and the signature menu item is Perri Perri chicken. Quite different from type of fare offered by Five Guys.
Is it possible that this London restaurant was truly just started by five lads, and wasn’t influenced by the American brand? Probably not. But nothing’s impossible.
Two Guys Burgers
This fast food company knock-off decided to kick out three guys and stick to two. Similar to Five Lads, the New South Wales restaurant played on the Five Guys name.
However, it has totally different branding. Two Guys Burgers also has many solid reviews on its Facebook page. They have a rating of 4.6 out of 5.
Maybe it’s just a common phenomenon that small groups of guys or lads choose to start up sandwich shops together? It seems to be the case.
Burger Madam & Sir
McDonald’s and Starbucks are two of the most copied major fast food chains on our list, but it looks like one knock-off is completely dedicated to imitating Burger King.
Burger Madam & Sir uses essentially the same logo as the American burger joint. At first glance, it’s easy to assume this is a franchise location of the popular chain.
And while Burger Madam & Sir might not be the king of burgers, it seems just as proper as its predecessor. Would you like fries with that, m’lady?
Mike Wong
This Switzerland-based restaurant not only rips off McDonald’s color scheme, but it also throws in a reversed Nike swoosh. Why knock off one brand when you can do two?
Mike Wong sold Asian cuisine in its prime. Dishes such as dim sum and Thai green curry were deemed yummy and affordable by TripAdvisor users.
Unfortunately, the McDonald’s knock-off is now closed. It’s unclear why they closed their popular food spot. Where are we supposed to get our McDonald’s branded Chinese food now?
Raees Coffee
Did you think we were done with all the Starbucks knock-offs? We’re totally not. In Iran, a small coffee shop has a logo that’s very similar to Starbucks’s iconic one.
This time, however, the logo features a man in a top hat. He’s decked out in green, white, and black, of course, to fit with the coincidentally Starbucks-themed branding.
Raees Coffee might not be as giant as Starbucks, but a handful of locations exist in Tehran. We wonder if they’re on Starbucks’s radar or if it’s just different enough.
6-Twelve
It looks like 7-Eleven had an unexpected rivalry with one of its former employees in Boston, MA. Abu Masa worked at the convenience store but decided to quit.
That wasn’t enough for Abu Masa, who apparently despised his former employer (or admired them). He decided to open his own shop right across the street.
To be even pettier, Masa named his store 6-Twelve. The opening of the rival store actually made headlines all over the internet. Now where is 5-Thirteen?
7-Twelve
The founder of 6-Twelve had his own agenda, but what excuse do the owners of 7-Twelve have? Don’t get us wrong, the name is pretty clever.
But the 7-Twelve convenience store is almost an exact replica of 7-Eleven. Even the logos are nearly the same. It’s very hard to tell the difference with a passing glance.
If you’re ever in China, you can shop there and look for differences yourself. We wonder if you can grab an equivalent to a Big Gulp…a Jumbo Sip?
Dairy Fairy
If you can have a Dairy Queen, why couldn’t you have a Dairy Fairy? In fact, you can, if you live in either China or South Africa.
This fast food restaurant uses Dairy Queen’s branding, right down to its menu. You can score a soft-serve ice cream here as well as many other very similar treats.
Dairy Fairy flaunts the tagline “The Taste of California,” which is interesting because Dairy Queen was created in Indiana. We guess the fairy is from LA?
The Taco Bell
How could you get this restaurant confused with the popular US fast food chain Taco Bell? After all, this is “The” Taco Bell, not just Taco Bell.
The Taco Bell doesn’t go out of its way to make sure you see its distinguishing characteristic “the,” however. It’s conspicuously absent on some of their branding.
The Taco Bell even uses its namesake’s signature bell logo, which probably leads some people to think they’re one and the same. But are the tacos any good?
Burger Friends
Would you rather have a burger with a king or with some friends? It seems this knock-off fast food chain decided the latter was preferable.
In Bagdad, you can stop by Burger Friends to get something similar to the burgers served at Burger King. It’s easy to pretend this is just another Burger King location.
Using the exact same color scheme and logo, Burger Friends didn’t spend too much time on creating their own unique branding. Why fix what isn’t broken, right?
Tacos Bell
You didn’t think Taco Bell would get off that easily, did you? There’s more than one Taco Bell fast-food knockoff out there, and that brings us to Tacos Bell.
This small kiosk serving Mexican fare in Thailand might not look like a Taco Bell location, but its name is strangely familiar. Rather than adding “the,” this restaurant pluralized “tacos.”
But don’t let their branding choices fool you. Apparently, the food served at Tacos Bell in Thailand is actually delicious, and may even have its namesake beat.
Burger Queen
If there’s a Burger King (and Burger Friends), it only makes sense that there would be a Burger Queen. And finally, it seems we’ve found her.
Redditors have shared multiple instances of Burger Queens, but it seems this one is in Alberta. And it’s hard to overlook the logo’s striking similarity to Burger King.
You always have to wonder whether these knock-off fast food chains hear from the larger chains’ lawyers. How do they explain their brand’s clear resemblance?
Subwich
What do you get when you shorten the phrase “subway sandwich”? Subwich, of course! So it only makes sense that this would be the name of a fast-food restaurant.
In fact, there are several Subwich restaurants, one of which is located in Dubai. The Dubai location, however, doesn’t copy Subway’s branding so much as the one shown here.
It’s difficult to imagine that this Subwich merely stumbled upon the same yellow and green color scheme as the highly successful Subway restaurants. But crazier things have happened!
JFC
Of course, we couldn’t let KFC off the hook that easily. After all, their name is all too easy to knock off by simply replacing the first letter.
This KFC knockoff comes to us from Israel. We wonder what makes Jerusalem fried chicken different from the more famous type that’s cooked up in Kentucky.
JFC might have gotten away with stealing KFC’s branding if they had been a bit more subtle. Instead, they included an image of a bucket of chicken as their logo.
Taco Bell Grande
Why settle for a regular old Taco Bell when you could have Taco Bell Grande? It’s pretty clear that this restaurant was playing off of the Bell’s success.
What’s weird is that Taco Bell Grande restaurants were operated by Yum China, which now manages actual Taco Bell locations in China. That’s one way to get the job!
The first Taco Bell Grande opened in 2003, which was before Taco Bell officially arrived in the country. The restaurant was closed permanently in 2008.
Obama Fried Chicken
You just can’t argue with brilliant marketing. We would feel compelled to stop at Obama Fried Chicken for a quick bite if we ever had the chance.
Weirdly, Obama Fried Chicken not only serves fried chicken but also hamburgers. You can find the restaurant in China, represented by the smiling image of former-President Brack Obama.
OFC uses the exact same color scheme as its inspiration KFC, as well as the same typeface. Obama is even wearing The Colonel’s signature outfit.
Faceburger
Wrapping up our list of our favorite fast food knockoffs is something a bit different. This fast food shop decided to copy not another restaurant, but a tech giant.
It’s clear that the restaurant serves primarily burgers and sandwiches. But what it has to do with Facebook or why they used Facebook’s branding is beyond us.
It’s an interesting choice to pair the word “face” with the word “burger” to form your restaurant’s name. But one thing is for sure: Faceburger sure is memorable.