The "World Famous" Label

I recently visited The Hat, a fast food joint with the best pastrami sandwich in town. So good in fact, the small chain here in California claims the sandwich is "world famous." I'll admit, I will drive the extra miles for a chance to get one because it is much better than the mom and pop burger joints closer to home. I also used to visit this little burger joint in La Habra, California called TS Burgers and they specialized in their "world famous" cheeseburgers. The burgers are good enough to have appeared in the column of a local newspaper. The newspaper clipping of the column is proudly displayed on the wall of the dining room--their justification for calling their cheeseburgers "world famous." As good as the pastrami and the burgers are, I don't believe the label "world famous" is appropriate because I doubt my uncle in Mexico City who has never set a foot north of the border has heard about the best pastrami or burger in the world. It is my extended family and friends in another country which helps me determine if something is indeed "world famous." All I have to do is pick up the phone. Only a few places can be worthy of the label: McDonalds, Starbucks, Coca-Cola and KFC. These are only handful of brands which have dominated the world by building establishments in as many countries as possible. Their products and logos are instantly recognizable by people in the seven continents. Yes, even Antarctica because the territory hosts men and women from all over the world to study the harsh yet majestic ice world. McDonalds alone has thousands of locations all over the globe which, according to Morgan Spurlock, the golden arches are more recognizable than the Christian cross--that is truly world famous. The same "world famous" label could be attributed to people. From Michel Jordan, Queen Elizabeth, Obama, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lionel Messi, Julia Roberts and so on. Their popularity in the world of sports and entertainment have give them an intense popularity that they cannot go to the bathroom without someone taking a picture of them. I do like eating at establishments which serve a particular food loved by their hungry clientele. It is especially good to have the same people return for more and suggest it to a friend or family member. This is what a business wants to be a superior player in the highly competitive market. Even if a city is fortunate enough to have a restaurant with the best pizza, sandwich or whatever the stomach desires, I think the "best in town" label is more appropriate. I will never forget the time I asked a ten-year-old girl from Norway what the best part of visiting America was. She responded with the most interesting answer of all, "I can't believe you can buy fifty chicken nuggets for ten dollars. We don't have that in Norway." Once again, world famous.