Paris:
French fast food chain Quick has begun serving halal-only food in 22 of its outlets, targeting France's large Muslim population, an underexploited market that has long been ignored by big business.
The company - the number two burger chain in France after McDonald's - says its offerings are being tailored to meet the dietary needs of the Muslim community.
At the restaurant in Fleury-Merogis, outside Paris, burgers once served with bacon now come with smoked turkey instead.
Animals used in the food must be slaughtered following Quranic guidelines and there is even a certificate on the wall to prove it.
Quick, which has a total of 346 restaurants in France, says sales have doubled at eight restaurants where the halal offerings were tested out.
But the company's decision comes at a time when France is debating what integration means and is preparing to ban the wearing of burqas in public.
The head of the restaurant chain for the Paris region insists the intention was not to "segregate a particular community", but to meet demand.
The response from customers has been mixed, with some welcoming the choice it provides Muslim customers, while others ask why halal food should be foisted on the general population.
Quick's decision has also sparked heated political debate.
The left-wing mayor of the Paris suburb of Sevran said the plan would encourage "ghettoisation" in France, instead of healthy multi-culturalism, while Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front party told Europe-1 radio that it was a "scandal".
Quick is not the first fast food chain to serve halal-only food, though.
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) France says it has served halal chicken in its French outlets for 19 years.
That fact is not well-known, though, and the chain has largely been left out of the debate over the burger chain.
And to satisfy customers who object to eating halal beef, Quick has said it is working on a pre-cooked non-halal burger that will be stored in a wrapper so it doesn't contaminate the rest of the offerings.
The company says it expects sales of the product to be minimal, however.
The company - the number two burger chain in France after McDonald's - says its offerings are being tailored to meet the dietary needs of the Muslim community.
At the restaurant in Fleury-Merogis, outside Paris, burgers once served with bacon now come with smoked turkey instead.
Animals used in the food must be slaughtered following Quranic guidelines and there is even a certificate on the wall to prove it.
Quick, which has a total of 346 restaurants in France, says sales have doubled at eight restaurants where the halal offerings were tested out.
But the company's decision comes at a time when France is debating what integration means and is preparing to ban the wearing of burqas in public.
The head of the restaurant chain for the Paris region insists the intention was not to "segregate a particular community", but to meet demand.
The response from customers has been mixed, with some welcoming the choice it provides Muslim customers, while others ask why halal food should be foisted on the general population.
Quick's decision has also sparked heated political debate.
The left-wing mayor of the Paris suburb of Sevran said the plan would encourage "ghettoisation" in France, instead of healthy multi-culturalism, while Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front party told Europe-1 radio that it was a "scandal".
Quick is not the first fast food chain to serve halal-only food, though.
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) France says it has served halal chicken in its French outlets for 19 years.
That fact is not well-known, though, and the chain has largely been left out of the debate over the burger chain.
And to satisfy customers who object to eating halal beef, Quick has said it is working on a pre-cooked non-halal burger that will be stored in a wrapper so it doesn't contaminate the rest of the offerings.
The company says it expects sales of the product to be minimal, however.
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