Tel Aviv, Israel

Perhaps translating your name into the local language, Hebrew, will not be enough to keep you company in business. Just ask Subway. The chain closed its Israeli operations, including this store on Dizengoff Square, in 2004. Their operations in Jordan and Georgia seemed to work out better. [1996]

Pierre, South Dakota, USA

Covid Behaviors: Eat in your car (maybe alone). "We are open." How surprising! Because you were closed for months. "Drive thru only." How unprecedented! Because your indoor dining room remained closed for the duration of peak Covid. [2021]

Seoul, South Korea

Even though the chain tried to insinuate itself into Korean culture by transliterating its name into the Hangul script, Hardee's did not last long in the ROK. The first store opened in 1990 and the last store closed in 2004. Now, if we could just get CKE brands to withdraw from Russia, where it operates 15 Carl's Jr. restaurants. [2000]

Cairo, Egypt

Pizza Hut has 85 stores in Egypt. To insinuate itself into local markets, the chain has transliterated its name into Arabic. Remember: Both Hebrew and Arabic are linguistic cousins that are read right to left. P.S.: Thanks again, Pizza Hut, for pulling out of Russia! [2000]

Beersheba, Israel

Pizza Hut has 90 stores in Israel. To insinuate itself into local markets, the chain has transliterated its name into Hebrew, which is read right to left. The company's official logo, in the middle, is in English. P.S.: Thanks, Pizza Hut, for pulling out of Russia! [1997]

Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Follow the street from Central Station to the heart of center city. On each corner is a predatory North American fast-food chain: Tim Hortons, KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut. What does such a corporate landscape say about the Scottish city of Glasgow? P.S.: Tim's has never done business in Russia, but thanks to the other three for pulling out. [2017]

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Starbucks is headquartered in Seattle. Using the distance decay model, predict the first foreign country into which Starbucks expanded. Using the same model, predict the city. Today, Starbucks does business in 83 countries. Strike that: 82 countries. Thanks, Starbucks, for pulling out of Russia! [2010]

New Bern, North Carolina, USA

Pepsi, unlike its older brother, low-keyed corporate murals. Certainly, there was none on the wall of Caleb Bradham's pharmacy in New Bern, "the Birthplace of Pepsi Cola." Until 1898, Pepsi was known as "Brad's Drink." See the historical marker? P.S.: Thanks, Pepsi, for pulling out of Russia! [2021]

Houma, Louisiana, USA

Coca-Cola murals were especially prominent in the rural South and Appalachia. If a town had a drug store (with a soda fountain, of course), it probably had a Coke advertisement outside. For many decades now, many have been rediscovered and some have been brought back to life. P.S.: Thanks, Coke, for pulling out of Russia! [2009]

Jamesport, Missouri, USA

The first Coca-Cola mural goes back to 1894 in . . . you guessed it! . . Georgia, not far from Atlanta. After that, corporate murals became one of the preferred methods to advertise the "delicious and refreshing drink." The total number of murals has been estimated at 16,000. P.S.: Thanks, Coke, for pulling out of Russia! [2008]

Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, USA

The Baby Boom Generation might remember when Coca-Cola sold for a nickel, but they certainly don't remember when it contained cocaine (extracted from the coca leaf), thus inspiring the name we know it by today. P.S.: Thanks, Coke, for pulling out of Russia! P.P.S.: You might also enjoy Geographically Yours Welcome. [2014]

Cairo, Egypt

KFC stands for Kentucky Fried Chicken. In Arabic, the "Fried" is dropped. Read from right to left, the sign reads Chicken (translated) Kentucky (transliterated). Colonel Sanders, himself, really doesn't translate very well, but chicken has always been popular throughout the Arab realm, and almost everywhere in the world. [2000]

Amman, Jordan

Read the top sign right to left. Read the bottom sign left to right. That's the difference between Arabic and English. And, that's why the colors are reversed. The Arabic alphabet is relatively easy to learn because it is a phonetic alphabet: Letters stand for specific sounds. The two blue dots and two orange dots (top) sound like the e/E in FedEx. [2001]

Fes, Morocco

Arabic doesn't have a nice round O sound like the one you hear when you say Mobil. Arabs use the U sound instead: See the red letters in the dueling Mobil signs? What's the third language to show up here? French, of course. As for the handshake: That grip is so American. The Arab handshake is soft and gentle, not a vice to show someone how powerful you are. [1989]

Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

When Subway came to Georgia in 2014, it had to appeal to a new market, one that did not speak English. To fit in, Subway looked to the native Mkhedruli alphabet for signage. Yet, it did not abandon the Latin Alphabet. There are over 40,000 Subway restaurants around the world. [2015]

Seoul, South Korea

When Subway came to South Korea in 1992, it had to appeal to a new market, one that did not speak English. To fit in, Subway looked to the Hangul alphabet for signage. Of course, they also had to adapt to at least some different gustatory preferences: You can order a Korea BBQ or a Beef Bulgogi sub.  [2000]

Tel Aviv, Israel

When Dunkin' Donuts came to Israel in 1996, it had to appeal to a new market, one that did not speak English. To fit in, DD looked to the Hebrew alphabet for signage (read right to left and look for the D sound). Alas, not even the native alphabet could keep the chain afloat in Israel. Dunkin's last donut shop closed in 2001. [2000]

Seoul, South Korea

When Dunkin' Donuts came to Korea in 1992, it had to appeal to a new market, one that did not speak English. To fit in, DD looked to the Hangul alphabet for signage. It must have worked because Korea has been one of the chain's largest international markets. In orange: Deon-Kin. In pink: Do-Neo-Cheu. [2000]

Tbilisi, Georgia

Read it as you would English: from left to right. It's Georgian, a unique language related only to a few others (Svan, Mingrelian, Laz) in one of the world's premier linguistic refuge areas, the Caucasus Mountains, a place where a passel of ancient tongues holds on for dear life. [2015]

Amman, Jordan

Remember: Read right to left. It's Arabic. This global company's logo has changed, but do you recognize it? If so, you can read Arabic. It shares a letter with one we learned last month when we looked at Coca-Cola in Tunis. It begins the second word of the company's name, transliterated (but not translated!) into Arabic. Here's a hint. [2001]