Brand Parasites.Creative (to the minimum). Fun (if they weren't real). Rare (-ly or never living up to the expectations).
What we used to call the traditional roadside diners in Bulgaria translated as...traps. Recently, that was somehow lost in time. Global brands franchises began sprouting like mushrooms. They dominate the highways now.
Actually, the highway from the capital to the seaside is relatively new. Already broken here and there. That's what consumers' culture brings. Things that come cheaper and cost more because they need replacements. Even when it comes to roads.
Here's a funny story, though. That popular Happy brand built one of their first restaurants on the road that was about to retire. but before the highway, it was the main route.
On our latest trip on that route, we had to take a detour due to wildfires somewhat south sending smoke across the road. We took the old one and there was...or wasn't...the now old Happy restaurant. Looking somewhat different. That billboard looked a bit old. Only when we sat at the somewhat less maintained restaurant we saw it was rebranded into what hung as a little and almost invisible sign below the weathered original.
It sounded almost right ;) It's a local word, though. It translates as Snatch. Even the movie with that name had the same translation in Bulgarian.
Well, what can I say?
The food was...ordinary roadside trap quality.
The trap is...we were going to have a lunch there anyway, due to lack of convenient alternatives. That's the catch!
Snatch!
...
Well :)
Good luck on your trips! Whatever they be!
Yours,
Manol
