American-style casual dining is all the rage in the Middle East, according to BusinessWeek. An ever-growing, and ever-wealthier middle class means more demand for restaurants like T.G.I. Friday's, Smashburger and Dallas-based Chili's. Middle Eastern diners are used to being "doted on," says BusinessWeek. They're also confused by chicken-fried steak: "the crunchy breading on country-fried steak baffled customers. Chili’s had to reprint menus after it moved the breaded meat to the catch-all favorites section, instead of the steak-specific part." [BusinessWeek]
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