Would you like a side of piri-piri fries with your McSpicy Paneer Burger?
A petition to bring the McDonald’s India menu to the hungry folks of Brampton, Ont., has been gaining traction online, with many lamenting the fast-food chain’s current lack of exciting flavours and vegetarian options.
“McDonald’s Canada has very limited options for vegetarians as compared to McDonald’s India,” wrote Anuj Patel, who started the petition to bring the international menu to Canada.
“There are a variety of options that we would love to be introduced in Canadian McDonald’s menu which would cater to the vast majority of vegetarian population residing in Brampton,” Patel wrote.
According to a 2022 Brampton census profile, 33 per cent of the city’s population is of East Indian ethnic origin.
The petition asks for a number of items from the McDonald’s India menu, including: the McAloo Tikki Burger, the McSpicy Paneer Burger, the McVeggie Burger, Piri-piri fries, the Veg Pizza McPuff and the McSpicy Chicken Burger.
Though the petition was originally created two years ago, it has resurfaced online and garnered an impressive 3,000 signatures since Monday.
As of this writing, the petition has nearly 4,000 signees.
McDonald’s Canada has not yet publicly commented on whether or not they will approve the request to bring in foods from the Indian menu.
“We love it when our guests care enough to tell us about their McDonald’s favourites here in Canada and from around the world,” a spokesperson told Yahoo News Canada. “We are committed to offering a variety of menu choices in our restaurants and continue to listen to our guests to understand their needs, changing trends and evolving tastes.”
Regardless, Brampton residents and Canadians outside the Ontario city are enthusiastic about the request.
One signee commented that the Indian menu should be available all across Canada. “The flavours will kill here!” they wrote.
Another said they haven’t visited McDonald’s in more than six years because the restaurant does not currently have a veggie burger in Canada. “I would visit them worldwide if they had good vegetarian burgers on the menu,” they wrote.
If McDonald’s wants to keep vegetarian Canadians McLovin’ it, it’s clear some Desi-inspired grub would go a long way.