Amman is quite the American franchise. Not that this is anything peculiar of course. It fits in a line of other countries all having adopted the American brands of fast food, coffee bars and wholesale stores. But to me, as a Dutchman, it’s a feast of brand recognition (from American television shows! ;)) and a lot of brand discovery. In Holland, we only have McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, and Subway. Correct me if I’m wrong, readers.
If you know me just a tad bit, you’ll know that I love Starbucks. Everytime I’m abroad, I visit a Starbucks. They have a great one here near Abdoun Circle, with excellent facilities. Actually it’s the best one I’ve ever been to. And yes, the coffee and food are overpriced, but it’s the overall experience that counts. Nevermind this marketing babble. 
Furthermore, Amman houses ChiliWays (mmmm great chicken burgers), Hardee’s, Popeye’s, American Bakehouse (fantastic bread), and all the obligatory stuff like McDonald’s, BK, KFC, etc. Other market segments are also represented. I saw a Radioshack near 6th Circle.
Yet, there are also the great local and regional franchises. I’m a big fan of the Lebanese chain of Casper & Gambini’s. They make great fajitas for lunch. 
And yesterday, my all-time favourite icecream parlour (van der Poel IJs in Hengelo and Enschede, Holland) was thrown back into second place by a local Amman parlour. Nutella ice cream. WOW.
