Fast-food ‘chicken war’ sparks political cockfight in Paris suburb
A French mayor’s attempt to bar a popular fast-food outlet from selling “junk food” has kicked off a bitter feud in the Paris suburb of Saint-Ouen, giving France’s fractious left yet another subject to wrangle over.
Issued on: 28/04/2026 - 20:51
5 min Reading time Share By: Benjamin DODMAN
An emerging figure in France’s Socialist Party, Saint-Ouen’s mayor Karim Bouamrane has been described as a future contender for the Élysée Palace – a notion he himself has entertained.
But for now, the 53-year-old is locked in a highly-publicised tussle with a fast-food outlet selling grilled chicken, located just a stone’s throw from his town hall on the northern edge of Paris.
Bouamrane has tried everything in his power – and beyond – to prevent the popular fast-food chain Master Poulet (Master Chicken) from opening a store on Saint-Ouen's busiest junction, including by placing large concrete blocks in front of its entrance.
When a court ordered him to remove the blocks last week, he swiftly replaced them with a row of oversized flowerpots, justifying his actions in the name of the fight against “junk food”.
Master Poulet has hit back with a string of provocative banners taunting the mayor, to the delight of social media users who have likened the bitter standoff to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The “chicken war” has cast a spotlight on a youth-driven craze that is transforming French high streets, particularly in working-class areas like Saint-Ouen where such stores are increasingly ubiquitous.
It has also exposed deep divisions on the left between advocates of quality food and their opponents who accuse them of sponsoring gentrification.
‘The people’s chicken’
Chicken shops in France have been opening at a faster rate than all other fast-food outlets, selling inexpensive “comfort food” that is popular with students and low-wage workers. Their rapid rise mirrors trends witnessed in other European countries such as the UK, where they are supplanting fish and chips takeaways.
Master Poulet sold 10,000 tonnes of poultry in 2025 across its 50 outlets, mostly in the Paris region. It is just one in a growing list of chains that includes such brands as Chicken Street, Poulet Addict, Pouletos and Crousti Poulet.
Chicken is a cheaper protein source than other meats or fish and is also easier to procure in large quantities. At Master Poulet, customers can eat a spicy chicken drumstick and a tub of potatoes for less than 4 euros, making it far more accessible than traditional fast-food chains like Burger King or McDonald’s.
The dispute in Saint-Ouen as earned the shop glowing reviews online, with users hailing “the people’s chicken” and mocking Bouamrane as a “wannabe Obama”.
It’s a losing battle for the mayor, at least on social media platforms awash with images of golden-coated strips of chicken dripping with sauce.
But chains like Master Poulet have their critics, too – starting with residents angered by their long queues, late opening hours and the constant smell of fried chicken.
Nutritionists routinely warn against products that are too fat, too sweet, and the lack of vegetables. The French poultry industry has also complained, noting that their chicken is sourced from outside France and with fewer sanitary safeguards.
Bouamrane echoed many of those grievances in a social media post on Saturday, from “odours affecting residents” to “late deliveries, sometimes as late as 2am”. He also noted that Saint-Ouen already has numerous other outlets selling fried or grilled chicken.
“I am ensuring that the commercial landscape does not simply become a cluster of identical establishments,” he wrote, stressing the need to promote “quality food from a young age”.
Political twist
Located a few steps away from Bouamrane’s office, the contentious chicken shop is at the heart of a busy crossroads that bears witness to the transformation of Saint-Ouen, a once scruffy suburb known for its iconic flea market – and which hosted the athletes’ village during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Master Poulet shop sits next to the entrance to Paris metro’s recently extended Line 14. It also faces the “Bouillon du Coq” restaurant opened by celebrated chef Thierry Marx – a symbol of the town’s gentrification, which Bouamrane’s critics on the left accuse him of fostering.
The mayor of Saint-Ouen has emerged as a staunch critic of the hard-left France unbowed (LFI), refusing to team up with the party of firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon in recent mayoral elections.
The rivalry has thrust the “chicken war” at the heart of the battle for control of the French capital’s northern suburbs – the bedrock of Mélenchon’s support and a key launchpad for his likely presidential run next year.
During a visit to the Master Poulet shop on Saturday, local LFI lawmaker Éric Coquerel denounced the “administrative harassment” carried out by the mayor of Saint-Ouen and called on the police prefect to intervene on behalf of the establishment.
Coquerel, who heads the finance committee at the French National Assembly, accused Bouamrane of “abuse of power” and of “favouring shops that are not affordable for everyone”.
It’s not the first time rival left-wing parties spar on the issue of class and dietary habits.
In the run-up to the last presidential election in 2022, Communist Party candidate Fabien Roussel grabbed headlines by peppering his speeches and interviews with talk of juicy beef steaks as “the essence of French cuisine”. His critics on the left, including the Greens, he denounced as moralising elites that cater only to the concerns of urban middle classes.
Read moreLet them eat steak: French Communists bounce back with recipe for ‘happy days’
Reflecting on the “chicken war”, French daily Libération deplored the practice of hijacking societal debates through “slogans, punchlines and parodies”.
“In an area dominated by fast-food outlets, the question of yet another chain is by no means a trivial matter – nor are health and safety standards to be taken lightly,” the paper wrote, lamenting the fact that “legitimate discussions about junk food have been turned into a circus on social media".
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