Lingering and being social in a meal-time setting might be an example of French culture, but it is also very much a part of the culture of McDonald's too and explains why it is a successful business. Of course, the author would actually have to spend time in it to realize that.
It was years and years ago, but I remember a great article in Foreign Affairs tackling the same question of how McDonald's succeeded in a foreign culture with a rich culinary history. It focused on East Asia, but rather than take the snob approach, it looked into McDonald's appeal beyond price. One important reason is it that it gives people--especially youths and the elderly--a place to linger and hang out, even if only over a drink. It is no different in the U.S.--one McDonald's I used to stop in for a quick Egg McMuffin always had the same group of retired men chatting away.
Seriously take a look at McDonald's. They often have play rooms and televisions--it is as much a community center as it is a restaurant. You won't find a waiter, foodie, or hipster passing judgment on you, giving it an egalitarian atmosphere...and isn't "Egalite" part of the French motto?
