But, ho hum, McDonald's paid little heed, opening its restaurant in spite of the slow eaters' pleas in late 1986. With no competition nearby, it became one of the corporation's ten highest-volume locations worldwide. Nevertheless, Petrini discovered that his slow food idea was catching. Calls poured in asking about the 'movement'. We in Arcigola only made the idea concrete.
Members meet for marathon meals and talk food, wine, culture, and philosophy.
They organise wine tastings and classes about traditional cuisine. And they disdain the stressful fast life. It strips people of their food wealth and culture. The non-profit movement now boasts 65,000 members in 45 countries organised into 560 local convivia. These convivia, or chapters, as they are sometimes known, are the linchpins of the Slow Food Movement, interpreting and representing its philosophy at a local level.