Clock (restaurant)

The chain was active from 1976 to 1999, but eventually began to suffer from hardening competition from other kinds of fast food, such as kebab, falafel, sandwiches, etc.

Using a huge clock as its logo, the chain grew to be very successful and widespread during the 1970s and 1980s, even branching out to China, but got into economic problems in the 1990s and started closing or selling restaurants.

The same year, as part of what turned out to be a new business strategy, the company bought the hotel and restaurant company Provobis, which had the same main owner, Rolf Lundström, who thereby consolidated his holdings.

The company took the name Provobis, and was in 2000 bought by the large Scandic Hotels corporation.

McDonald's continued to expand in Sweden during this period (as did other American chains such as Burger King and Pizza Hut), but in an interview in 1996 the CEO of Clock explained the problems of his company with the increasing competition from other types of fast food such as kebab and sandwiches.