McDonald's Future in Question

[makattak]

Or, "In which Stephen Green becomes my favorite pundit"*

http://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2015/01/29/quarter-pounder-blues/

McDonald's is having problems. Increased competition, increased input costs are causing declining sales.

Vodkapundit (Stephen Green) points out that there is also the problem of the Health-Nazis (HA! Godwined in the originial post!) pressuring them to change their menu. (which has led to their myriad of choices, and is likely part of the problem)

Personally, I don't even like it for my children- and it's not a matter of their health. A single fast food meal once or twice a month (which is how often they get it) will have ZERO effect on their health.

McDonald's food has declined in quality and their new "healthy" menu (especially in the kid's meals) is awful. Their apples taste of chemicals and I kick myself every time I forget to tell them to hold the apples and give us more fries instead.

Perhaps the mega-business can recover, but, as Vodkapundit pointed out, it's going to be hard to win the families back from the competition.

Which leads me to the * in the alternate headline:

My childhood favorite, Steak ‘n Shake, is aggressively expanding outside of its midwestern/southern heartland, offering diner-level service and cooked-to-order meals made with beef which is readily identifiable as such.

My childhood favorite as well. It is now my daughter's childhood favorite, too and we live 5 minutes from the closest Steak and Shake.

The have a VAST array of menu items- but they are pretty much all burgers. They know to keep it (relatively) simple. Give people variety, but keep it variety within a theme. Many other businesses are following this model and it was, ironically, the model that lead to McDonald's success.

I can honestly say I don't think there is anything McDonald's could do to make us head there rather than Steak and Shake. (Amusingly, they are literally next door to each other in our town.) The difference in price is minuscule (literally $3-$4 dollars for the entire family), especially when Steak and Shake offers free kids meals on the weekend. Even if McDonald's prices were half of what they are now, I'm not sure that would be enough inducement.

So, in conclusion: beancrock.

[wmenorr67]

Like a lot of people I worked at McDonald's and even then didn't eat there all that often.  For a burger I would much rather go to a mom and pop type of place.  As for Steak and Shake, last two times I was in one, two different locations here in Tulsa, the service sucked and the food wasn't much better.

Too many other options out there for burgers and fries, only reason McD's and the like stay open is because most people are too damn lazy to look for better options.

[grampster]

We had a burger joint when I was a teen called The Butter Wagon.  Everything they cooked, was in butter.  It went away about the time McDonalds and Burger King were beginning to gain popularity.  If I was 20 years younger and actually wanted to work again, I would resurrect that burger joint and do the same thing; cook everything in butter.  Real beef with fat in it and real potatoes for French fries, cut up in the joint.  I'd humiliate the food Nazis and up the ante with more butter when they screamed.  If they would picket, I'd give a free burger.  I bet I'd make a King's ransom.

[Ben]

Funny, I was going to post a somewhat related topic. As I've mentioned before, while when in town, I will go to an In and Out, Habit, or other "good" fast food joint, McDonalds has been my "goto" place for a quick stop at the drive-thru when I'm on the road and don't want to stop to eat. I know exactly what I'm going to get: a passable burger and fries that aren't going to leak condiments all over me while I eat and drive (on empty, rural highways for you safety sticklers ).

That all changed earlier this week when they apparently came out with the "new" menu. I stopped at my usual halfway point McDonalds and ordered the #4 (double quarter pounder meal) like I always do without bothering to look at the menu. What I got was the new "Quarter Pounder Deluxe" which came with saggy lettuce, a pale tomato slice that looked like it had been cloned for the 1000th time, and a slathering of some crappy new dressing. It was awful.

McDonalds did well when it stuck to it's original purpose: standardized "it tastes okay" food that will be pretty much the same no matter where in the country you go. Just like I don't expect to get a good pizza at Domino's, but I know I'll get an acceptable pizza at a Domino's in an unfamiliar location.

McDonalds trying to do quality "healthy food" is going to lose them their shirt, IMO.

[Perd Hapley]

When a man describes Steak-n-Shake fries as "top-notch," I shall take his opinion on fast food with a few grains of salt from a plastic, McDonald's salt-shaker.

[230RN]

Preference (when I went for fast food at all) used to be:

Wendy's
Burger King
McDonald's

In that order.

Now it's
Burger King
Wendy's
McDonald's

I learned long ago not to go grocery shopping when hungry, so I sometimes stop at a fast food joint for a kid's burger before hitting the supermarket.

I know that's saved me some moolah over the years.

Terry

[Triphammer]

 Trimmed
McDonalds did well when it stuck to it's original purpose: standardized "it tastes okay" food that will be pretty much the same no matter where in the country you go. Just like I don't expect to get a good pizza at Domino's, but I know I'll get an acceptable pizza at a Domino's in an unfamiliar location.

and filleted

What Howard Johnson's did for travel in the 50's, McDonalds did in the 80's Now who's up?

[bedlamite]

The have a VAST array of menu items- but they are pretty much all burgers. They know to keep it (relatively) simple. Give people variety, but keep it variety within a theme. Many other businesses are following this model and it was, ironically, the model that lead to McDonald's success.

When I read that, the first thing I thought of was this

[brimic]

2 large fries and a large chocolate shake from McD's= my favorite hangover cure. It literally, not figuretively, brought me back from the dead one morning.

[MechAg94]

Whataburger and Wendy's are my two favorites for fast food burgers.  At Wendy's I prefer the spicy chicken sandwich though.

I occasionally get breakfast or the chicken nuggets at McDonalds even though the nuggets are just greasy chicken parts.

[brimic]

Does Wendy's still serve baked potatoes? Those used to be my favorite, last time I went to a Wendy's they didn't have them...

[MechAg94]

We had a burger joint when I was a teen called The Butter Wagon.  Everything they cooked, was in butter.  It went away about the time McDonalds and Burger King were beginning to gain popularity.  If I was 20 years younger and actually wanted to work again, I would resurrect that burger joint and do the same thing; cook everything in butter.  Real beef with fat in it and real potatoes for French fries, cut up in the joint.  I'd humiliate the food Nazis and up the ante with more butter when they screamed.  If they would picket, I'd give a free burger.  I bet I'd make a King's ransom.

Make sure you use lard or traditional animal fat for the french fries.  Tell the vegetarians to go someplace else. 

[Hawkmoon]

When a man describes Steak-n-Shake fries as "top-notch," I shall take his opinion on fast food with a few grains of salt from a plastic, McDonald's salt-shaker.

McDonald's doesn't have plastic salt shakers. They have those little tear-to-open spill salt all over your tray salt packets.

[AJ Dual]

Does Wendy's still serve baked potatoes? Those used to be my favorite, last time I went to a Wendy's they didn't have them...

The one's by us do.

Grampster should check out Culver's if he's in a Midwestern region that has them. They put butter on their burgers, and they're all made to order. You pull through and pay, and they run it out to you about 5 minutes later.

[Hawkmoon]

Does Wendy's still serve baked potatoes? Those used to be my favorite, last time I went to a Wendy's they didn't have them...

Wendy's dropped my favorite baked potato years ago. Since than I rarely to to Wendy's -- which isn't a surprise, since many of them have gone out of business.

One of my favorite fast food joint used to be D'Angelo's. They made sandwiches on good pita bread, and I loved their seafood salad pita sandwich. Most of the D'Angelo's near me closed in recent years. About six weeks ago I had to go up-state for a meeting and my route went right past a D'Angelo's. So on the return leg I stopped there. HORRORS! No more pita bread. No more seafood salad. Totally different menu, totally different atmosphere. I couldn't leave fast enough. Went down the road to McDonald's.

[Perd Hapley]

I just don't see McDonald's going away anytime in this century. They make fast food. Gobs of people love fast food, and most people will eat fast food, even if they don't like it that much. I would like McD's more if they started doing some "char-broiled" burgers, like Burger King or DQ.

I had the "Bacon Clubhouse" burger a few days ago, sans stupid sauce and tomato. I was suitably impressed. Much better than their usual burgers.

Redacted. Sorry, I know I shouldn't go on rants. 

[Andiron]

I've pretty much written off fast food,  when possible.  Best way to not encourage fatassery on my part.  

The being said,  and as much as it pains me,  Chipotole (spelled like it sounds, damnit) makes a tasty bowl/burrito.  Even if they are run by a bunch of dirty goddamned hippies.  If I am unable to pack a lunch,  that's where I grab chow.

I used to enjoy Mcdonalds' various salad offerings (the Cesar was decent, for something being tossed at you via drive thru window),  but they kept declining in quality to the point it wasn't worth the money.  Then I'd end up with a mediocre double cheeseburger.

If I'm looking for a delicious greasy cheeseburger around here,  It's gonna be a 5 guys.

[Ben]

I had the "Bacon Clubhouse" burger a few days ago, sans stupid sauce and tomato. I was suitably impressed. Much better than their usual burgers.

Maybe I'll try that one on my way home next week.

McD's just needs to give up on the fruits and vegetables though. Their business model is just not setup to have good quality, fresh fruits and veggies. They don't have the staff to properly keep and prepare them, and if they start charging much more to cover that kind of stuff, I might as well go eat at a real restaurant.

[bedlamite]

I just don't see McDonald's going away anytime in this century. They make fast food. Gobs of people love fast food, and most people will eat fast food, even if they don't like it that much. I would like McD's more if they started doing some "char-broiled" burgers, like Burger King or DQ.

I had the "Bacon Clubhouse" burger a few days ago, sans stupid sauce and tomato. I was suitably impressed. Much better than their usual burgers.

But, then, I'm also not one of those crazy people that puts tomato slices on his burger. I will never understand this perversity, but this is apparently something in which a burger chain must excel, in order to please a fairly large share of the market. Next thing you know, we'll have people thinking that baked is a proper way to prepare a potato. 

I suppose you're one of those people that likes their regurgitated reconstituted onions too.

[Boomhauer]

McDonalds is the last resort. I like the fries. Everything else sucks.

I'd rather hit Cookout instead, they have good food for about the same price. $5 at Cookout gets me a double cheeseburger (that actually tastes good) with two sides and a drink.

[Perd Hapley]

I suppose you're one of those people that likes their regurgitated reconstituted onions too.

Better than no onion. Actually, much better than a solid disk of onion that a lot of places put on a burger.


Crud. These stupid threads always make me hungry.

[Ron]

On the incredibly rare occasion I go to Mcdonalds for lunch I order their standard hamburger X 3 or a Big Mac. Still tastes the same as it always did as far as I'm concerned.

The franchise by my work is more consistent than the corporate store by me.

The corporate store is THE CORPORATE STORE. I work in Oakbrook Illinois.  McDonalds corporate headquarters and Burger U are a bike ride from my home and work.

It is rare that I frequent a Mickey D's these days. For me it is a treat and I mean that, I usually enjoy eating their fare.

[Doggy Daddy]

BRB.

The wife is serving up home made greasy sloppy joes.  When I get back I'll post something about fast food.  Either that, or I'll just sit here all fat and satisfied with grease dripping off my chin and read youse guys ruminations for a while.

 

[Jocassee]

I'm currently on board with the Wendys - BK -McD ranking.

I usually eat McD when it's late and I'm on the road. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like it sucks consistently. Wendy's does an OK job.

If there's a QT nearby I'll just get tacquitos. Still not that great but it doesn't pretend to be anything else, and it washes down great with Mountain Dew.

Oh, and the Steak and Shake here in town has TERRIBLE service. Food is fine.

[Perd Hapley]

Oh, and the Steak and Shake here in town has TERRIBLE service. Food is fine.

Same here.

I have some friends that almost live at their local S&S. First-name basis, and such. I find myself there at least once a month, which is often enough for me. The service is friendly enough; just really slow.

The food's not bad, but the burgers are thin (cheap). The fries are thin (cheaper). The chili is bland. The only thing I really like is bean crock, and shakes. Their breakfasts are OK.