McDonalds these days are depressing. No more character. No play place. No colors. Sterile like a dentist office. They simply are moving to kiosk only. Whatever it's too expensive for the slop they peddle.

Chuck E Cheese is still around but evidently no ball pits just arcade... no paper tickets its all digital. Puke. Also they no longer have animatronics based on the thread I saw.

America's deswagification continues.

I hate McDonald's at the moment. Especially my local.

These stores were hopping in my youth, is that a word young folk use... " hopping "

Anyway, the place would be packed on a Friday or Saturday night, because the food was at least consistently good, and it was a somewhat clean and respectable environment.

Now, the majority I walk into are dirty, lifeless shells of what was once great.

Don't get me started, I had to leave my car a week or so ago and go back into the store and " put them on blast " is that how we use this term?

Regardless, how fucking hard is it to make a milkshake? Apparently, it's difficult.. took them 4 attempts to make a milkshake that wasn't entirely... white milk.

In the UK at least McDonald's has often become a home for the meandering drunks wanting some cheap food after a night out. Unlike most other late night food places, there's lots of space to have a seat at a table and hang out, instead of getting your food and leaving. Naturally they cause havoc, a nightmare for staff.

Now that the establishment has become more digitised, where you order by touching a giant monolith a few times, and there's not much decor, and not much staff, it doesn't happen so much. Another contributor is that McDonald's rarely stays open after midnight, which it used to do.

If I had a choice between depressing chain fast food places + nice restaurants, and nice chain fast food places + depressing restaurants, I'm clearly choosing the former.

I’ll echo the comments that all McDs feel dirty these days. The food quality has gone to hell too.

McDonalds and Starbucks are always dirty, McD is worse with the staff chatting amongst themselves.
The biggest strike against Macca's (As we call it in Oz) is that it is no longer cheap, though granted not much is:

A large Big mac meal is like $15 that's a lot to spend on something not particularly good or filling.
I have a microwave and air fryer at work and I often stop at the Grocery store to buy lunch on the way to Work, you can get a whole hot roast chicken for $12
Lately I have been buying microwave protein meals, normally they're $10 each.




On special at the moment at 2 for $15

McDonald's used to be a destination experience for kids. When was the last time you saw one of their characters in an ad? I don't think they even have them inside the restaurant. They tried to make McDonald's hipper and they lost their charm.

It's all about the current eating habits today. More and more, people are either taking out, or having their food delivered.

So you're not seeing many people eat inside the restaurant anymore.  So things like extra seating, and kid areas are disappearing as a result.

They became coffee shops that sell burgers.

But, on the topic of price. None of the fast food chain here are particularly " cheap " any more. Any large meal is going to cost you nearly $15. When it's good, it's maybe justified. But when it's 3 hours old and has barely any heat left in it, it's hardly justified.

How many times have you purchased a cheeseburger from McDonald's and it looked like it was in someone's school bag for the day? Often.. too often.

This is probably the time dine in and casual places should pounce because even with a tip it's similar price to what a lot of these places are charging. I really don't see how people can justify delivery apps though. Increased price + fees + tip = $$$$. And tipping doesn't even guarantee anything either. They're clearly shifting away from things that involve labor. Drinks are no longer self serve after the covid remodels. Honestly they might as well not even have the doors unlocked at this point. App ordering and drive thru seems to be the focus. Honestly I'm sure regular retail wants to go that direction too with grocery delivery services. It's fun reading the doordash threads about illegals stealing their jerbs.

A few of the local McDonald's were 24hr, but now shut the doors early and ask you go through the drive thru. They won't let you in.

The KFCs here did the same years ago, and after a big night out, it wasn't uncommon to see people on foot waiting in the drive thru.

May 15, 2024 20:05:22 GMT @ness said:

This is probably the time dine in and casual places should pounce because even with a tip it's similar price to what a lot of these places are charging. I really don't see how people can justify delivery apps though. Increased price + fees + tip = $$$$. And tipping doesn't even guarantee anything either. They're clearly shifting away from things that involve labor. Drinks are no longer self serve after the covid remodels. Honestly they might as well not even have the doors unlocked at this point. App ordering and drive thru seems to be the focus. Honestly I'm sure regular retail wants to go that direction too with grocery delivery services. It's fun reading the doordash threads about illegals stealing their jerbs.

Chili's is advertising a burger, appetizer, and drink for $10.99. That's less than a Wendy's combo.

May 15, 2024 16:59:56 GMT Gyro LC said:

McDonald's used to be a destination experience for kids. When was the last time you saw one of their characters in an ad? I don't think they even have them inside the restaurant. They tried to make McDonald's hipper and they lost their charm.

Can only speak for around here, but likely (1) when they stopped having playpens due to hygiene standards and (2) when they phased out their own original characters in the Happy Meal toys for movie/cartoon tie-ins instead. Can't show Grimace and not have Grimace available!

They peddled his birthday and shake. Is Grimace even still over?

Anyone here watched The Foundry? It's a great film even if it's written about someone you don't respect.

What made McDonalds a success was not the playgrounds or the characters, it was a decision to only do a few things but do them exceptionally well.

Now the stores are a mess, too much complexity in the process when you're doing everything from salad to burgers to barista made coffee. If you can't state the premise and core strategy of your business in 10 seconds, you're already sunk whether you know it or not.

I think gone are the days of a gimmick. I'd bet if today's McDonald's were styled like it was the 1980s, and there were 5ft statues of clowns everywhere, it would be pretty cringy.

But in saying that, most, if not all McDonald's I've stopped at have playgrounds still.

I'm sure they're doing incredible well business wise, I doubt we'll ever read a story about McDonald's being in debt.

There's a clip that pops up randomly with Keaton and BJ Novak from The Office, where BJ's character says, " you're not in the burger business, you're in the real estate business " to the owner of the original McDonald's, and of course that's the methodology behind franchising, but it also leads to people owning multiple sites and becoming nothing more than silent investors and hence having little involvement in the actual stores given the profit margin is likely massive and they're happily getting richer doing very little.

May 16, 2024 19:42:03 GMT NATH45 said:

I think gone are the days of a gimmick. I'd bet if today's McDonald's were styled like it was the 1980s, and there were 5ft statues of clowns everywhere, it would be pretty cringy.

But in saying that, most, if not all McDonald's I've stopped at have playgrounds still.

I'm sure they're doing incredible well business wise, I doubt we'll ever read a story about McDonald's being in debt.

There's a clip that pops up randomly with Keaton and BJ Novak from The Office, where BJ's character says, " you're not in the burger business, you're in the real estate business " to the owner of the original McDonald's, and of course that's the methodology behind franchising, but it also leads to people owning multiple sites and becoming nothing more than silent investors and hence having little involvement in the actual stores given the profit margin is likely massive and they're happily getting richer doing very little.

McDonalds owns all the land and the franchisee just owns the business, it's an amazing business model.
I don't know about now, but it used to be hard to get approved for one of their franchises.
I know a lot of companies would force you to divest yourself of all other businesses interests before they'd let you buy a franchise.

It's probably about the only one worth owning these days, private equity has scooped up most parent companies and jack priced on their franchisees rather than working to make them more successful. It's why all thee Nando's are closing near me.

Topical:

www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/gross-reason-woman-cancels-maccas-order/news-story/24327699b568f539520994ec98a17c51

" posted a clip to TikTok " must be the most commonly written line on news.com.au these days.

May 19, 2024 11:36:17 GMT iNCY said:

Topical:

www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/gross-reason-woman-cancels-maccas-order/news-story/24327699b568f539520994ec98a17c51

Irony FTW~!

I used to work at a haunted McDonald's. Most of the stuff happened in the basement and kid play area. Not really relevant to the discussion, just something I remembered.  Was empty for a long time after it closed. It's now an commercial electrical company.

Wonder if they still have weird happenings? I'm not sure I believe in ghosts completely, so I'm sure there's perfectly logical reason for the things that happened there, but it was creepy at the time and made for good stories.

Well, when it rains, it pours. And when it pours, you dry the mop under the French Fry lamps.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/maccas-worker-filmed-in-disgusting-act/news-story/d46270656582b84af5e5b90db546a9ad%3famp

She's disinfecting it.

Speaking of flavour, while not as bad as above, years ago my coworker and I used to love to go to Arby's for deep fried mozza sticks and curly fries, BUT they never tasted as good when they changed the oil so we actually found out the schedule from the manager of when they changed it so we could go just before they did for all that extra flavour.  

No one is more surprised than I am that I don't have high cholesterol or diabetes. 

Blindy do you see a mop head? All I can focus on is cake.

@ness wants a double

May 21, 2024 13:08:51 GMT @ness said:

Blindy do you see a mop head? All I can focus on is cake.

:lol: 

That's crazy to put in a mop in the fryer, not surprising I guess then again. Glad I haven't eaten McDonalds in like 6-7 years. Or any fast food burger place. 

May 21, 2024 0:50:30 GMT iron maiden said:

May 19, 2024 11:36:17 GMT iNCY said:

Topical:

www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/eat/gross-reason-woman-cancels-maccas-order/news-story/24327699b568f539520994ec98a17c51

Irony FTW~!

I used to work at a haunted McDonald's. Most of the stuff happened in the basement and kid play area. Not really relevant to the discussion, just something I remembered.  Was empty for a long time after it closed. It's now an commercial electrical company.

Wonder if they still have weird happenings? I'm not sure I believe in ghosts completely, so I'm sure there's perfectly logical reason for the things that happened there, but it was creepy at the time and made for good stories.

"Haunted McDonald's" sounds like the premise for a movie.

A comedy, to be clear

May 15, 2024 19:30:23 GMT CM Punk'd said:

It's all about the current eating habits today. More and more, people are either taking out, or having their food delivered.

So you're not seeing many people eat inside the restaurant anymore.  So things like extra seating, and kid areas are disappearing as a result.

During COVID I remember predicting that this was going to happen but I thought it was going to happen more rapidly.  I thought we would see a death of indoor dining, especially at fast food.  I predicted a massive rise in ghost kitchens as well.  So, far, I am kinda wrong.  That 2 story 4 drive thru Taco Bell in Minnesota was just in it's planning stages.  Now, I guess it is fully operational.   I thought it was the future for all fast food.  Especially as it seems after COVID so many have just married order delivered fast food.

McDonalds came to COLLECT.

Supersize Me guy just died.

May 25, 2024 14:13:45 GMT @ness said:

McDonalds came to COLLECT.

Supersize Me guy just died.

I feel like this thread was the straw that broke his back.

May 23, 2024 15:33:56 GMT theend said:

May 15, 2024 19:30:23 GMT CM Punk'd said:

It's all about the current eating habits today. More and more, people are either taking out, or having their food delivered.

So you're not seeing many people eat inside the restaurant anymore.  So things like extra seating, and kid areas are disappearing as a result.

During COVID I remember predicting that this was going to happen but I thought it was going to happen more rapidly.  I thought we would see a death of indoor dining, especially at fast food.  I predicted a massive rise in ghost kitchens as well.  So, far, I am kinda wrong.  That 2 story 4 drive thru Taco Bell in Minnesota was just in it's planning stages.  Now, I guess it is fully operational.   I thought it was the future for all fast food.  Especially as it seems after COVID so many have just married order delivered fast food.

Theres serious talk that drugs like Ozempic are going to decimate the fast food industry.

All the Micky D's milkshake machines in my area are BROKEN!