McDonald's Leaving Iceland

McDonald's is closing all 3 of their restaurants in Iceland, following the island nation's economic collapse.

Subway To Pass McDonald's Restaurant Number

Sometime in the next few months Subway will surpass McDonald's number of world-wide restaurant locations.

Subway is expected to pass 31,800 restaurants this week bringing it within 400 of McDonald's 32,158 restaurant locations.

Subway remains way behind McDonald's in revenue, though. The average US McDonald's had about $2.3 million in sales last year; the average Subway, about $445,000.

Advertising Age

McDonald's Using Foreign Beef in US Angus Burgers

You would think that McDonald's would turn exclusively to US farmers for the Angus beef in their new Angus Third Pounder Burgers sold in US stores.

Instead they have upped their deal with New Zealand farmers to export over 22,000 tons of beef (that's enough for over 132 million Angus Third Pounders). They'll be mixing that NZ Angus with US Angus for the new burgers.

McDonald's must be getting a great deal, because they literally couldn't find someplace farther away from the US to get additional Angus beef.

McDonald's Japan: The Mega-Egg

Check out this McDonald's sandwich, available for a limited time in Japan:

It's called the "Mega Tamago" and has (as you can see) 3 beef patties, 2 strips of bacon, an egg, cheddar cheese, lettuce, a 'special' sauce and 3 buns.  It is described on McD's Japan website as:  "The Mega-Egg.  Quivering with mega deliciousness."

Free Mocha Mondays at McDonald's McCafe

As McDonald's continues to try and take away customers from Starbucks with their McCafe concept, they've now introduced Free Mocha Mondays.

On Mondays from July 13 through August 3, 2009 (that's 7/13, 7/20, 7/27, and 8/3) between 7am and 7pm you can get a free sample (7 oz. cold or 8 oz hot) Mocha.

The McCafe Mocha is "the sweetheart of the coffe drinks:  freshly ground espresso beans coupled with steamed milk (whole or nonfat), indulgent chocolate syrup, and capped with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle."

Since we're on the topic and haven't done so yet, here's a look at the complete nutritional data for a few McCafe drinks:

As you can see the Medium Caramel Latte packs 280 calories and 8 grams of fat:

The Medium Iced Mocha has 310 calories and 13 grams of fat:

And the McCafe calorie champ (and granted, it is a large) is the large Mocha, coming in at 400 calories, 14 grams of fat (and even a half gram of Trans Fat) and 49 grams of sugar:

By way of comparison, here are some of Starbuck's highest calorie drinks.

McD's Angus Third Pounder Taste Tested

Act Fast! The first 8 people to follow and send a private message (with your snail mail address) to FastFoodNews via Twitter will get a pair of McDonald's "Be Our Guest Cards." Each card can be redeemed for a free Angus Third Pounder. (These cards were supplied to Fast Food News by McDonald's Inc.) We've given away the free Angus Third Pounder cards, but you can still follow FastFoodNews on Twitter.

Yesterday was the first day for McDonald's first nationwide roll-out of a new burger in 8 years, the Angus Third Pounder.

We tried 2 of the 3 new versions of the Third Pounder, the Deluxe and the Bacon & Cheese. (We'll save the Mushroom Swiss for another day.)

Here's what we came home with... the Bacon & Cheese is on the left, the Deluxe is on the right:

I'm not much of a photographer, but let's go ahead and compare that to McDonald's official, professional press release photo of these 2 new burgers:

These burgers are more substantial than the Quarter Pounder. The beef patty is clearly bigger, although it still has that iconic, pre-formed appearance of all McDonald's meat patties.

The real rings of purple onion and the thick slice of a large diameter tomato are nice touches. It helps to push this burgers taste in the direction of a home made hamburger... not that it actually makes it to that realm, but it helps. The lettuce was abundant, fresh and of good quality, too.

We both noticed, though, that the purple onions were virtually tasteless. We assume that McDonald's went to great lengths to find onions that would never be considered to strong or offensive. We had fun imagining the process of McDonald's execs insisting on a genetically-modified scentless, tasteless onion that could be grown in huge quantities. Just a fantasy; couldn't be true.

We got our Angus Third Pounders at McDonald's #6753 in Benbrook, TX where the manager on duty said that they had been selling the Third Pounders for about a week (even though yesterday was their official release date). He said they'd had a good response to them and they were growing in popularity. He said they were selling about 50 a day. (Note: We used "Be Our Guest Cards" for 2 free Third Pounders and purchased the rest of our meal. We didn't speak to the manager until after our burgers where prepared and handed to us.)

In the press materials for the Third Pounders, the descriptions of all 3 burgers ends with, "served on a toasted bakery-style sesame seed roll." This description left me expecting the burger to be on a warm, slightly crunchy, toasted bun. This was not the case. The bun was cold and soft and had not been toasted in any way noticeable from the outside. When I took the burger apart for the photos below, I could see the the inside of the buns had been toasted slightly. No big deal really, but after reading the description I suppose I became hopeful that the entire sandwich would be run through a warmer/toaster just before being served.

Otherwise, besides being a little bigger, the buns do not differ in consitency or flavor from standard McDonald's buns.

Here's a look at the insides (again, Bacon & Cheese on the left, Deluxe on the right. Click for larger image.)

Nutritional Information:

The Angus Third Pounders have a calorie range of 750 to 770 calories. They have 39-40 grams of fat and 16-17 grams of saturated fat.

Interestingly, they also have 2 grams of Trans Fat. This is interesting because most fast food chains have eliminated or are attempting to eliminate all trans fats from their menus. A reader asked if this would prevent the sandwiches from being sold in New York City where Trans Fats are banned. I, in turn, asked a McDonald's rep and was informed that, "NYC Department of Health regulation pertains only to artificial trans fat. The 2 grams of trans fat in the Angus Burger is attributed to the beef patty that contains naturally-occurring trans fat,a type of trans fat that would not be subject to the artificial trans fat regulation."

Here's the calorie, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbs, fiber, sugar & protein stats for the Angus Third Pounders:

Here's a look at a cross section of the Bacon & Cheese Angus Third Pounder (click for larger):

And a close-up of the burger patty (on the Deluxe):

Had one yourself? Let us know what you think.

McDonald's Angus Third Pounders Nationwide

McDonald's first new burgers since 2001 will be available at McDonald's restaurants starting tomorrow.

The new burgers are 3 "Angus Third Pounder" burgers.

Available nationwide, starting tomorrow July 2, 2009, their will be 3 versions of the Angus Third Pounder burgers: the Deluxe, Bacon & Cheese, and Mushroom & Swiss. Each Angus Third Pounder is made with 1/3 pound of Angus beef and served on a toasted sesame seed roll.

McDonald's has been testing these Angus burgers for 2 years in various markets.

As with the Quarter Pounder, the Third Pound description is the burger patty's weight before cooking.

McDonald's will be featuring items on these burgers that have never before been seen on a McDonald's burger: Rings of red onions, full slices of bacon, sauteed mushrooms, natural swiss cheese and 'bakery-style' sesame seed rolls.

As I mentioned, this is McDonald's first new burger launch since 2001. The Big ‘N Tasty debuted in 2001.

Although we referenced some early reviews of McDonald's Angus Burger, we'll be trying them tomorrow and have an update for you. McDonald's is also sending us some "Be Our Guest" cards so that you can try the new Angus Third Pounds, too. Check back and we'll let you know how you can get yours. Follow Fast Food News on Twitter to win, that's where we'll give them away.

Here's the Angus Third Pounders' official logo:

New Salads From McDonald's Canada

McDonald's has announced 4 new salads for their restaurants in Canada.

They are:

The Mediterranean Salad: red peppers, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, crumbled feta cheese, black olives and leafy greens.

The Mighty Caesar Salad: parmesan cheese, bacon, croutons and leafy greens with a garlic and parmesan glaze.

Spicy Thai Salad: spring mix and leafy greens with red peppers, cucumbers, carrots, and whole wheat crisps with sweet and spicy Thai glaze.

Garden Fresh Salad: red onion, cucumber, grape tomatoes, carrots, red peppers, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses on leafy greens.

The four new entree salads will be well-dressed with Renee's Gourmet salad dressings. Customers can choose from seven dressings, including Asian Sesame Vinaigrette, Mighty Caesar Dressing, Caesar Light Dressing, Mediterranean Greek Vinaigrette, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Ravin' Raspberry Vinaigrette and Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.

Here's what they look like:

They will cost $6.79.

McDonalds Canada has made their salad release part of their spring fashion promotion with "Canadian fashion designers ready to offer valuable tips and simple tricks for easy summer dressing at www.fashionflavour.ca

In the US, McDonald's offers 3 different salads: Southwest Salad, Bacon Ranch Salad, and Caesar Salad. Each are available with or without grilled or crispy chicken.

But in the US, we only get the McDonald's slogan in one language. So if you get nothing else from this post, at least learn how to say "I'm lovin' it" in French (see logo above).

It's "C'est ça que j'm."

I'll even share the pronunciation with you (my wife happens to be a French teacher): Say Sah Kuh Jhem (the "J'm" is hard, it's like "gem" with a 'j').

There, now you can go to the French speaking countries of the world and be a spokesperson for McDonald's.

Anatomy of the McNugget [Humor]

Matty Boy Anderson created the humorous and disgusting illustration: "Anatomy of a Chicken McNugget." It is posted on his Mike the Pod website, which he describes as "The Most Awesome Site Your Human Eyes May Ever Behold: 10 Years of Ill Humor."

Anderson says, "People tell me that this is hands-down the sickest thing I've ever done.  So take that as a warning if you need to.  The ironic secret:  I still occasionally eat them.  Haw!"

Anderson's illustrations and descriptions of what a McNugget really is, appear on the Mike the Pod website, here.  There are 3 'varieties' in his illustration, I've included one of them below with his introduction.  Enjoy!

Anatomy of a Chicken McNugget

For many years, it was believed that the "McNugget" served at McDonalds restaurants was a batter-fried piece of formal chicken.  Now, Mike the Pod has learned the ugly truth.  In its search for a less-expensive more plentiful food source, McDonalds has employed genetic engineers to create the macnugeta repulsiva, a diminutive creature that lives in tanks of protein-enriched slime lit only by black light, until its brood grows large enough for it to be thrown live into frying batter (usually when their offspring reaches the healthy number of six, nine or twenty).  Herewith, our disturbing findings.

Adult Female:  The female has a thicker coating of secreted mucous and is therefore more difficult to catch.  She uses her flourescent tongue to make chirping noises, much like a dolphin, to attrack the male.

Dr. Pepper Coming to All McDonald's

In a big victory for Dr. Pepper (and Dr. Pepper drinkers like myself), McDonald's has reached an agreement with the Dallas-based Dr. Pepper Snapple Group to make Dr. Pepper available at all of McDonald's 14,000 US locations. DP is currently available at about 8,500 McDonald's.

In a slight blow to #1 soft drink company Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper will replace Coke's Pibb Xtra.

McDonald's is expanding its fountain and bottled drinks to complement McCafe espresso-based drinks available in about 70 percent of its U.S. stores.

McDonald's operators will have a choice to add Diet Dr Pepper, now featured at 3,500 stores, as Dr Pepper Snapple tries to increase its third-place share of the Coke-dominated U.S. fountain drink market.

Dr. Pepper now has 100 percent availability at 25 of the top 20 30 fast food chains.

Dr. Pepper has even set up a website to help McDonald's franchise operators market their new beverage offering.

Happy Meal Promo a F***ing Mess

McDonald's latest Happy Meal promotion is turning into a real mess, you might even say that it is a f***ing mess.

McDonald's currently giving away some Kidz Bop CDs in Happy Meals and some parents have discovered that they don't want their kids listening to the lyrics on CD Number 6. The fast food giant has pulled that CD.

It has a Kidz Bop remake of Gavin DeGraw's song "I Don't Want To Be." But where DeGraw's lyrics go "I'm tired of lookin' round," the Kidz Bop version seems to be "I'm tired of f***ing round."

But don't take my word for it, listen for yourself. (First you'll hear DeGraw's version, then the Kidz Bop version that McDonald's was handing out with Happy Meals.)

UPDATE: I just received the following e-mail from a McDonald's representative:

"I'm a spokesperson for McDonald's and wanted to make sure that you have the facts surrounding the claims on the Kidz Bop CD in McDonald’s Happy Meal.

An inaccurate claim has been made regarding lyrics in the song, "I Don't Want To Be," included on Kidz Bop CD number six from the current McDonald's Happy Meal promotion.

This song contains the original lyric, "I'm tired of looking 'round rooms," and does not contain profanity, as some have suggested. The CDs will continue to be available at McDonald’s restaurants as part of this Happy Meal promotion, while supplies last."

So, kudo's to McDonald's for sticking to their guns. They don't hear the f-word in the song, so they're going to keep distributing it. I'll admit, the power of suggestion is strong, and when you are expecting to hear it, it really sounds like it is there. But... it really sounds like somebody slipped an f-bomb into that song.

McDonald's Meat Factory Tour

I guess McDonald's finds this video reassuring.  It might be to some... especially those with a taste for mechanically processed meat 'product'.  To some the video might show a little more than people want to know.  There is certainly nothing unusual here... most of our food today comes from processing factories like these, but it is interesting that McDonald's wants to show it off.

I first saw the video after reading about it at Gizmodo.  They were horrified and disgusted.  They were shocked that McDonald's needs to put their meat patties through a metal detector for safety.  I guess they'd be surprised to learn that that happens at most food processing facilities and it is just simply a good idea to ensure safety.

McDonald's has titled the video, on their web site, "At Lopez Foods, only 100% beef makes the grade."

I guess the title bothered me a little before I even watched the video:  I was hoping that "100% beef" was the expected standard, not something that has to be promoted.  They mention that the beef is "100% beef" in the video, too.  But most of the folks interviewed in the video refer to the meat as "product."  So, they're processing the "product" they receive into hamburger patties.  Okay.  Maybe you should call it meat in the video.

All in all, it is standard McDonald's health and safety propaganda, I'm just a little surprised that they would chose to make some of these video images public.  Some people certainly will find it gross.

A shot from the video:

Fast Food at Guantanamo Bay

From Wikipedia:

In 1986, Guantanamo became host to Cuba's first and only McDonald's restaurant, as well as a Subway. These fast food restaurants are on base, and not accessible to Cubans. It has been reported that prisoners cooperating with interrogations have been rewarded with Happy Meals from the McDonald's located on the mainside of the base.

In 2004, Guantanamo opened a combined KFC & A&W restaurants at the bowling alley and a Pizza Hut Express at the Windjammer Restaurant. There is also a Taco Bell, and an ice cream shop that sells Starbucks coffee. All the restaurants on the installation are franchises owned and operated by the Department of the Navy. All proceeds from these restaurants are used to support morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) activities for service personnel and their families.

The McRib Locator

Okay, fast food fans, it has arrived, The McRib Locator.

As we all know, it isn't available at all McDonald's, all the time, just some of the McDonald's, some of the time.

Created by a meterologist in Burnsville, MN, The McRib Locator allows you to enter the location of a McDonald's you've spotted that is selling McRibs. The sighting will be represented on a Google Map that everyone can check.

If you find someplace near you on the map that's serving McRibs, but you're on the fence about whether or not you want one... let Fast Food News help you with your decision... we've Deconstructed the McRib for your viewing pleasure. Check it out, then make your decision.

McCurry beats McDonald's in court

Fast food chain McDonald's lost a lawsuit in Malaysia on Wednesday after an appeals court overruled a decision that its trademark had been infringed by a local restaurant called McCurry.

"Where the learned judge, with respect, erred is to assume that McDonald's had a monopoly in the use of the prefix 'Mc' on a signage or in the conduct of business," Judge Gopal Sri Ram said, overturning a 2006 ruling in favour of McDonald's.

The McDonald's operation in this Southeast Asian country of 27 million people is run as franchise by prominent businessman Vincent Tan and has 185 outlets, according to the company website.

McCurry, by contrast, serves Indian fast food from one restaurant in Kuala Lumpur as well Malaysian dishes such as fish head curry and is short for "Malaysian Chicken Curry", according to the company website.

McDonald's Serves Cleaning Solution Tea

from the Maryland Daily Record:

Late one evening last September, Caryl Jones ordered an iced tea at the drive-through of the McDonald’s near her Northwest Baltimore home. But that’s not what she got, according to her lawsuit in Baltimore City Circuit Court.

What Jones got was another sort of “T”: Triazinetrione — Dichloro-s-Triazinetrione Dihydrate, to be exact — better known as “McD Sanitizer,” a cleaning chemical intended for use on kitchen equipment and surfaces.

McDonald's at Texas Stock Show

I visited the famous Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo last week. Every year there is an area called "Planet Agriculture" promoting various agricultural products from cotton and corn to milk and beef. Sponsored by the Texas Farm Bureau, Cattleman's Beef Board (the "Beef: It's What's for Dinner" folks) and McDonald's, the section about beef had lots of information, but I thought I'd share the two signs clearly produced for McDonald's. I've included a transcription of the text below each photo.

McDonald's is clearly trying to promote their standard message that their food is healthy, safe and nutritious, but there have an additional marketing target here... the people of Texas.  They want Texans to know just how much money they pour into the Texas economy with their copious beef purchases.

McDonald's Beef Facts
(Sources: Texas Farm Bureau & McDonald's)

McDonald's provides nutrition and ingredient information for the majority of our products.

Lean Beef (as set by the USDA) is less than 10g of Total Fat, 4.5g or less of Saturated fat and less than 95 mg of cholesterol per serving and 100 grams. There are 29 cuts of beef that meet the government labeling guidelines for Lean. The McDonald's hamburger meets this criteria too!

A 3 oz serving of lean beef is an excellent source of:

• Protein (50% of the DV*)
• Zinc (39% of the DV)
• Vitamin B12 (37% of the DV)
• Selenium (24% of the DV)
• Phosphorus (30% of the DV)
  

Percent Daily Value (DV) is based on a 2,000-calories diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower, depending on your calorie needs.

McDonald's purchased more than 87 million pounds of beef from Texas in 2005.

McDonald's spent more than $100 million dollars on beef purchased from Texas in 2005.

McDonald's uses only 100% USDA inspected beef, with no additives, fillers, flavor enhancers or extenders. Patties are seasoned at the grill with salt and pepper.

McDonald's Beef Facts
(Sources: Texas Farm Bureau & McDonald's)

Quality and sensory testing are conducted every two hours at McDonald's supplier plants. Patties are tested using the same grills found in McDonald's restaurants and scored to ensure consistent taste and texture.

McDonald's requires feed grain certification from all suppliers. Signed affidavits from suppliers verify that animals have been fed in 100 percent compliance with federal guidelines to ensure that cattle in McDonald's supply chain are feed with only safe, wholesome feed.

McDonald's has some of the most stringent food safety and quality assurance standards in the industry. Its safety regulations for beef meets or exceeds those required by the USDA.

1. Beef is America's #1 selling protein!
2. Beef cattle are found on more than 130,000 Texas farms and ranches.
3. In 1968 McDonald's introduced the Big Mac sandwich as a core menu item.
4. Beef is the #1 source of protein, B-12, and zinc in the diet!
5. A three ounce serving of lean beef provides 50 percent of the daily value our bodies need for protein.

McDonald's Still After Starbucks Customers

McDonald's is showing some serious stamina in their quest to take some (or much, or all) of Starbucks business.

Their campaign started in April of 2005 when they announced their new specialty coffee drinks. Since then their coffee outranked Starbucks in a Consumer Reports survey and they've come up with some interesting coffee product placement on TV news among other things.

Then, earlier this year, Starbucks announced the closing of 600+ of their stores and some say McDonald's attempt to become a morning 'beverage destination' was at least a little part of the problem for Starbucks.

And now this:

Wow, McDonald's isn't letting up and they're going after Starbucks head-on now.

Another billboard (also appearing in the Seattle area, Starbucks home turf) reads "large is the new grande."

This ad tactic really takes advantage of the tough economic times, too. Some people are starting to realize that cutting the $4+ coffee from their daily routine can really save them some money ($1,460 per year).

Dunkin' Donuts has also been pointing this out and has certainly done some damage to Starbucks business, too, with their "Friends Don't Let Friends Drink Starbucks" campaign and their independent study showing that folks prefer Dunkin' Donuts coffee over Starbucks.

image via Seattle Post-Intelligencer

A Skeptic's Take on Super Size Me

As Brian Dunning writes over at Skeptoid: "McDonald's is probably the world's easiest target. It's always popular to be anticorporate; it's always popular to bash fast foods, and audiences are generally well predisposed to welcome any information that supports these concepts."

Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me" took advantage of that, drew a huge audience, and convinced many people that eating McDonald's would not only make you fat, but make you sick, too. And he did this without presenting any real scientific evidence.

Other documentaries have been made showing that a person (like Spurlock did) can eat only McDonald's for a month and actually lose weight. Two examples are Bowling for Morgan and Portion Size Me.

As Dunning points out, the largest calorie items at McDonald's and other fast food restaurants are the beverages. Spurlock had many McDonald's shakes while making his film and a 32-ounce McDonald's Chocolate Triple Thick Shake has 1,160 calories! These can easily be avoided when dining on fast food.

The soft drinks pack a lot of sugar and calories, too. But not the diet ones! And not the water!

There are some important things to think about in this Skeptoid editorital, especially if you've seen and completely accepted Super Size Me.

read or listen to Super Sized Fast Food Phobia at Skeptoid.

Japan Quarter Pounder Store

The "Quarter Pounder Stores" that have popped up in Japan have been getting a lot of attention in the blogosphere lately.

The black and red generic stores carry no iconic McDonald's arches are any other branding and have only 2 items on the menu, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal and the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal (both are served with French Fries and Coke or Coffee).

So what's the story on these 2 restaurants?

McDonald's has been in Japan for quite some time, of course, but their iconic Quarter Pounder with Cheese has never made it on to the menu in Japan. These 2 Quarter Pounder Stores serve as a promotional marketing announcement of the Quarter Pounder's introduction into Japan's fast food market.

The restaurants gave away Quarter Pounder t-shirts on the day they opened (November 1) and are running a promotion on their website (www.quarter-pounder.net) for a group of 20 people to win a trip to and tour of the US.

I've received an e-mail from Junichi Kawaminami of McDonald's Japan Corporate Relations. He writes:

"McDonald's Japan is running a teaser promotion before a new product launch which is to be announced in the not too distant future in Japan. The Quarter Pounder store is a part of the promotion and is designed in a black and red colors with chic black furniture generating a fashionable atmosphere with no McDonald's logos.

"The Quarter Poudner store is run by the Quarter Pounder Secretariat Office for a limited period of time during the promotion. It is not a new restaurant concept or a new brand design that McDonald's is examining or testing.

"Two Quarter Pounder stores were opened in downtown Tokyo, Omotesand and Shibuya East stores at 11:00 AM of November 1. They serve two meal menus only:

• Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal: 500 yen - promotional price (with French Fries and Coke or Coffee)
• Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal: 600 yen promotional price (with French Fries and Coke or Coffee)

"On November 1st, 2nd and 3rd, first 1000 customers received "Quarter Pounder" T-shirts as grand opening gifts and 500 people lined up at the Omotesando stores afer the opening time. The Quarter Pounder Secretariat Office is running a sweepstake to win US Tour for 10 pairs/20 people to win, promoted at the stores and on its official web site.

"With this promotion, the Quarter Pounder Secretariat Office is inviting the Japanese consumers to try the authentic hamburger, Quarter Pounder, originated in the US of great taste with juicy quality beef, establishing high awareness in Japan through the media and words of mouth among those with arousing curiosity.

Neil Duckett has some great photos of the interior of the store at his blog.
The Quarter Pounder Store story also broke on A Hamburger Today, Fast Food Fever! and McChronicles.

McNuggets 25th Anniversary & Fan Site

McDonald's has launched a fan-site for Chicken McNuggets today (11/18/08) at www.Nuggnuts.com in celebration of the McNugget's 25th anniversary.

The Nuggnuts fansite links to the McNuggets Facebook site, a Nuggnut Hall of Fame and the Nuggnut Pledge, which reads:

I, [state your name], do solemnly swear, that I am totally into Chicken McNuggets. I pledge to eat lots of McNuggets, especially when hungry, in any way I see fit. I understand that it's perfectly cool to write songs about McNuggets, to take pictures of ones that look like famous people, and to videotape them dancing. I promise to tell anyone who will listen about my passion for dipping, popping, dunking, sharing, sneaking and generally just bowing down in awe to original tender, juicy white meat Chicken McNuggets, even if it makes me sound like a paid spokesperson. Which is a job I would actually love. Because I'm a Nuggnut, and proud of it. Sincerely, [your name again].

“McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets have a vocal and enthusiastic fan base,” said Marta Fearon, director of marketing for McDonald’s USA. “We knew there was no better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Chicken McNuggets than by embracing these fans and inviting them to share their passion with others.”

There's been much guessing over the years about what is really in a Chicken McNugget... it is truly considered the mystery meat of fast food.

To counter this perception, McDonald's has gone out of their way to reassure us all that the McNugget is a pure and healthy product by sending their Moms' Quality Correspondents to experience and report on the McNuggets trip "from farm to Happy Meal."

I think you should decide for yourself and even if you can't follow the chicken from the farm to the restaurant, you can at least know what's in the final product. Excluding natural and artificial flavoring components (which are considered trade secrets!) here are the rest of the indrediants in a Chicken McNugget (as supplied by McDonald's):

White boneless chicken, water, food starch-modified, salt, chicken flavor (autolyzed yeast extract, salt, wheat starch, natural flavoring (botanical source), safflower oil, dextrose, citric acid, rosemary), sodium phosphates, seasoning (canola oil, mono- and diglycerides, extractives of rosemary). Battered and breaded with: water, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, food starch-modified, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, whey, corn starch. Prepared in vegetable oil ((may contain one of the following: Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness), dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent).

Hey, Chicken is listed first! And they must use a lot of it since McDonald's is anxious to point out that, "Starting in December, McDonald’s will be featured on the National Chicken Council’s consumer Web site, www.eatchicken.com, as part of a “Showcase of Chicken” feature on McDonald's."

McDonald's has supplied Fast Food News with this McNuggets Timeline:

• 1983 McDonald's introduces Chicken McNuggets to its national menu. The national launch is supported by the "McNugget Mania" advertising campaign.
• 1984 - Chicken McNuggets are introduced in Canada, Japan, France, and Germany.
• 1986 - McNuggets Shanghai, accompanied by a pair of chopsticks, a fortune cookie and a choice of sweet and sour, teriyaki or hot mustard sauce, was introduced to the menu as a temporary promotional item.
• 1988 - McDonald’s introduces the promotional product Fiesta McNuggets, which came with a collective coin.
• 2003 - McDonald's switches to Chicken McNuggets made with all white meat to enhance the quality and flavor of the popular menu item.
• 2008 - McDonald's celebrates the 25th anniversary of Chicken McNuggets by launching an online fan community for McNuggets enthusiasts at www.Nuggnuts.com.

McDonald's: Savings Seekers Send Sales Soaring

McDonald's same-store sales* went up 8.2% in October.

Part of this amazing increase in sales can be attributed to cash-strapped families and individuals who are turning to McDonald's Dollar Menu during trying economic times.

McDonald's total sales rose 5.4 percent, 9.8 percent in Europe and 11.5 percent in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa region because of strong demand in Australia.

*FYI: Same-store sales are a key indicator of restaurant performance since they measure growth at existing locations rather than newly opened ones.

Deep Cleaning the Grill at McDonald's

The LiveJournal Community McDonald's Talk is often an interesting insight into the fast food lives of McDonald's employees around the world.

Recently I paid a visit and read about cleaning the inside of a grill at a McDonald's in Huntsville, Alabama.

McDonald's Talk contributor superfly915 took some before and after photos of his work and wrote:

"Over the last few days, I have cleaned the inside of the grill. I doubt that this has ever been done before at my store (and if it has, it's been a really long time)."

Here's a 'before and after' cleaning comparison:

It certainly looks like a big job and it looks like Superfly put his heart into it and did a great job.

I've lightened and tried to sharpen some more of the photos Superfly took (below) to show you just how bad this grill got before he got in there and scooped and scrubbed out all that grease.

Kudos to Superfly for getting this done, but maybe his manager might want to consider getting this done sooner next time, before it gets so gross.

Silly me, but I thought McDonald's did a thorough cleaning every night after closing that would keep something from getting this bad.

And here's a final look at Superfly's finished product... a clean McDonald's grill!

McDonald's Double Cheeseburger and the McDouble

The Wall Street woes have officially hit just about every Main Street in America today... every one with a McDonald's at least.

McDonald's is planning to take their much beloved Double Cheeseburger off the Dollar Menu.

They're replacing it with the new "McDouble." The McDouble still has 2 meat patties, but only 1 slice of cheese.

The Double Cheeseburger would still be available, but not on the Dollar Menu, it will be priced somewhere above $1.

There has been much speculation lately on the fate of the Double Cheeseburger, but these appear to be the final plans as laid out in a memo to franchisees. Franchisees will vote on the plans in November.

“The recommendation to add McDouble to our popular Dollar Menu reflects
that we’re . . . providing our customers even more choices, with the
everyday affordability our customers expect,” McDonald’s said in a
statement. “The recommendation to adjust the price of the Double
Cheeseburger allows us to continue to provide the same great-tasting
burger our customers know and love, still at a great value.”

McDonald's has been testing the Double Cheeseburger changes in some markets and have found that most people prefer to keep the second piece of cheese and spend a little more.

Removing 1 piece of cheese will save McDonald's about 6 cents per sandwich.

Evidently the Double Cheeseburger/McDouble changes could boost cash flow by $15,000 a year per restaurant.

“This sounds like a legitimate option to remove a piece of cheese, but
it seems odd to offer both double cheeseburgers,” says Larry Miller, an
analyst in Atlanta with RBC Capital Markets. “Any change to the Dollar
Menu is really important because it is in such high demand now.”

The Dollar Menu accounts for 14% of McDonald's US sales.

I suppose this was inevitable. When you sell as many burgers as McDonald's does, one piece of cheese can make a big difference to the bottom line.

But it does seem odd that they couldn't make up their mind to either raise the price or cut the cheese (sorry) and instead decide to do both.

Now, I guess, it will be up to us when we're in the drive-thru... more cash for extra cheese or a buck for 1 slice less?

What will you choose? Take the poll...

sources: Chicago Business and Forbes

McDonald's New Packaging

Beginning in November 2008, McDonald's will introduce its new generation of global packaging, the most comprehensive rollout in McDonald's history. All 118 McDonald's countries will participate in this rollout over the next two years.

"Through a blend of bold text and powerful images, the new packaging will illustrate the high quality ingredients and food prepared at McDonald's. McDonald's new global packaging will be consistent around the globe, using sophisticated graphics, photography and storytelling, with and without words."

"Our new packaging is a fresh way of sharing McDonald's food quality story with our customers," said Mary Dillon, McDonald's Global Chief Marketing Officer. "The more people know about our food the more they'll love it."

The new McDonald's fast food packaging will be introduced first in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States and continue rolling out worldwide through 2010.

Here is a look at the new Big Mac box and French Fry container (with the text enlarged for readability):

McRib Plays A Tune and Rings Your Cell

I know. It happens every year. But once again, we'll mention that McRib is back.

It is a love/hate thing. It seems nobody has a neutral feeling about this processed and pressed pork BBQ sandwich (with the fake ribs!).

This year McDonald's has teamed up with Myxer and Pandora to ad some musical and cellular excitement to the McRib experience.

Pandora is a great online music station that learns what you like and allows you to create your own stations with your preferences.

McDonald's marketing folks have set up 4 'stations' on Pandora: "Move Your Buns Soulful Ballads," "Tender Love Tunes of Today," "Saucy Love Classics of the 80's," and "McRib Country Flavor Classics."

When I checked out the "Move Your Buns" station, the first 3 songs were "Around the Way Girl" by LL Cool J, "My Adidas" by Run DMC, and "Have You Seen Her" by MC Hammer.

---

McDonald's has selected Myxer's Bullseye hyper-targeting service for the mobile phone portion of their McRib campaign.

You can text MCRIB to 69937 (MYXER) for the McRib content. Or you can just point your browser (phone or computer) www.myxer.com/MCRIB/

There you'll find some wallpapers and screensavers for you phone like the one above, or the "McRib Kiss" (on the right).

But if you're a McRib 'hater' instead of a McRib 'lover,' we thought we'd supply you with a sexy shot of a naked McRib 'patty' with its BBQ sauce washed off (below left), or a close-up of the inside of a McRib 'patty' (below right). These are from our McRib Deconstructed special a couple years back. Now these are some appetizing wallpapers!

McDonald's also has some Ringtones at Myxer. You would definitely have to be a McRib 'lover' to have this one on your phone! (Click 'Preview' to have a listen.)

Consumerist: McDonald's Sauce Limits

The Consumerist has a photo of a sign at a McDonald's sent in by Jon from NJ.

This McDonald's is limiting your free sauces to 1 sauce for 3-piece Chicken Selects and 6-piece McNuggets and 2 sauces for 5 piece Chicken Selects and 10 piece McNuggets.

That's just not enough sauce! One container is only enough for 2 or 3 McNuggets, certainly not for 6!

They're charging 10-cents for each additional sauce.

The sign notes, "Ketchup and mayo still free!"

We know this isn't the policy at all McDonald's, but the way things are going, it might soon be.

Consumerist: McDonald's Forgets the Meat in Cheeseburger

The Consumerist is reporting on Jarrett's recent trip to McDonald's. Jarrett wanted 2 plain Cheeseburgers... one of them not only had all the things that don't constitute plain (pickles, onions, ketchup), but it also DIDN'T have any meat!

McDonald's Muncher Tries to Pay with Pot!

from the AP:

VERO BEACH, Fla. - A McDonald's cashier called 911 after a Vero Beach drive-thru customer allegedly offered to pay for his meal with marijuana. The Indian River County Sheriff's Office said the cashier called Monday with a description of the vehicle the suspect had been riding in.

A deputy spotted the vehicle, found marijuana in the car and arrested its occupant, 27-year-old Shawn Alexander Pannullo (pictured).

Pannullo was charged with possession of cannabis and posted $500 bail. It was unclear if he had an attorney.
Story continues below ↓advertisement

A sheriff's report did not say what the suspect ordered at McDonald's or if he ultimately purchased the meal using something other than marijuana.

McDonald's No Longer Gay-Friendly?

McDonald's had long been supportive of equal rights for their homosexual customers and employees, but there are a couple of indications that their policy has changed.

First, McDonald's has caved to the demands of the American Family Association (AFA), which has ended their boycott of McDonald's. The AFA called for a boycott of McDonald's in May after McDonald's joined the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and indicated a support of gay rights.

In accordance with the AFA's demands, McDonald's Vice-President, Richard Ellis, has resigned from the board of the NGLCC and the fast food giant has announced that they will not renew their NGLCC membership when it expires in December.

Second, the incident at a Louisville, KY McDonald's in July, where 5 McDonald's customers were subjected to harassment based on their sexual orientation (they were called faggots by employees), has not been resolved to the satisfaction of the ACLU of Kentucky, the Fairness Campaign, UofL's commonGround, Lambda Law Caucus and others. Evidently, McDonald's corporate office (or any local management) has not responded to complaints filed by the ACLU, so the above organizations have scheduled a "We're not lovin' it" protest at the McDonald's where the incident occured.

UPDATE: The protest took place at the McDonald's in Louisville today. Here are some comments from the Fairness Campaign and photos from the protest.

“For any business to treat its gay customers this way is beyond the pale,” said Becca O’Neill with UofL’s Lambda Law Caucus, one of the groups that organized the demonstration. Other groups involved in organizing the protest included ACLU of Kentucky, Fairness Campaign, UofL’s commonGround and Office of LGBT Services. “All we want is for all customers, gay or straight, to be treated with decency and respect. Nobody should fork over their hard-earned money for a meal and be treated this way.”

Carrying signs saying “Discrimination Don’t Belong in a Happy Meal”, “Homophobia Served Here”, “NOT Lovin’ It”, many protesters said they were shocked, hurt, and angered when they learned about the incident.

“We want to make it clear that this community will not stand for this kind of harassment and discrimination from any business in Louisville,” said Jeff Rodgers, co-coordinator of the Fairness Campaign. “We have a law against anti-gay discrimination in Louisville, but we want people to know that these incidents still happen and that businesses that take part in this kind of illegal discrimination will be held accountable.”

UPDATE2: The ultra-conservative WorldNetDaily gloats about AFA's success in pressuring McDonald's to abandon their attention to civil and human rights.

Offbeat: Banksy Uses McNuggets in NY 'Pet Store'

Banksy, the British street artist [wiki], has opened a new 'installation/shop' in New York called the Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill. It's a small, unassuming storefront at 89 7th Ave in Greenwich Village, NYC.

It's not a real pet store, or a real grill. The cases and cages feature unusual exhibits like an animatronic rabbit putting on her make-up, a leopard (not real) sitting in a tree, and, the reason for our interest here at Fast Food News, 2 chicken McNuggets sipping from a container of McDonald's dipping sauce under the watchful eye of their Hen mother (shown above).

You can see video of the McNuggets and other exhibits at the Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill in this video. There's a long shot of the McNuggets at 6 seconds and a close-up at 39 seconds:

McDonald's More Credit-Worthy Than USA

Yes, that's right, McDonald's, the fast food chain, is more credit-worthy than the United States of America!

But, maybe it isn't so surprising in these uncertain economic times. With food prices rising, unemployment going up, banks failing, housing prices collapsing, and President Bush pushing a $700 billion bailout package for Wall Street (and the question of whether or not the US House and Senate will pass it), I suppose it shouldn't surprise us that the rest of the world sees the US as a risky investment.

How is it that McDonald's is deemed more credit-worthy than the US?

Here's how it is explained in Finland's Helsingin Sonomat (as translated by Watching America):

The insurance risk-premium for a 10-year U.S. treasury bond shifted on Friday up to 0.3% according to a broker in a Finnish bank. In practice this means that if an investor wishes to insure 10 million dollars worth of U.S. T-bonds against a government default the insurance will cost 30,000 dollars. Such an insurance for the same amount of investments on Finnish bonds cost on Friday only about half of that at 16,000 dollars. Even loans to McDonald’s would be cheaper to insure than U.S.-bonds, at 28,000 dollars per 10 million.

CDS-derivative prices are an indicator of investors’ views and mood, but as such they reveal nothing of the true financial state and wealth of their targets. Thus, while Finland’s and McDonald’s risk of bankruptcy is now smaller in investors’ opinion than that of the U.S. this does not mean that Finland and McDonald’s would necessarily be any wealthier and thus safer targets of investment than the U.S.

This being said, it is extremely rare for a fast-food chain’s corporate loan to be viewed as a safer investment than the bonds of the world’s most powerful country.

McDonald's Made Fashionable in the UK

McDonald's is always trying to keep the interiors of their fast food restaurants fashionable. Here are some photos of a trendy McDonald's in Britain.

But no matter how hard McDonald's tries, they might never be as hip as some of their biggest fans. Check out this McDonald's fan! (I don't know why, but I'm guessing those are 26" rims!)

McDonald's Dollar Menu in Crisis?

Has McDonald's Dollar Menu finally fallen victim to US economic woes?

The Consumerist reports on Joe in Northwest Chicago who has spotted "at lesat 2 McDonald's where the dollar menu no longer includes the Double Cheeseburger or the McChicken Sandwich."

Joes says both these sandwiches are now priced $1.19.

We want your reports.  Please leave a comment below regarding disappearing Dollar Menu items at your local McDonald's.

Consumerist:  Double Cheeseburgerless Dollar Menu Spotted At McDonald's

McDonald's Hamburger from 1996

I've always wanted to do this, but never got around to it. Morgan Spurlock did it in Super Size Me, but for only about a year as I recall.

But Karen Hanrahan has kept a McDonald's hamburger since 1996.

Yup, she's had this burger for 12 years!

And it still looks ready to eat. That's frightening!

McDonald's (and presumably other fast food joints) use a lot of preservatives to keep their food fresh-looking (note that I say 'fresh-looking,' not 'fresh') during it's production, transportation, and storage. This keeps their food looking fresh a lot longer than is natural. (See the end of this post for the current ingredients in a McDonald's Hamburger bun.)

Trust me, if you grilled a burger and put it on a bun and put it in a container for a month, you'd have to scrape the mold off just to see it.

As Karen says, "Ladies, Gentleman, and children alike - this is a chemical food. There is absolutely no nutrition here."

Karen is a wellness consultant and uses the 12 year old burger as a prop in her talks. See all the photos and read Karen's description on her blog, "Best of Mother Earth ~ Creating Healthier Lives".

UPDATE: Regarding the hamburger wrapper in the photo that is clearly a more current wrapper with the "I'm lovin' it" slogan, Karen explains this in her post: "The paper and bag in the backround is circa 2008 - to add decor to the photo. My friend Robyn's idea."

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McDonald's Hamburger Bun ingredients (as of 2008):
Enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, high fructose corn syrup, yeast, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, soybean oil, canola oil, contains 2% or less of each of the following: salt, wheat gluten, calcium sulfate, soy flour, ammonium sulfate, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, ammonium chloride, baking soda, sorbic acid, deactivated dry yeast, dough conditioners (may contain one or more the following: distilled monoglycerides, DATEM, sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium peroxide, ascorbic acid, azodicarbonamide, mono- and diglycerides, enzymes, guar gum), calcium propionate & sodium propionate (preservatives), soy lecithin.
Note: Calcium and Sodium Propionate are 'mold inhibitors,' hence the fresh looking 12 year old bun!

ACLU Files Complaint Against Kentucky McDonald's

The ACLU has filed a complaint with the Louisville Human Relations Commission in response to an incident that occurred at a Louisville, Kentucky McDonald's on July 26, 2008.

On that day Ryan Marlatt, Teddy Eggers and three other friends stopped for lunch at the McDonald's restaurant while visiting Louisville for the weekend. While they waited for their food to be prepared, an employee allegedly referred to them as "faggots." When the customers asked to speak to a manager the employee started arguing with them and calling them other names (that we won't print here).

The supervisor on duty refused to refund the group's purchase and several attempts by Martlatt to contact the general manager and corporate office have yielded no response.

According to the ACLU Louisville has a local human rights ordinance which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in public
accommodations such as restaurants.

Marlatt and Eggers say they want an apology, a refund of the $28 they
spent on the McDonald's meal, and appropriate disciplinary action for
the employees involved.

Man eats 23,000 Big Macs, claims OCD

A Wisconsin man says he had a Big Mac attack everyday since 1972... and he's saved the receipts to prove it.

That brings his Big Mac total to 23,000 since May 17, 1972.

He claims his obsessive-compulsive disorder feeds his Big Mac desires. Ya think!?!?

That about says it all, but if you want to read more....

Fast Food Burger Reviews from 1978

Thanks to a new Newspaper archive at Google News, we can go back in time 30 years to read what one food critic in Pittsburgh had to say about the fast food burgers available then.

The article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dining Out section by Mike Kalina was called "Wendy's Grinds Out Foes in Burger Taste Test."

Here's the burgers reviewed:
Wendy's "Wendy's Single" - price: 85¢ - Rating: A
Burger Chef's "Super Shef" - price: $1.09 - Rating: B
Burger King's "Whopper" - price: $1.09 - Rating: C-
Hardee's "Deluxe Huskee" - price $1.10 - Rating: C-
Winky's "The Great One" - price $1.09 - Rating C-
McDonald's "Quarter-pounder" - price: 95¢ - Rating: D

Today, 30 years later, a Whopper costs $2.59. That's up 238% in 30 years.

Other things were different then, too. McDonald's was the old stand-by, all the other chains were "feisty newcomers:"

"For years, McDonald's hamburgers dominated the fast-food scene, but in recent years the firm's success has been challenged by feisty newcomers."

The Post-Gazette's taste test "revealed unequivocally that Wendy's puts out the best hamburgers."

Also noted, as Wendy's has been promoting heavily of late, Wendy's hamburger meat is "ground fresh daily, which greatly enhances its taste (most chains use frozen patties)."

About McDonald's, Kalina wrote:  "The burgers...contained fewer garnishes than any others we sampled and were the poorest-tasting.  The sesame-seed rolls, however, were very good...The patties...had the texture and look of shoe leather."

And about Burger King:  "The thin, charcoal-broiled pattie was a bit dry and encumbered by too large a roll (about five inches across).  There seemed to be too much bread and not enough burger."<

30 years later and 4 of the restaurants Mr. Kalina reviewed are even bigger national chains.

Wendy's still doesn't freeze their meat, BK still flame-broils theirs, and some would still agree that a McDonald's hamburger patty has the look and taste of shoe leather!

---

A side note... I thought I'd see if Mr. Kalin might still be doing restaurant reviews in Pittsburgh and discovered that despite a successful career with columns and TV shows about food and travel and a popular cookbook, he committed suicide in 1992.

McDonald's Employees' Annoyances

It has been 2 years since we posted Joanna's McRules --rules for McDonald's customers. Today we revisit the world of McDonald's Talk, a LiveJournal community of McDonald's employees (where Joanna originally posted her McRules).

Lilac_Elf, a 26 year old McDonald's employee in Michigan has posted "55 Customer Annoyances." The list includes advice to McDonald's customers and some things that perpetually bother McDonald's employees. The first 23 were submitted by other members of the McDonald's Talk community.

This list is far less controversial than the McRules (afterall, Joanna did get fired for her list), but does shine some light on life as a McDonald's drive-thru queen.

Here are some selections from the list (my comments are in italics):

8. I'm not sorry it is against your religion to eat bacon. I told you there was bacon on the sandwich before you ordered, you moron. It is called a Ranch BLT for a reason. (Seriously? Do people that don't eat pork really not know what a BLT is?)

16. The driver must order for everyone. I can not hear your 5 year old in the back seat of your mini-van, mom. (I'll bet that does get annoying!)

19. Afraid that we are somehow transmitting Mad Cow Disease in our beef? Don't eat at a freaking BURGER restaurant. (Do people ask about Mad Cow Disease at the drive-thru window?)

20. Mute people need to come inside. How the hell do I take your order in drive-thru?

23. Do not, and I repeat DO NOT come through drive-thru naked. I have the right to refuse service to you.

(I'd love to know more about the situations that prompted these last 2 annoyances!!)

35. This is not an IHOP! Do not waffle on your orders! Our computers usually only allow a certain number of corrections before it locks us out. (I get it! This also might be a goal for someone...how many changes to lock out the register?)

42. When you pull to my speaker and talk right after the recording PLEASE don’t get snippy with me when I ask you to repeat your order. If I was away from the computer then I probably didn’t pay attention to what you wanted.

44. Do not talk on your cell phone while you are ordering. It makes it confusing for whoever is taking your order. (I sympathize!)

46. “Well, other McDonalds do it.” Then go to another McDonalds.

BK gets clever, swipes Big Mac

This ad is pretty clever.

It's a Burger King ad that has been around for awhile on posters and billboards, but it deserves mention for its the creativity.

"Silly Whopper, that's a Big Mac box," creatively tells us that Burger King's standard burger (the Whopper) is bigger than McDonald's biggest burger (the Big Mac).

The nutritional facts tell the same story, by the way....

The Whopper weighs 291 grams, the Big Mac weighs 219 grams.
The Whopper has 700 calories and 42 grams of fat.
The Big Mac has 600 calories and 33 grams of fat.

But here's the real surprise:

The Whopper costs $2.59 and a Big Mac costs $3.09!
That's 100 more calories for 50 cents less!

These prices are the sandwich only price (no combo) at my local McDonald's and Burger King in Texas. -Photo credit

McDonald's Olympic Marketing

As a huge sponsor of the 2008 Olympics in China, McDonald's has undertaken various promotions around the globe.

In Australia, for example, McDonald's offered "Limited Edition Flavours of the Game" sandwiches celebrating the Olympics. For 2 weeks each they offered the McEurope sandwich, McAmerica bagel, McAfrica burger, McAsia wrap, and McAustralia burger (in that order). [some photos of the sandwiches]

Why don't we get these special McDonald's creations in the US?

The McEurope 'burger' was "crispy chicken fillet burger with shavings of parmesan cheese and traditional Napoletana sauce made from rich tomato, oregano and basil." [read a review]
The McAsia Wrap was fried chicken strips, tatsoi salad, cucumber, with sweet chilli sauce and mayonnaise, wrapped up in a tortilla (?).
The McAustralia Burger was a Pineapple ring, bacon, bacon, tomato, cheese, beef patty, lettuce with BBQ sauce.
The McAmerica Bagel was "a lightly toasted bagel with freshly cracked egg, premium rasher bacon and spicy ketchup." [photo by xamesm]

and then, the McAfrica Burger...

The McAfrica burger was withdrawn from McDonald's menu after some people pointed out that their are 12 millions starving people in Africa.

Click on the these McSandwiches to watch video reviews from down under by xReventonx: McEurope, McAmerica, McAfrica, McAsia.

McDonald's to power Manila's police cars

from CNN Money.com:

Police in Manila are looking to convert their patrol cars to run on a mixture of diesel and used cooking oil from McDonald's (MCD), officials and the company said Tuesday.

With oil prices at crippling highs, the project would convert cars in the Makati financial district to run on a combination of 40 percent diesel and 60 percent cooking oil, said police Senior Superintendent Gilbert Cruz.

Used cooking oil will be donated by Makati outlets of the U.S. fast food giant, said McDonald's franchising manager Buth Salaya.

McDonald's product placement IN the news

McDonald's has found another way to get in our heads. And they're doing it during the morning news!

2 cups of McDonald's iced coffee have been sitting on the news desk on the set of Las Vegas' Fox 5 TV News for the past few weeks.... just sitting there... no one ever touches them (because they're not filled with coffee but with something else that will hold up under the lights.

McDonald's is really making the push for part of Starbucks market, now that Starbucks is closing 617 stores in the US. And you've already read here that McDonald's coffee strategy is hurting Starbucks.

Maybe subliminal marketing like this is why. And what a revenue boost for the TV news.

Fox is starting its day with a “nontraditional revenue source,” KVVU news director Adam P. Bradshaw says.

But is it ethical... putting ads, not between the news, but IN the news?

Kelly McBride, the ethics group leader for Poynter Institute, the nonprofit journalism training organization, isn’t convinced. Product placement in a newsroom, she worries, represents the “slippage” of news into advertisement, a descent into a dark world where conglomerate companies control coverage.

quotes excerpted from an article in the Las Vegas Sun where you can read more.

Giant Egg Signals Breakfast at McDonald's

McDonald's and their ad agency Leo Burnett have come up with another creative way to advertise and in this case announce when breakfast is being served. (Remember McDonald's sundial billboard and their living salad billboard?) This giant 3D robot egg cracks open from 6am to 10:30am...the hours that McDonald's is serving breakfast.

from a+.29:

"Leo Burnett Chicago created this awesome beyond words Giant Egg billboard for McDonald’s. It was installed last week across from Wrigley field in Chicago. The giant egg billboard starts cracking and opening up in the wee hours of morning. By breakfast time, the egg has already hatched, and you can see “Fresh Eggs Daily” written on the egg’s yolk. The egg stays open from 6:00AM till 10:30AM, to indicate the availability of fresh eggs during that time. Once the breakfast time is finished, the egg billboard shuts and stays closed as a whole egg till the next morning. The mechanical engineering of the billboard was handled by Prop Art Studio."

see more photos of the egg at A+.29

via psfk and DVICE

Dancing at McDonald's

Something a little different has been going on for the past 12 years at a McDonald's restaurant in New Britain, Conneticut (outside Hartford).

Live music and dancing!

Every Wednesday night for the past 12 years Sam Kimble and his ad hoc Stardust Band have been performing at the McDonald's on West Main Street in New Britain.

The band and the dancers are area senior citizens out for a night on the town at the McDancehall.

And, oh yes, the McDonald's is open and serving while all this is going on.

Video journalist Carolyn Moreau put together a video of the weekly event.

Photos and video and story at the Hartford Courant.

DIY: Custom Brunch at McDonald's

[Warning! The language in this video is NSFW. We try to keep things family friendly here at Fast Food News, but this video drops the F-bomb quite a few times.]

The guys over at Internet Celebrities have produced a video demonstrating their solution to McDonald's policy of serving breakfast only before 11am and lunch only after 11am (these times may vary by location.) After expressing their displeasure over this policy, they create their own McDonald's "Brunch" by ordering just before and just after 11am.

"You have just traveled to the future. It is a place where eggs come together with premium LUNCH chicken meat as well as Swiss cheese, Canadian bacon, French fries and a marvel of American engineering… Syrup-injected bread. This my friends is how you travel on an international spaceship. Don’t forget to add the premium honey mustard sauce to keep all the parts well lubricated and don’t you dare let anyone ever tell you how to eat your food."

Internet Celebrities via BoingBoing

McDonald's coffee strategy hurting Starbucks

We know Starbucks is in trouble. They've already announced they'll be closing 600 stores. And it is understandable... with gas prices over $4 a gallon, Americans are having to make many tough financial choices. Skipping their $4 latte is one of the easy choices.

But there's another source of trouble for Starbucks: McDonald's!

from Financial Post:

"As McDonald's Corp. tries to become a "beverage destination" for thirsty North Americans, the fast-food giant's approach is going far beyond just a "coffee clash" with Starbucks Corp.

Not only has the restaurant chain's launch of its premium coffee been a success on the back of rave reviews from taste-testers, but it is adding many more specialty coffee drinks at McCafe locations later this year, including vanilla lattes, cafe mochas and caramel cappuccinos.

It has also begun gradually adding iced coffee and iced tea to menus, and is expected to offer smoothies and energy drinks by 2010. McDonald's is also going green with its coffee push, promising that all its beans will be grown in environmentally-friendly conditions by next year."

read the rest of the article at Financial Post.

McD's Big Mac chant remix promotion

McDonald’s USA has launched a national casting call inviting all consumers to submit a video or audio remix of the popular Big Mac chant. The winning remix will be featured in a new McDonald’s Big Mac commercial that will air at the end of July. Semi-finalists will be selected by a panel of judges and the winner will be chosen through an online voting system July 22.

The only requirement is that you use the famous phrase “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” They have even prepared an audio kit with beats, loops and sounds you can download and use.

Visit MySpace.com/BigMacChant to learn more and get started.

Here's an example of one by Christina Milian:

Christina Milian - Big Mac Chant

Devo sues McDonald's

The 80's New Wave band Devo is suing McDonald's over a Happy Meal Toy. The toy, New Wave Nigel, is part of McDonald's American Idol-related line of give-aways based on various genres of music.

From AAP: "We are in the midst of suing them," (Devo's Jerry) Casale told AAP.

"This New Wave Nigel doll that they've created is just a complete Devo rip-off and the red hat is exactly the red hat that I designed, and it's copyrighted and trademarked.

"They didn't ask us anything. Plus, we don't like McDonald's, and we don't like American Idol, so we're doubly offended."

Devo (left), New Wave Nigel (right)

from Stuff UK via BoingBoing

Free Southern Style Chicken at McDonald's

This Thursday, May 15, McDonald's is offering a free Southern Style Chicken Sandwich to everyone who purchases a medium or large drink.

You can get a free Southern Style Chicken Biscuit at breakfast (7am - 10:30am) and then you can come back and get a Southern Style Chicken Sandwich for lunch or dinner from 10:30am to 7pm.

UK McDonald's parking fee

From the Guardian Unlimited in the UK, it appears that McDonald's restaurants are fining customers who stay in their parking lot too long.

And it is no small fine either: £125 (about $255). Cameras in the parking lot take photos of license plates and a bill is sent to the car's owner.

(The sign shown isn't an actual one. We made it at Ronald McHummer.)

"The question of just how long it should take to eat fast food is being answered by the burger giant McDonald's, which is making customers finish within 45 minutes or face a charge of £125.

"Motorists who care to linger over their McMeals for any longer at some drive-throughs are receiving demands from a private company that manages car parks for the burger chain."

from Guardian Unlimited via BoingBoing
custom McDonald's sign made at Ronald McHummer

Cows flee McDonald's

8 cows escaped from their trailer when the driver pulled in for lunch at a Utah McDonald's on Monday.

Did they glimpse their future?

It took a couple hours to round them up.

The round-up was quickly dubbed "Operation Hamburger Helper."

Yahoo! News via BoingBoing

New product testing by McD's and Wendy's

Wendy's only sold chocolate Frosty's until July of last year (2006) when they introduced a vanilla shake. Now Wendy's is testing strawberry shakes.

Since the introduction of the vanilla Frosty, Frosty sales are up 60 percent and now top 300 million a year.

via Ohio News Now

McDonald's has begun testing two new McSkillet Burritos in a number of markets. One of the new McSkillet Burritos features steak and the other features sausage, both combined with potatoes, eggs, cheese and peppers.

via Cattle Network News

Parents scold McDonald's for 'selling sex'

QSR Magazine is reporting that a parents organization is suing McDonald's for it's "My Scene Barbie" promotion:

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) is demanding that McDonald's immediately end what it calls its "highly sexualized" My Scene Barbie Happy Meal promotion featuring "ludicrously proportioned" Barbies with micro miniskirts, halter tops, and rollerblades.

"It's bad enough that McDonald's continues to use toys to sell kids on junk food," says CCFC's director, Dr. Susan Linn, a psychologist at Judge Baker Children's Center. "But to lure young girls to its restaurants by promoting the worst sexualized stereotypes is reprehensible."

more at QSR Magazine...

Ronald McDonald's creepy debut

I thought you might enjoy seeing this McDonald's television ad. It is the first appearance by Ronald McDonald, and he's played by long-time Today Show weatherman Willard Scott.

Don't miss the strange tray of food on his head and another attached to his waist (!) where, through the magic of television, burgers magically appear!

I'm not sure he's much less creepy today, but Ronald was certainly creepy back then!

As a modern day contrast you might also want to check out this TV ad from Japan featuring a sexy female 'Ronald' (there's a male version, too.)

So here it is, Ronald McDonald's television debut:

McDonald's living salad billboard

McDonald's has followed up their award-winning Chicago "Sundial" billboard with their new "Fresh Salads" billboard, also in the Chicago area.

from ChicagoBusiness.com:

McDonald’s Corp.’s latest effort to promote its health-conscious menu items takes advantage of the saying that the medium is the message.

Green lettuce has been planted to form the words “fresh salads” on a billboard in Wrigleyville near the intersection of Addison and Clark streets to promote its four premium salads.

[McDonald's ad agency's] creative team worked closely with a horticulturalist to create a billboard that could start with 1½-inch spouts and grow into lush leaves. The garden appears to be safe from being plucked apart by birds because there is no place for them to perch and peck.

McDonald's logo jeans

According to McChronicles, these are the corporate logo jeans worn by McDonald's employees in China:

Sexy, huh?

McDonald's billboard in Yass

I'm sure this billboard looks perfectly normal to the citizens of Yass in New South Wales, Australia. But the rest of us might wonder what message McDonald's is trying to send....

via Fastfood Weblog

McDonald's towel-water milkshakes

WFTV-TV in Orlando, Florida, is reporting an interesting story about milkshakes at an Orlando-area McDonald's.

According to their report and photos, the McDonald's milkshake machine was seen being filled with 'milk' from a bucket clearly labelled "Soiled Towels Only." (see photo below)

The customer who snapped the photo of the incident reported it to McDonald's corporate headquarters and received the following e-mail:

"The machine was cleaned that morning. They sanitized the bucket to capture milk and after the repair work was done they put the milk back in the machine. This was an isolated incident."

The restaurant was sited for 12 different sanitary violations in August and now state inspectors want to see these photos.

Anyone for a "Towelshake?"

Big Mac celebrates 40 years

McDonald's Big Mac sandwich was first served 40 years ago by its inventor Jim Delligatti (pictured).

To commemorate the creation, the Big Mac Museum Restaurant has opened in North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, just 40 miles north of where the first double burger, triple bun sandwich was served in Uniontown for 45 cents.

from USA Today:

"The museum has it all: the world's largest Big Mac — 14 feet tall and 12 feet wide — a bronze bust of Delligatti, a high-tech global Big Mac map and wallpaper peppered the ad 'two-all-beef-patties-special sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions-on-a-sesame seed-bun.'

It took Delligatti, now 89, two years to convince McDonald's to allow him to serve up the sandwich. After the first day, he realized that two buns was too sloppy, so the middle bun was injected."

By 1968, the Big Mac was on McDonald's menus nationwide. McDonald's sells 550 million Big Macs each year in over 100 countries.

Delligatti said he still eats an average of one Big Mac a week...and you can tell it's true from the photo!

McDonald's employee arrested for too much salt on burger

Yes, you read that right. A McDonald's employee, Kendra Bull, in Union City, Georgia was arrested after a local cop claimed he became ill from an extra salty Big N' Tasty.

Bull told cops she accidentally put too much salt and pepper on the hamburger, but since managers had been concerned about waste, she "had gone ahead and used the hamburger."

Bull, 20, said she accidentally spilled salt on hamburger meat and told her supervisor and a co-worker, who "tried to thump the salt off."

On her break, she ate a burger made with the salty meat. "It didn't make me sick," Bull told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

You can read the arrest report at The Smoking Gun.

Raw McChicken at McDonald's

Susie Felber has e-mailed Fast Food News to tell of her 'raw chicken experience' at McDonald's.

Two Sundays ago Susie dined at a McDonald's in Windsor, Connecticut while driving to New Hampshire. It was her first time to eat at McDonald's in 15 years. She was not pleased. The Chicken Sandwich that she (finally) received was raw inside. The rest of her story, in her own words is below this photo of the sandwich:

"At McDonalds my husband ordered 2 coffees and two grilled chicken sandwiches -- what we considered to be the healthy option.

Much time passed. Ten minutes later neither the coffee nor the sandwiches were ready. The store was not busy at all, there was never a line. But people who ordered burgers and fries were being served. However, when we arrived, a guy was fighting with the employees because he had paid for his breakfast item, but apparently they were all out of breakfast food.

My husband noticed people shuffling back on forth from store to behind the counter, some of whom were not in uniform. He got the impression that they possibly didn't work there and were just hanging out with their friends. Not sure, but it was odd.

My husband asked where our food was. They said it was coming. Then he asked if the coffees were ready. They were. Apparently they had been put by the drive thru window.

After about 20 minutes the sandwiches arrived. I was hungry and in a rush with a squirmy baby, but surprisingly I didn't eat it immediately, as I noticed there was heaps of mayo spilling off of it, so I opened the sandwich to rake as much as possible off.

I ate two bites. It wasn't good, but as it was road food, I didn't expect it to be great. It was hard to eat as the mayo kept making the chicken slip out of the mushy bread. I noticed the cheese hadn't melted, but that didn't bother me. On about my third or fourth bite, I noticed something was very wrong. I spit it out and yelled, "Oh my god, it's raw!"

Long story short, the McDonalds workers didn't apologise. They gave back our money in a resigned way that suggested this wasn't uncommon. The manager looked dully at me and her only answer was, "yeah...um...I don't know how that happened." But this was only after demanding an explanation as they seemed like my husband and I were making a stink over nothing even after showing them the raw sandwich.

It was a degrading experience, all the way around.

I was sick for a few days, but don't know how much was physical and how much was from the idea of it. I don't think I'll be eating chicken for a long time to come. And I'll never eat at McDonalds again."

Here's a larger version of the raw chicken at Susie's Flickr site. You can also read about it on her blog, Felber's Frolics.

McDonald's employee has McRules for you

Joanna works at a McDonald's in Walker, Louisiana and she has some McRules for you to follow if you want to eat at her McDonald's!

Joanna posted "Things not to do when visiting a McDonald's" at McDonald's Talk, a Live Journal community where many McDonald's employees post their thoughts, stories, complaints and ideas about their employment at McDonald's. She has worked at McDonald's for 2 years.

Here are a few of my favorites of the 43 McRules she has posted (I've made some minor corrections to spelling and grammar):

• Don't confuse franchises! We don't Biggie size, we don't have onion rings or nachos, and no...you may not "Have it your way."


• If you ordered a burger without pickles and they somehow ended up there anyway... just pick them off because that's all I'm going to do when you bring it back to me to "fix it."


• Don't come into the lobby two minutes before we close. Chances are I've already cleaned, and it will only cause me to do unspeakable things to your (already stale) food.


• Don't scream at me if I ask you to repeat your order... we're talking about cheeseburgers, not missiles... so calm down!


• If you don't see tomatoes on the sandwich in the picture don't [f#@%ing] ask me to take them off. The Big Mac has been around for ages... it doesn't have tomatoes.


• Does this look like Toys-R-Us? Who cares if your kid's got 10 of the same toy already. That's telling me you don't feed them at home enough!


• When I hand you your food and say "Have a nice day," you better respond with a smile, a "Thanks, you too," or at least acknowledge my existence. Its called being polite people.Wow

! I'm glad she didn't elaborate on the "unspeakable things" she'd do to my food... I don't want to know! But I like her insight that people obviously don't feed their kids at home enough if they already have 10 of the same Happy Meal toy!

I don't know how important it is to follow Joanna's McRules, but it might be helpful to remember that other McDonald's employees might share her state of mind. It might help you avoid the "unspeakable!"

Joanna has also posted some photos of herself at work on her Myspace page.
Others have posted there own versions of rules like these here and here.

UPDATE: Joanna has deleted her post and made her Myspace page private now, so the links above won't work. Fortunately I saved a text copy and I've posted a copy of her complete original list.

UPDATE2: You can listen to a radio interview with Joanna (after she was fired).

McDonald's settles vegetarian lawsuit

24 groups that filed a class-action suit against McDonald's will receive a total of $10 million. The groups include Hindu, Muslim and vegetarian organizations. The groups' suit claims McDonald's deliberately mislead the public by presenting their french fries as suitable for vegetarians when they were, in fact, prepared with a beef additive for flavoring. [Hindu News]

McDonald's headed 24/7

Following Wendy's lead with late-night operations and possibly recent studies, McDonald's is encouraging it's franchisees to keep their stores open 24 hours. Presently about 20% of McDonald's stores are open all night. As an incentive to the other 80%, McDonald's is offering rent rebates to operators. [CNN Money]

McDonald's first drive-thru in China

The number of private cars in China grew by 80% in 2003. There are now 1.7 million cars in Beijing and it is projected that there will be 140 million cars in China by 2020. McDonald's has seen the opportunity and has announced plans to open their first drive-thru location in China in Shenzhen in Guangdong Province this fall.

Corporate clown getting a McMakeover

Sure he looks friendly, with his big smile, colorful jumpsuit and playful repartee. But get ready for some McAttitude.

Ronald McDonald - the iconic character that is not only a corporate mascot but also a global symbol of everything good and bad about America - is undergoing a makeover that will change his look, sense of humor and role at the fast-food chain.

"We're letting Ronald escape from the playpen," said Larry Light, McDonald's global chief marketing officer. "So, Ronnie is going through a retraining program - taking courses in humor that kids can look up to rather than adults look down at."

McDonald’s reports jump in earnings

McDonald’s Corp., the world’s largest fast-food chain, reported a 42 percent jump in first-quarter profits Thursday despite slower sales growth at its U.S. restaurants.

McDonald's plans to introduce specialty coffee drinks

Watch out Starbucks -- McDonald's could be brewing some trouble with plans to introduce its own specialty coffee. The Oak Brook, Ill.-based No. 1 fast-food chain will begin testing espresso drinks in select markets this summer.

"Texas" Burgers

Fast-food chains have created regional burgers named after the Lone Star State:

McDonald's: Took note that Texans preferred burgers with mustard, onions and pickles and created the "Texas Homestyle Burger."
Wendy's: "Texas Double Cheeseburger" with two 2-ounce patties, mustard, onion, pickles, lettuce and tomatoes.
Burger King: "Texas Double Whopper," a traditional Double Whopper with mustard and jalapeños – no ketchup, no mayo.

McDonalds celebrates golden anniversary

The Golden Arches are celebrating a golden anniversary.

Fast food giant McDonalds celebrates 50-years in business Friday. Since company founder Ray Kroc opened the first McDonalds on April 15, 1955, the chain has grown to more than 31,000 restaurants in 119 countries.