| MARKET ROUNDUP | |
| Dow | -106.31 to 17,852.48 |
| S&P 500 | -15.06 to 2,060.31 |
| Nasdaq | -40.07 to 4,740.69 |
| 10-YR Yield | -0.05 to 2.257% |
| Gold | +$13.70 to $1,204.10 |
| Crude Oil | -$2.83 to $63.01 |
I’m a Gen X-er. I was born in the 1970s, but grew up in the ’80s – and McDonald’s (MCD, Weiss Ratings: C+) was a regular part of my life.
I remember bringing my report card there in elementary school because you could get free food or ice cream if you got straight A’s.
I remember being treated to meals there with the team after Saturday morning soccer games.
I still smile thinking about dunking Chicken McNuggets in the restaurant’s packets of honey. Barbecue sauce? That was for everyone else!
Heck, I remember being snuck the occasional double cheeseburger in high school because I knew someone working the drive-thru window.
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| What’s the future for McDonald’s? |
But the numbers we keep getting out of this American fast-food icon show the company is running off the rails. U.S. comparable store sales – or sales at domestic restaurants that have been open for at least 13 months – tanked 4.6 percent last month. That was more than twice as bad as the 2.1 percent drop analysts were expecting.
Throw in the rest of the world, and you still get a 2.2 percent decline. That was worse than the 1.7 percent drop investors were anticipating. McDonald’s operates in 100 countries, with more than 35,000 restaurants worldwide.
So what gives? Why is a restaurant that was so much a part of my life – and the lives of my family and friends growing up -Â falling on hard times? Analysts blame changing consumer eating habits, worries about the freshness of McDonald’s food, weak economic growth, and more.
But maybe it’s as simple as a Business Insider headline put it today: “McDonald’s is Losing America.”
Look, I can count on one hand the number of times my wife and I have fed our kids McDonald’s in the past year. My 9- and 12-year-old daughters would much rather have healthier, better-tasting burritos from Moe’s Southwest Grill, or in a pinch, better-tasting nuggets or sandwiches from Chick-fil-A. My teenage stepson would rather get subs from Subway or the local Publix than a McDonald’s double cheeseburger.
| “It’s not a ‘treat’ anymore to go to a Mickey D’s like it was when I was a kid.” |
It’s not a “treat” anymore to go to a Mickey D’s like it was when I was a kid. It’s basically a last option for us if, say, we’re on the way to the airport at the crack of dawn and nothing else is open. The kids don’t want to eat McDonald’s food, and I don’t want to feed it to them if I can help it. Why would I, when for just a small price more, we can get better, fresher, tastier, healthier food?
So sure, at some point McDonald’s might represent a decent value. Its golden arches are ubiquitous from one end of the globe to the other. The shares sport a 3.6 percent dividend yield. Unlike the rest of the S&P 500, they’ve basically just marked time for the past two years rather than risen, too. Some investors will likely make the argument they need to play catch up.
But it might just be that the world is passing McDonald’s by – and that the grandkids I’ll have some day won’t even know what a Chicken McNugget is, much less a post-game trip with their soccer teams!
What do you think? Is this American restaurant icon done for? Or can it come back by re-tooling its stores and revamping its menu? Do you take your kids or grandkids to McDonald’s these days, and if so, why? What do you think of its food, its prices, and the quality of service? Head over to the Money and Markets website and let me know!
| Our Readers Speak |
We had another month of good jobs data … and another month where many posters at the website said they don’t believe the numbers. That has been the pattern all summer and fall.
One example: Reader Mike, who said: “I can’t believe you are buying into the government’s propaganda nonsense concerning these seasonally adjusted job numbers. The labor participation rate is flat, and still the lowest since 1978. The household survey showed we lost 150,000 full time jobs and the anemic gain of only 4,000 jobs came from low paying, part-time jobs. The government authorities put out this type of propaganda B.S. in the old Soviet Union before it collapsed.”
Reader Holygeezer added: “Jobs Surge?! What utter B.S. Every year the government loudly proclaims about the jobs created in November/December. And come every following January the truth comes out how they were nothing but lousy paying seasonal jobs that then evaporate.”
As for what the figures – legitimate or not – mean for interest-rate policy, Reader Ricardo V. said: “The global economic engine is chugging along — slowly and steadily. Europe is ebbing. The ECB is holding off on stimulus. Russia is in recession and China is on a slow down.
“Commodity prices are also down and the dollar is relatively strong. There are practically no wage pressures, save for the minimum wage protests! There is no inflation and the average household income has not increased. Why then would the Fed raise interest rates and kill any economic activity we do have? Steady as she goes. Don’t panic.”
And Reader Mike P. weighed in with the following: “The better-than-expected job numbers may increase expectations for an earlier rate hike, but the strong dollar should keep the Fed in check. Given the current economic environment, it is unlikely the Fed will increase the Fed funds rate more than 50 basis points in 2015.
“Eventually a strong dollar should act as a brake to somewhat slow the pace of U.S. economic growth. It remains to be seen if easier credit, especially lower mortgage standards, may outweigh a strong dollar and force the Fed to act more aggressively. IMHO the Fed will want multiple quarters of strong data before taking action.”
So to sum up sentiment out there? The economy isn’t as strong as the government says … it can’t handle higher interest rates … and even if it could, the Fed won’t raise them anytime soon. I’ve explained why I see things somewhat differently, but that’s why we have the website – to encourage debate and air everyone’s thoughts! Feel free to add yours here when you get a minute.
| Other Developments of the Day |
Big Pharma is on the move! Merck & Co. (MRK, Weiss Ratings: B) said it would buy Cubist Pharmaceuticals (CBST, Weiss Ratings: C+) for $8.4 billion, or $102 a share. That was a 37 percent premium to where Cubist was trading, making this just the latest mega-deal in the drug space.
Merck is buying Cubist to gain access to research on advanced antibiotics – treatments for “superbugs” that are resistant to current drugs.
With the yen hitting yet another seven-year low overnight, though, some are now questioning the value of all the money printing and currency devaluation, according to the Wall Street Journal. It certainly isn’t helping the real economy, even as it has inflated asset prices. We learned overnight that Japan’s economy shrank 1.9 percent in the third quarter, worse than the previously reported 1.6 percent.
Remember, you can comment on these or any other stories by clicking here!
Until next time,
Mike Larson
Â
Mike Larson graduated from Boston University with a B.S. degree in Journalism and a B.A. degree in English in 1998, and went to work for Bankrate.com. There, he learned the mortgage and interest rates markets inside and out. Mike then joined Weiss Research in 2001. He is the editor of Safe Money Report. He is often quoted by the Washington Post, Reuters, Dow Jones Newswires, Orlando Sentinel, Palm Beach Post and Sun-Sentinel, and he has appeared on CNN, Bloomberg Television and CNBC.
{ 139 comments }
Employment numbers I find fishy. If some 700,000 persons dropped out of the work force and some 300,000 got jobs.. I see that the workforce shrank by 400,000.
I don’t eat hamburgers at all, but I go to MacDonald’s for their SouthWest salads with grilled chicken. Lately I have noticed in my home town that the salad bowl isn’t filled as much as usual. Then, I went to MacDonald’s in Santa Fe and tried the same salad there. I was surprised to see the bowl filled to the top and touching the plastic wrap. I wrote to the company and complained, but received no answer.
I lost the best friend I ever had (a double cheeseburger) when they started using pink slime “meat.” I can’t get past that. And the prices aren’t comparable, either.
McDonald’s fixes hamburgers and then sets them in a heating oven which makes them lose all their flavor. I had one yesterday that had sat in the heating over so long the outside edges were dark brown and crisp. Go into McDonald’s after 1 A.M as after hours they fix them fresh and you will have a delicious hamburger. They listen is those minority that cry about low carb. food but go into any grocery store and if the low carb. and the regular food is on sale, regular is totally gone and the so called healthy food shelf is almost full. Back in the 60s McDonald’s food was delicious so take a clue and go back to what you used to do. I would bet all those nuts that cry about the unhealthy food never step into a McDonald’s anyway. Lack of exercise is the problem not the food, wake-up!
Plan…wreck a nation. Electrical power drives this society. 40% of U.S. electric power is from coal powered plants. 20% comes from nuclear power. Job 1 kill the coal fired plants. Job 2 Tell 44.3% of the worlds uranium producers a. Kasakhstan 33.2 b. Russia 6.6. c.Usbekistan 4.5 they stink. The U. S. needs 55 million pounds per year and produces 4 million pounds. The world needs 175 million pounds and produces 135 million pounds per year. When prices for electricity soar and brown outs become routine we may wake up. We are being wrecked from within as some have predicted.
I still see McDonalds as a viable franchise. They need to do more investment and renovation, but have a good, established brand and can continue to perform well if they can appeal to an older crowd. Most of the rest of the world is in recession, so fast food demand has dropped worldwide, but McD has a great base in the U.S. and can make a comeback, with good marketing and management.
The only thing I buy at McDonalds anymore is the occasional coffee. The food prices have gotten out of control. Other fast food options (including fast food burgers) offer superior taste and much better pricing.
I can remember getting a burger, fries and a coke and change back from your dollar. Now if you want change back from your dollar you would have to order a single cookie.
It’ near impossible to get change back from you $5 if you actually want something to eat AND drink.
They do have good coffee, maybe they should just switch all the locations to coffee shops. OR they could buck the (false) trend and but animal fat back in the fryer and beef back in the burgers and start offering great burgers and fries and if you want “healthy” go somewhere else. It’s not like they’re health anyway!
MCD has been a great investment for me for years! I first ate at one when a basic burger was a mere .15 probably 1963?
I sold my holdings earlier in 2014 when the stock was over 100. Like all retailers, they got stale. Questions over Chinese suppliers didn’t help as my wife says “no more Mickey-D’s.” Wife sets the food agenda, she stays no, it is NO. If my wife doesn’t feel comfortable eating there, why should I own it?
I think the double cheese burger at MCD’s is one of the worlds most incredible things you can buy for a buck and a quarter.
I love Mickey D’s I could remember..” it being a treat,” I do not want to see it fold, however they do need to start a healthier menu which includes no fats, gluten or dairy for those of us, who are gluten and lactose intolerant.
I think these days, everyone is eating smarter and the old restaurants need to get with the times or be left behind. Thanks!
Cece if you think everyone is eating smarter then take off the blinders and see all the obese people walking around. It is getting harder to find anyone over 35 that is still in shape unless you call over 100 extra in shape.
Admire the work you do on the markets. What you know about them, I know about food. The choices being made by your family are marginally better than what you may have had as a child. What most Americans don’t realize is that the only food that nourishes the body is LIVE food i.e. unprocessed. Do your research and your family will lead healthier lives. Also, a shame for most Americans that all they really experience is food from corporations or their lackey franchisees. If you must eat out, the inner city experience can be more rewarding because you deal with sole proprietors who know their food and make it fresh in front of you. None of these corporations has ever made a dent in ANY ethnic neighborhood in any rust belt city especially the pizza corporations; we have locally owned pizza (& hoagie) shops on most street corners. It’s called variety and is a fundamental cornerstone of capitalism. Plus, we support our neighbors. It was a better America.
I worked at the 2nd Mickey Ds opened on long Island,NY in the early 60s. we haven’t gone there since the late 80s. There are so many other healthier choices. People are tired of the same menu and are starting to look at the almost everything is processed. The chicken offerings and fried burgers don’t do It
It’s primarily their food. Yeah it’s 100% real beef,,,, ” BUT” its Pink Slime, Chicken Slime. It’s just junk. McD’s is more interested in PROFIT then quality of product. Go by a McD’s restaurant and there is product wrappers and litter everywhere, which is fine but make it Bio-degradable. Set the example not go there kicking and screaming. Be the first major restaurant to show on your labels that you don’t use GMO food. What a concept!!!
MicDonalds has historically been a very successful company, but will need to reinvent if it is to survive. The reason is that there is increased awareness of the negative effect that refined, processed foods and animal products have on health. The Baby Boomers are discovering this, and getting educated on changes in diet that can prevent disease and improve health and longevity. Very influential group, those Boomers – huge numbers, and very willing to spread the word.
McDonald’s food sucks, pure and simple. That is their problem
McDonalds can be relied on for a $1 any size diet drink and sometimes $1 any size coffee as well as a senior coffee. I tend not to eat there but when tired and hungry from driving that $2 jalapeño burger with cheese hits the spot. If I do stop, it will be McDs as once I went elsewhere and wanted to try an advertised specialty burger with coffee no fries. Though I asked 4 times, they would only sell me the burger or the full meal. They refused to sell me a cup of coffee! So back to McDs. Dependable, functional, they will listen.
Their burgers were never that good to really impress the taste buds of a burger addict. Their french fries just don’t re-enforce the brand and are down right un-healthy. Their foray into more healthy options was a good move but not strong enough to make an impression in the market. But worst of all are the prices. The portions keep shrinking and the prices keep going up. You can not fool all the consumers. They know when they are getting less value and less quality. I only go to Mickey D’s when there are no other options and I am starving.
My brother went to a local McDonalds in Monticello IN. He had an empty beer can in his drink holder to spit into. The McDonalds employee’s at this location get at-a-boys for calling the local police if they think someone is drinking and driving. They took his order and asked him to pull up and wait and someone would bring his meal out to him. While he was waiting two police cars pulled up cuffed him and hauled him away, leaving his wife in the car without a license. There’s a lot more details to this, but they do not support the actions taken against him(a willing paying customer). I used to eat twice a day at that McDonalds. I’ve now not been in any McDonalds anywhere for over two years. Never will again. If that’s the only place open, I’ll go to a gas station or do without.
As I pointed out almost one year ago, McDonald’s is sucking more and more. I can’t eat there anymore and I am reducing my holdings in the stock.
About McDonald’s
The McDonald’s stock went down right after they said they were designing robots to do
most of the jobs. We haven’t been back since, and my husband likes their food. It’s bad
enough that so many factory jobs are being lost to robots–but food service is going too
far. Jaci
A wise man once told me, “Eat food that will spoil, only eat it before it does”. Mickey D’s food doesn’t spoil. I don’t know what the majority of corporate fast food places put in food anymore, but when I read about “pink slime” and Subways putting “mat material” in their buns and cans being tainted bisphenol A, it makes me want to eat at “Taco Palenque” in San Antonio, TX cause the food is always fresh and their are no detectable food additives in the bacon and egg tacos I order. The only thing I’ll still get at McDonalds is coffee. That is, until I read a report that they junked that up also.
Regarding McDonalds. Simply put, I think they are over built. I can go up Colerain.
There are four McDonalds within about two miles of each other. There is an older one. Then, right next door, a Walmart was built about 10 years ago. They have a McDonalds inside.
Go up the road and a brand new McDonalds was just built right outside the Northgate Mall. On the OTHER side of the mall, just off Colerain, on Springdale, is another McDonalds.
I ‘knew it was trouble’ as soon as I saw it. They are perhaps over extended. I am sure an analysis of their public data could give a hint. Cash flow / assets sheet?
I look forward to great news and stories!
Scandal & Greed Feed!
A FEW DOLLARS MORE
Once again analysts are forecasting robust Holiday sales, beginning with the Thanksgiving Weekend. Well, turns out revenue was down at most large retailers by -11% according to the WSJ. “Cyber Monday” was a flop with internet sales down a reportedly -5%. However, I knew something was up when I went to the local Target Store in the nearby Mall on the Weekend before Thanksgiving and “not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse”. Apparently, there is a news “truth gap” at large.
A woman walking her dog at the local park went to the same mall to visit Macy’s the day after Thanksgiving, and told me it was almost empty. No crowds for sure. Heck, we missed out on the Annual “WalMart Stampede”, as there were insufficient numbers of bargain hungry crowds for a quorum. Black Friday and the Holiday season retail sales overall are likely to only be slightly higher than 2013, certainly no record. The Great Recovery is being hyped to entice a “Few Dollars More” from consumers.
They have a very few good products but the competition is eating their lunch. Everything is frozen and stored in warehouses (I have toured a few) and it tastes like it (actually, their ice cream is not too bad).
Low cost is their saving grace. Coffee, biscuits, ice cream…that’s about it. Everything else is kind of bad.
If I were there, I would look to remake the hamburger first. They need a char broiler burger with FRESH lettuce, tomatoes, and other fixings. Make a thick shake like Wendy’s but better.
Bottom line………they need help.
I eat at Burger King or Wendy’s for my junk food, or in-a-pinch even go to Del Taco. They have much better tasting food, and I can “Have it my way”. The only purchase I have made a Micky D’s in the past year has been the $1.00 large iced tea. Time to invest in Cafe Rio and drop McD’s.
I worked at McDonald’s in the late 60’s, and other than changing the menu of burgers and fries here and there, it is basically the same. Instead of frying the burgers, maybe they could take a cue from Burger King, and flame broil them! To me, that seems a bit healthier.
I can eat their fries and drink their coffee. I don’t feel well after eating their other products. Their service is good, but so are many other fast food places. So for me it is a last option. My kids, who are now teenagers, have never preferred to eat there. They like other burger and sub places better. I think they are put off by the obvious synthetic food McDonalds offers (chemical/slime shakes, slime burgers, compressed chicken parts into nuggets).
They have raised their prices but not quality. They discount irratticly .For basically the same sandwich the discount applies only if you ask for the sandwich the right way. Don’t get cute ,be up front and appreciate your customers.
I don’t eat much at McDs anymore. About the only thing I go there for is the double cheeseburger when I’m running errands and dinner is a long ways off.
Part of the problem for me is that they just have too many choices with not much variation. 13 different chicken sandwiches? They do have some recent good additions, like the Bacon Habanero Ranch Quarter Pounder, but I just never see this stuff advertised and never think about going there to eat it.
A good friend of mine says this about McDonald’s: “It’s the greatest company in the world. It taught my 17 year old son to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.'”
I am afraid that McDonald’s is fast becoming another one of those chains that has lost its way and faded away over the past couple of decades. They put the almighty dollar ahead of the customer and lost focus on the three most important things in the restaurant business… Great food, great service and good prices!
They need to sample the hamburger at in-n-out that sells for $2.39 it beats the big Mac a mile and costs much less, even 1/2 as much as the Mcd item.
Also-some of the last burgers I have had has only been a bun meat- 2 pickles and a bit of ketchup this has been the Big Mac!
Compare this with the In-n-Out product.
With you Mike on the Nuggets w/ honey! As a kid, we’d have a block party once a year and a local McDonald’s manager lived on our street. He’d provide the hamburgers and orange drink that us kids grew to love. Plain & simple, McDonald’s has been exposed. We’ve always known the deceptive core marketing targeting children, but from “Supersize Me” to pink slime, front & center it comes down to food quality. Adults decide. Could also count on one hand the number of times we eat there each year. We usually opt for Subway, but even they too are succumbing to the temptation of profiling their higher-margin unhealthy options like beverages in the name of corporate bottom-line. I used to adore the $5 footlong Club and now that has risen by at least 60% since 2006 and they try to sell a now complex caste menu to justify the price increases!
I agree with Elizabeth; but I am 78 and my wife 76. Our Grandkids would rather go anywhere else but MACD. We travel from Ontario Canada into New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. We are like Elizabeth, always stop at McDonalds for $1 O.K.coffee, snack wraps and cheese burgers; minimal fare. Carl is right! Our Grandkids prefer Applebees or we go to places like Panera Bread for breakfast & lunch in Maryland and New York, maybe The Cheese Factory for lunch or supper. Last weekend we discovered Cracker Barrell (CRBL), in Buffalo, N.Y. This is an absolutely amazing place; packed with people from morning to night; huge crowds, bus tours, whole Pentecostal Church congregations; everyone happy! Food is good, service excellent, prices reasonable. Watch out MCD, this Cracker Barrell is sweeping the nation (USA) coast to coast: 650 US Restaurants; has a very smart Lady CEO. Not yet into Canada or overseas. A great investment, pays 3% dividend. Excellent 5 year share growth rate: 4:1 returns; $10 to $40.
Applebees and Panera is pretty expensive for our pocketbook, and taking guests is
really too much. Even Mickey D’s prices and costs are getting up there. The cost of meat is rising, so they are feeling the pinch, too.
I love to eat at Cracker Barrell and after I eat I get to look at all the pretties in the store.
When we go to McDonald’s its for Sausage Biscuit and my husband gets a cup of coffee. So McDonald’s is going further and further down our eating out list.
HI Mike,
Know what you mean Mike, grew up with it myself (late 50’s and 60s — especially my high school years, 66-70).
However, it is what I would expect when the company produces food (and I use that term VERY lightly) that is devoid of any real nutritional value. . .that stuff kills people, albeit slowly (typically over a period of decades).
Now in my early 60’s I have avoided their food like the plague for the last 20 plus years. Guess other people my age (and younger) who are feeling the effects of this “factory” food feel the same way.
Good riddance Mickey D!
I am 74 and during the last 40 years being on the road doing service work ate at McDonald’s at least twice a day. Am 6’1″ at 205 no pot belly and take no medications. It isn’t so much what you eat but the lack of activity of people. So in this sense can’t agree with you on the food except it is lousy tasting because they keep it in a food warmer.
I agree…and if they really want business that keeps coming back for more..then put fat back into the fries…and as the fella earlier said..”meat back into the burgers”. If I want healthy I will go somewhere else..you only live once.
The day they went “fat free” with their french fries was the day I quit going..our whole family did….that was years ago..I have never been back. I remember when the first one opened in my county in in NC in the late 1960’s and the first one in the town in Virginia we moved to…also in the late 1960’s…the French fries were so good…no sandwich was even necessary..now..they are lousy..Burger King followed suit and we quit going there….now Wendy’s has gone the way of the buffalo for us too. Tasteless cardboard food is not my idea of a “treat”.
Agree with you.Burger King and Wendy’s,no better.I prefer El Pollo Loco,for quality food.
Well if the Federal Goverment keeps giving more and more people food stamps, and the recepients can use the food stamps at Mickey D’s…then I think it still has alot of upside!
That is a total disgrace. Food Stamps were designed to help FEED the poor not enable them to dine out. I’ve watched this program destroy American values since 1964. Our food prices skyrocket because demand had risen because of programs like this and using corn to add to gas. Price of corn goes up and your engine gets destroyed by the ethanol which they’re trying to ramp up to 15%.Plus gas mileage goes DOWN by 3 or 4 mpg. So what did we achieve. Food & oil conglomerates richer, we pay the price. Give the needy money to BUY food to cook it themselves.
The only meal I eat at MACD is the #2 Breakfast, when I’m in a hurry.
An old boss I had at the brokerage firm I once worked for.
Every product, every company, every CEO, has a shelf life. The ones who determine that are the customer,,,unless the government steps in and gives it a shot of prop me up.
Every FUNDIE, is nothing but an excuse for the market makers to move the market. Irregardless of the numbers. How many times have we seen a company beat the expectations, and by large numbers and they find an excuse to give it a hair cut, or take it to the wood shed? Or it misses a mile and the thing spikes to a new high,,,just because…
The true woodshed epiphany would be removing it from the Dow 30
When MCD and the USA wake up to how high fructose corn syrup, GMO corrupted food,(corn and soy, etc.) fluoride in water, hydrogenated fats (trans-fats) and unnecessary super sizing portions contribute to mass overweight , obesity and diabetes epidemic we will see progress. People are fat and ugly nowadays, just look at people in the 50s, 60s and 70s on video and you cannot deny that people worldwide are degenerating. The FDA is paid for by industry, they will not help us.
I go for coffee and a parfait at MCD occasionally, I am afraid to eat much else. We are better off not going out to eat, just researching and cooking at home.
most folks have their heads in fog concerning GMO FOOD hope they wiseup. monsanto resturant serves organic food at their hqths in St Louis. read the trail signs!
Mike, 12/8/14
you were recommending Goodrich Petrolium earlier this year.
Are you still rating this a buy?
Don’t know if you were talking about this Glenn but don’t remember recommending that stock. The only way to really play the stock market is to put a trailing stop on stocks as all stocks go up and down. Like they say nothing goes up forever. To me if you want to be in oil the only place to play it is in the pipe lines as it has nothing to do with the price of oil. They get their money by transporting it so the price for them stays the same. .Most also pay a dividend.
My son never liked McDonalds and now that he is grown with children of his own, none of them will eat in McDonalds. Occasionally my husband and I will eat a grilled chicken sandwich if we can’t find anyone else open or need something quick, but McDs is certainly a last resort, one we would prefer skipping.
Service? At McDonalds?? You got to be kidding! I get a problem with my drive-up meal about every other time. They are always sorry, and they are ALWAYS incompetent.
I used to work for another business that got an order out every 54 seconds! Mickey D’s
apparently think that THEY are special and they will get around to your meal when they are ready. Almost everybody else does MUCH better that the Rainbow Lounge; however, you look at who they hire, and you can see why there are so many problems….
Whatever happened to making one’s own food? Does anyone ever look at the people handling the food in restaurants and cringe sometimes? Solution – walk out till you find a clean (and friendly) place.
The food at McDonalds doesn’t taste fresh at all. I remember McDs being a real treat when I was younger and everything taste good but today it seems substandard in taste and quality. McDs is a last resort for breakfast and is bypassed the rest of the time unless it is the only option. Their breads taste too sweet and their beef doesn’t taste like beef served anywhere else. It’s no wonder they are losing business. I do like their coffee. Their prices seem high for he quality of food you get as well.
My daughters ages 11 & 14 much prefer Panera, Chipotle, Subway, or even Wendy’s (their meat is never frozen). Totally agree that McDonald’s is on it’s way to declining sales.
Are they still selling those soggy burgers from the seventies? What about the fries that were just fat and salt sponges? They are generic fast food in an age of specialization. Instead of focusing on making the restaurants a “play place” they should try making their menu healthier and being responsive to trends with more than just token offerings . Get rid of mechanically de-boned chicken altogether. That stuff is dangerous. A true burrito or quesadilla might get me in the door, but they aren’t really set up for that.
Like you say, MCD is the place of last resort. If I am traveling (the only time I eat FF), I’d rather go to Subway. MCDs only saving grace is that they’re EVERYWHERE. The only reason I ate at a Mickey Ds the last time was my flight got in at 11 pm. By the time I got to my car and exited the airport it was after midnight. MCD was the only place open. FF isn’t healthy and my 58 year body doesn’t need that stuff anymore.
I think the quality at McDonalds has dropped over recent years. Who decided
that people wanted double meat in their hamburger. Their cheap burger is bad!
We like SMASHBURGER…great hamburger and clean modern design
Six months ago we had big Mac’s. Poor taste, small, price up. service like they were doing you a favor. They act like they do not need or want you as a customer. Do not plan to have any more.
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Good div, might try it below $90 or maybe at $50 after the crash.
You are too young to remember those games or your photo belies your age.
I’m reaching for for my walker now. :)
My local McDonald’s gets orders wrong 90% of the time. Their french fries aren’t even the best anymore:( I’d say Wendy’s and Burger King are tied in that. Plus, now I can order a vegetarian burger at Burger King. Frankly, McDonald’s is last on my list and has been for quite some time.
Mike:
I understand you’re originally from Chicago – my home town. True? I graduated from North Park College (now University) on Foster & Kedzie. Was there twice – right after graduating from high school in June, 1942, and then again, after WWII, in 1946-47.
Am, and have been an Elite member ever since the beginning!
Cliff Zalay – on the other Coast – Tampa/St. Pete
The truth? I’ve done lots of research, the US economy is not improving, it is in a recession and has been since 2008. Our economy has not recovered, it now is collapsing into another recession on top of the original one from 2008. The US will, this year, collapse into a depression. All the government statistics are made up, they are not true. This is always the way with a Socialist Government, check this out with the Ludwig Von Mises institute in Canada. Brian
Everything about our economy is false: It is majority influenced by the thieving central bankers. They put Obama, as well as every president in power for at least the last 50, and more truthfully, 80 years. But Obama is on a whole other scale, much more blatant. Bear in mind, one of the last ‘tenants’ of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, states (to paraphrase): “In the end we will be able to carry out our agenda right before their eyes, and they won’t even see it.” [The Protocols are either, as so proclaimed, to be anti-semitic forgery, a hoax or one of the most prescient documents written on the complete conquest of nations of people.
Without knowing the “hidden” or what I call the flip-side of the central bankers/money elite’s agenda, no one can understand what’s going on in the “developed” world economies.
The real estate, primarily of the baby-boomers, was the main target of The Great Plunder of 2002-2008. And now, with the national debt officially passing $18T, look for the next part of this managed depression and collapse to occur when we get closer to the $21T sitting in all retirement accounts; there next target. This is NOT speculation; it has been exposed by “ex” gov’t insiders, including the means or methods in which “they” will achieve their goals.
A prediction:
* SDR’s to be the world’s reserve currency.
* The U.S. dollar to loose 70-90% of its value.
* The US dollar to be only used within the US borders.
* Massive inflation within the developed world (Theft of pensions, retirement and savings
accounts)
* Savings accounts “confiscated” by the new legislation that makes a depositor, an investor
* All tax-deferred accounts (what’s left of them) to be forced into US Treasury bonds
* Gold between $5,000 and $9,000 (an ounce).
* Silver between $450 and $700 an ounce.
* The loss of discretionary income for 90% of Americans
* Real Estate to loose another 60-80% of its value from current price levels.
* Millions more to loose their homes
* Multi-billion $ funds to scoop up devastated real estate market, for pennies on the
dollar. (This has been in process since 2008. (Blackrock already largest residential land
owner in the US! They now own 1700 homes in the Sacramento area, alone)
* Millions of renters stop paying rent, as they can only afford to buy food and energy – fuel
to get to work, if they still have jobs
* Millions more to lose jobs
* Bond market complete collapse
* Derivatives market to completely collapse and possibly made illegal (for a period)
* Marshal Law
* No 2016 presidential elections as a result of Marshall Law
* Or, Hilary Clinton, at the expense of $1.7 billion, will be “elected” or put in power,
depending on your perspective or level of understanding.
And more!
I foresee this all to come to pass by 2020. I only wish I was completely off-base, for I have a 17-year old daughter, graduating from H.S. in 2016! But, with over 15 years study of all this, and having lived and traveled in over 30 countries, it’s not an if, but when.
For what it’s worth…
J Elliott Gudgeon
I wonder how your views of the wonderful future has affected your daughter’s hope for her life. We have to be careful to remain positive even in the wake of upcoming challenges.
the food is nasty! the french fries are even horrible now!
you can’t use the drive through because you can’t understand the person who’s
trying to take your order.
my grandson doesn’t even like the chicken nuggets anymore.
so we spend our money elsewhere.
McDonald”s does a pretty good job with breakfast, but the rest of the menu has always been behind, IMO. I like to eat things ‘straight’-without embellishing sauces–why is it the company that owns KFC can’t offer chicken nuggets that are palatable without being buried in sauce? I had a Mcrib recently:not bad, but not a lot of flavor- in a nutshell, their process robs the food of flavor. I love a good burger-I would prefer to have the trimmings on the side to finish ‘assembling’ on my own, to anyone in the industry listening.
What’s wrong with McDonald’s? I have two kids and my 13 y.o. son is now 200 lbs. in size 11 men’s shoes. I’m a widow and feeding him is no easy task. We go to all of the fast food outlets and know them well. When he suggests McDonald’s I groan internally, not b/c the food is necessarily worse than the others but b/c the prices have gone out of sight. I cannot drive through there for him (I never ever get anything for myself, can’t afford it), for less than $10-$11 and that’s just a sandwich, medium fries usually and a drink. They market fancy sandwiches that are over the top expensive. I would much rather take him to Taco Bell where the offerings are often healthier and a heck of a lot less expensive and I can even order something for myself for under $11. I used to think of McD’s as a bargain but now I think of them as $$$$.
My experience with Mcdonald’s is the food isn’t as good as it was growing up..patties seem smaller and very salty tasting.. The employee’s in the city I used to live in lacked hygiene…
I also see many attacks on Mcdonalds for their unhealthy, processed, chemical laden food. Even longevity quiz’s ask how often do you eat at a fast food restaurant… to top off any economical conditions worldwide….they have their work cut out for them… Unfortunately, many people are ignorant of pure healthy eating habits who will keep eating the Crap… :)
Want to comment on McDonalds…….haven’t been or taken grandchildren in ages. Prices have gone up, serving size has gone down and much healthier choices for same or just a little more are available. Mac’s was fun when they had $.15 hamburgers and $.19 cheeseburgers; now the size is the same but the price is sure not.
We use the drive-thru at McDonald’s on the way out of town for two Senior Coffees and 3 Breakfast Burritos a few times a year. If we’re on vacation we might drive through for a “McDouble” or two and some fries from the “Dollar Menu” for lunch. Otherwise McDonald’s is primarily the place we stop nowdays to use a relatively clean restroom. My wife occasionally drives through to get a $1 cone as a treat as she comes home from rehearsals. Otherwise, McDonald’s doesn’t play a part in our life.
My wife and I are in our 80s and do not eat out all that much. When in town over the noon hour we stop at a McDonald’s. Due to meats not agreeing with me I just order a Cheeseburger, no Meat with Lettuce and Tomato, plain. Wife usually orders one of the various meals, might be with French Fries. Coffee is always hot and good tasting. Both meals end up under $10.
The McD in Paris had perfectly good salad but in NY I wouldn’t risk it unless I was desperate. Hoping my daughter outgrows it. So far she like Chipotle better.
Writing in India , which is under a epidemic of diabetes , high BP , coronary heart disease and other lifestyle dieases .
The first thing that doctors recommend on seeing medical reports of a typical 30 40 year old person or even an obese child is to stop eating at McDonald’s and KFC .
Widespread perception is and rightly so that these chains serve food that is killing you .
I avoid going there unless no alternative is there. Like
When Ronald McDonald was retired, “there went the neighborhood”. That additional hype was what tended to make McDs as popular as it was with the younger customers . . . the ones who badgered their parents to go to McDonalds in the first place. Now that there are more options, sans Ronald, just having a nice building with a playground out front (many times covered/enclosed,now) is not cutting it. And the age demographics of those earlier patrons was not such that more trendy establishments were not known about, if they’d existed back then.
From the ones I’ve patronized in the DFW, TX area, they are still doing decent business. It’s the Wendy’s franchises that are hurting more than McDs, by an observed large amount. Dave’s “magic” is not there anymore, just as Ronald’s “magic” is absent from McDs.
McDs HAS changed their menu to allow for more salads and “healthy choices”, starting about 5 years ago or so . . . in response to consumer input. There are many chicken items now plus Quarter Pounder variations that are a good value, taste good, and with a small drink, approach the $5.00 range. In many other franchised fast food places, a basic burger and small drink can get close to $8.00+ in this market.
I’ve been to Chipolte and Panera. Chipolte has a good product, but how full you feel at the end depends upon the store and how generous the server is with foot portions. Panera’s ace might be customer service, but I wasn’t impressed enough to return for a second time . . . although it appears many others do (from the lines at the order stations).
I used to prefer Wendy’s over McDs, but after Dave passed away, I consider them to be even. Give Wendy’s a “+” for their speedy drive-thru service times, though. Wendy’s has dropped a little as McDs has risen a little, in my tastebuds’ opinion. Both still work for me, but then I’m more about value, utility, and “close to where I’m going to be”. I do really like Wendy’s new Frosty vanilla flavor . . . almost a dead ringer for the Dairy Queen ice cream of prior times.
Sometimes, it seems as iconic food vendors seek to “re-invent themselves”, they can tend to stray from what made them great and don’t get the results they thought they’d get from that process. Texas Dairy Queens were struggling for a while, but now seem to be doing better. Effective advertising, price, value, and “a reason to visit the location” are key items for any fast food purveyor, by observation.
The McDs I see are now all remodeled. They look nice and upscale with comfortable furnishings. Still lots of younger parents with their kids who are attracted to the playground. A “safe” playground with parents usually close by, too! No real changes there, by observation. Perhaps the “teens” and “tweens” are just gaining some trendy sophistication in their advancing age? End result, though, is that they can get equally “bad” food products from those “other places”, too, by making poor menu choices . . . and end up with something nutritionally worse than McDs, which also costs more at the same time. It was observed back in the ’80s, when Wendy’s added a salad bar to many locations AND salads were the new food trend, that a salad by itself can be good for you, but when you add on the cheeses and dressings, much of that goodness is hidden by added calories, fat, and sodium.
Perhaps McDs doesn’t taste too good, or Wendy’s too, as they’ve taken many of the “taste good” components out of (or decreased them) their offerings? Salt, Fat, and other things add to the taste of the many “fancy” chefs wouldn’t add them in!
As for “healthy choices”, even Subway is not quite as “healthy” as it was back when eating one meal a day there was supposed to help with weight loss . . or so it seems from reading their nutrition information. One of their menu items recently made a “worst food” list.
Seems like people are looking for a healthier alternative. A for a dollar or two more, it’s possible. I did like the lamb burgers they served while I lived in New Zealand. A bit pricey but tasty.
Once upon a time McDonald’s had an excellent, healthy Asian Salad with grilled chicken on their menu. My sister and I would go there frequently for this healthier choice meal and then one day, they didn’t have it any more. I wrote to corporate headquarters and asked them ‘why at a time like this when people are looking for healthier meals, would they discontinue a menu item that was really great tasting AND healthy’. In answer to my query I got coupons for Big Macs and other sandwiches. I wrote and complained another time because the McDonald’s I had stopped at on a very busy highway in the Boston area, served up lettuce that was rotting in their Asian Salad. I got coupons for that, too. Now they don’t even have the Caesar Salad which is probably the most popular salad in most other restaurants. Their salads have shrunk while the prices have gone up. What are these people thinking??
Hi. I can really agree with this article. I have two teenage daughters and one teenage son. McDonalds used to be a “Road Trip” favorite. Not anymore! The kids want to stop at places lke Chipotle. “Yuck” is often associated with McDonalds and other fast foods. We have started bringing them on “Road Trip shopping trips” . It is so interesting to watch their choices of fruit, junk food, and “somewhat healthy snacks”. Their decisions are so much better than mne used to be. I am glad that fast Food is losing its “Grip” n our young sailors!
A move away from “Muckdonalds” is a step in the right direction but if your choice of alternatives is anything to go by, humanity still has a long way to go regarding health. Anyway thats not your expertise. I found that what is truly healthy (unprocessed food as much as possible – in a nutshell), the corporations just cannot make a whole lot of money out of.
I live in Mid-America. And I would continue to go into McDonalds for my occasional meal if I could reasonably expect to be served by a capable, well mannered, English speaking person.
To get my business … McDonalds will now have to concentrate on staffing their “stores” with some of the fresh smiling folks I find at Chick-fil-la.
Regarding McD’s: Have we all forgotten the big flap in New York with fast food workers demanding $15.00/hour? Never heard what happened there but the wage increase surely has impacted this business. In our town, where minimum wage is $10.10/hr., McD’s is one of the few employers that will give teens a job or anyone without a high school diploma. They are a great company that supports the local community. We are loyal breakfast food consumers because of their generosity to our town. Food prices have risen substantially as well as wages so it’s no surprise that profits are down. Pretty easy to understand, I think.
It seems that you have chosen some of the best comments, Mike. There is a reason why the Fed isn’t raising rates. It is because they don’t see that growth as strong enough to take that chance.
All the world is playing the low rate game. No country can afford to strengthen their currency and reduce the exports. So the money printing game goes on. It’s a rather amazing phenomena where the world is hanging on while printing money like it is going out of style. Investors have no where to go and bet against that game. If they did it would probably be a popular bet.
Mike- It`s the quality of the food. People are more health conscious these days. I saw a you tube video a short while back where the person opened his desk drawer, grabbed a McDonald`s burger in a box and set it on his desk top. He then opened the box and showed the white bread bun and burger inside . He took the top bread off and set it to the side. It was plain with no mustard, ketchup, pickles or anything. It looked like a regular McDonald`s hamburger. Then the person said “this looks just like when I bought it… 10 years ago.” Unbelievable but true. There was no life in the bread or burger. Not even the bugs wanted it. Americans and others around the world are getting smarter.
The participation rate is at all time lows and half of the people in the count are on food stamps. The infrastructure mostly is at a C or worse. The is some expectation that if the civil infrastructure was improved that the economy would also. improve. I suggest that first all infrastructure improvements be done on a private/public partnership and appropriate user fees be charged such as on I-15 access lanes in Southern California. Departments of Transportation be relegated to project management and Quality Control. The design-build contractor teams would become responsible for the maintenance of the facility for its expected lifetime. Eliminate welfare except for the most deserving who for physical or mental reasons cannot work. The new infrastructure program would provide more than enough jobs funded by the private sector for all able bodied people to work. Jobs would be either directly involved in the construction industry or in support: materials, transportation, manufacturing, engineering, office supplies … and every other sector out there. A win-win for everyone except the Democrats and leftists.
HMMMMM, MacD’s what can you say. It was never a favorite of mine. The hamburgers were small but cheap and a secret sauce was the come on. They did have some of the best fries though. OK that tells how old I am, but the point is that there was never real value there and you ate there when nothing else was available or when I wanted a decent but small hamburger overseas. Revamp the menu, maybe not, just give a little larger hamburger, you know real value for the hard earned dollar that the thief in the white house hasn’t managed to redistribute. And by the way…buying no value…the numbers are in and the loser IS the job market in America. We add 300K+ jobs but wait each week is 290K+ first time filers for unemployment. Add 300K and lose 1M, yes I can see where a loser in the white house would count that a gain. Looking at the participation numbers clearly say I am right in assuming the white house hasn’t got a clue…well except in the propaganda they spew out hoping only the uneducated will believe that they are better off. Shame this is not the America I grew up in…time to convince the state of Texas to become the New Republic of Texas. Get here quickly before we shut the doors.
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I have found some McDonald’s that still have quality food, but not many. I think there are two main issues:
1. problems with management or management training. The people in charge often appear to manage in absentia. In reality if you own a business you MUST manage that business or hire someone who can. Often I have been in Micky D’S wherein the oldest worker present appeared to be in high school.
2. giving third, fourth, fifth chances to employees….if someone cannot (or will not) do their job correctly…release them from employment.
If the workers prepare the food correctly, it is still pretty good…..not something you want as a steady diet, but certainly a decent option while traveling, or for a quick lunch (or breakfast). However, to run a business well, and produce decent food, you MUST demand responsibility from your workers.
In general, families have fewer children than in past generations, so the number of teenagers is declining. As a teacher, I have observed the work ethic of the average teenager slide downhill for several years. Fewer teenagers and a withering work ethic are likely to cause any number of fast food restaurants to fold over the next ten years.
McDonalds isn’t a favorite of mine around here mainly because of all the people. Apparently some people still like eating there because the only time there’s not a crowd at my local McDonalds is very late or very early, when they’re closed. I was surprised to hear your views about them, I figured the company was going gangbusters!
I can remember reading in the 60’s that the market for MCD was saturated. I had not been to a MCD in years until recently they had free coffee and $1 sausage McMuffin. Very good. I stopped when free coffee stopped. Today they have egg McMuffin for $1.19. I had to wait in line but service and sandwich were OK. I plan to go back in AM. I did not see any MCD’s getting burned down in the recent riots. They did manage to burn down some rag head businesses. Our boys in Iraq and Afghanistan are probably thankful for that as many of their profits are finding their way back home in the form of arms and bombs. Islam is supposed to mean Peace, but nowadays anything but peace. Look at North Africa used to be inhabited by black people, look at the Pharaohs. Today you would be hard pressed to find black folks there. They were killed off by the Arabs. Methinks that is their plan for us. The folks fomenting these riots will not be happy until this place looks like Somalia. Just saying that is their end game.
First of all I don’t buy that healthy food blather. There is a private chain in S. California parts of Arizona, Las Vegas area called Inn n Out Burger and all they sell are burgers and they are ALWAYS packed. Burgers, fries, sodas and shakes…that’s their menu. Hardly what currently passes as healthy. Their secret…NOTHING other than the shakes has ever been frozen including their meat. Meanwhile, the MacDonalds down the street has its usual two or three cars in the drive through and a handful of in store diners. Plus a bloated menu of more than 150 items. What kind of quality can you expect from a fast food restaurant that has a menu so full of crap? Next to the MacDonalds is a Jack in the Box. I estimate they are doing twice the business of MCDs as well as the Carls Jr across the street. Meanwhile Inn n Out with their business model is kicking their collective frozen processed food butts.
The Bizarre Ingredient Found in Many Fast Food Items
Christina Sarich
Prison Planet.com
November 5, 2014
We all know we should get enough dietary fiber in a healthy eating regime, but what if I told you that some of that fiber (found in processed foods) comes in the form of wood pulp? Burger King, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and other popular fast food joints have found a way to beat inflation, and keep the poor, the hungry, the fast-fed nation fattened up. Wood pulp in burgers.
Sure, they list the ingredient for all to see, but most wouldn’t know that microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) or “powdered cellulose†in plain English is wood pulp.
This has been a surreptitious addition to fast food burgers for several years now, and it seems to be on the rise. Oh, and it isn’t just in your burger. It is also being added to fries, shakes, sauces, onion rings, and just about every other item served at a fast food chain. It even allows fast food companies to use less ‘chicken’ in their nuggets and ‘cream’ in their ice cream. Yuck.
Here’s why.
Wood pulp, or MCC, is an emulsion-stabilizing, cling-improving, anti-caking substance with many names. Sometimes it is called powdered cellulose (cellulose powder), other times it is called methylcellulose or cellulose gum. It is non-absorbable fiber that allows them to manufacture cheap food even cheaper – and you can bet it is lacking any nutritional value if their food had any to begin with.
Want to think again about hitting the drive through where those Golden Arches reside? If not, maybe, maybe a little bit of horse meat in your burger (admitted by Burger King) will turn you off, as it has for so many others.
McDonald’s specifically ranked highest on the list with cellulose integrated into 14 of their menu items, including their renowned fish fillets, chicken strips and biscuits.
The king could lose his crown over this:
Burger King ranked second on the list with 13 menu items containing wood fiber. What’s worse is that many cellulose-laden ingredients, such as their honey mustard, bbq sauce, and cheese blends, can be found in multiple items on the menu, making the filler difficult to avoid.
Wendy’s, Taco Bell and Carl’s Jr. were not without blame. They all used wood pulp in at least some of their items.
It is unclear just how safe adding wood pulp to your diet is. Nevermind, though. The FDA has approved powdered cellulose for human consumption in moderate doses.
Studies on the effects of microcrystalline cellulose are on-going, but do you really want to add wood pulp to the list of other toxic ingredients in your food?
Last time I checked, the public isn’t full of beavers, guinea pigs, ants, termites, or goats. Our diets might want to change accordingly.
This post originally appeared at Natural Society
Related posts:
As Commodity Prices Soar, So Does Demand for Wood Pulp—As a “Food Extenderâ€
Yes, There’s Wood Pulp in Burgers…Here’s Why I Think it Matters
4 Fast Food Ingredients Way Worse than Horsemeat
Study: Fast Food Burgers Contain As Low as 2% Real Meat
Warning: 3 Fast Food Ingredient Secrets
The earning power of the American workers is key to future economic growth and stability. Infusing “funny money” into the system by the Fed has worked for a while to prevent a virtual collapse, but continuing to do so has reached a point of diminishing returns.
The next step in completing the recovery cycle and creating a more enduring economy is to beef up employment and wages to create more demand for goods and services. And it here where we have countervailing forces.
Corporate America wants a slack labor force to check labor and benefit growth…while most workers, trades and unions want a tight market to boost earning power. So far the Administration and Congress have sided with business by a allowing a constant infusion of both legal and illegal immigrants to compete with American workers for jobs: i.e. to keep wages as low as possible with an abundance of applicants. For example, on average over a million immigrants have been granted visas each year during the last decade (that’s 10 million competitors)…never mind the illegal entrants that are estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands annually. In addition robots are replacing human labor at a rapid pace in a multitude of enterprises. And get this; Congress wants to double legal immigration in the face of disappearing jobs and a welfare system stretched to the budgetary limits both at the federal and state levels.
In addition state taxpayers foot the bill for medical, educational and social services provided to settling immigrants employed or not. That takes dollars out of the pockets of American workers as well, leaving little discretionary income to boost coveted GDP.
Bottom Line…if we want the American worker to prosper…we have to cut legal immigration to a bare minimum, secure both borders to prevent illegal entry and strictly enforce our immigration laws. Historically immigration was a boon to our country, but times have changed…and our labor policies must change too. it’s time to put the brakes on incoming people numbers. America is too full to be economically healthy and to encourage more people to come here is cruel to them and to our own as well.
Another Government snafu the great Ethanol boondoggle! Using corn to make alcohol for fuel as an additive to gasoline, what a joke! Corn is food, look at the labels of your foodstuffs, it is in everything. No inflation- try to purchase meat of any kind save fish and you will find prices up 10% or more. Corn is a main ingredient of almost any animal feed, the feedlot cannot fatten your calves, hogs, or poultry when the price of corn is supported by Ethanol used for fuel. The addition of ethanol into gasoline is destroying the marine fuel used by fishermen. the fact that alcohol is hygroscopic and absorbs water from the atmosphere, ruins fuel systems. I just love to rant!
Hi Mike
After so many years the range can appear to be boring, tasteless and predictable. McDonalds need to undertake market research and find choices that appeal to taste, quality and variety required to re-engage with both old and new customers.
Hi!, Mr. Larson & Staff At Money & Markets Et. Al.:
One pastor whose books it has been my pleasure over the years to enjoy reading, says we all have a series of what he describes as souls’ sincere desires like the sincere desire to breathe, sleep when sleepy, eat when hungry etc. but also mixed in is everyone’s sincere desire for healthy foods and, if McDonald refuses to compete on this level of our daily reality regarding desiring the healthiest of foods for OUR money which has become todays’ trend, then their survival as a major worldwide corporation is in question by the health starved public consciousness it is confronting. It will therefore be McDonald that will need to change, in order to match the worldwide public demands for health conscious foods and not the other way around. My favorite pastor told me so!! Why do we think that Organically grown foods–as another example–have risen in popularity even though they are too expensive for my personal budget? Hopefully someday Organic foods can be aligned in pricing with conventionally grown foods and that alone could make them even more popular in terms of overall comparative sales in my opinion.
RUSS SMITH, CA. (One Of Our Broke, Fiat Money Corrupt States)
resmith1942@gmail.com
The food is bland at best and the prices have risen to the point that they are comparable to local mom and pop shops or street food wagons. What the author and I remember are 22cent hamburgers and 16 cent fries. We are VERY far from those days! Why buy from Mickey D’s when I can get live food for just a little bit more? Burger King and Wendy’s are not that much different either. Frankly, I’m not sure they can get their prices down and their quality up to be competitive.
OK Mike,you need to listen to your kids.Sorry but that food has always been garbage and people are finally moving on.Be thankful if you are still in good health and figured it out in time.
Hi Mike…
I feel the same way as you about McDonalds. I went there at one time, and enjoyed it; however, there are better places to eat fast food now. Also, McDonalds is no longer inexpensive as it used to be. Once a year, I do try it again.
I have never been a fan of MCD but it’s problem is much like the reason why my wife and I quit eating at Taco Bell; the portions got ridiculously smaller and smaller. While we spend nearly double at Taco Time than Taco Bell, we get tastier and better quality food, and good portions for the money. From what I’ve read here, people value spending a little more to get good tasting food.
Mike: My wife and I did our best to support Micky D’s over the years. It finally caught up with us. Now we are supporting the MD’s. We both have heart trouble,weight issues and cholesterol problems. I loved the Big Macs and fries but they didn’t love me. People nowadays are a little more educated about food quality and nutrition. There are many healthier choices out there now. McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s are all dinosaurs. If they don’t adapt to the new environment they all will become fossil fuels.
After leaving Disney World in FL, quite late, on our way back to a five bedroom villa that we rented, a vote of 8 people in our van opted for McDonald. This being my spouse and I first visit to the golden arch in about 4 years was a disappointment.
First, its obvious inflation is hurting them. My ‘Big Mac’ which used to be two decent burgers was now two tissue paper thin burgers.
When I showed this poor excuse for a ‘Big Mac’ to my guest from NY he remarked that a ‘Egg Mc-Muffin’ he had a while back has shrunk to the size of a ‘silver dollar’!
The tab for the eight of us broke 46.00 Dollars which shows that other fast food restaurants such as Subway, with their foot-long packed heroes easily match their price and are a lot more wholesome
Also, the ‘Eat Healthy’ crusade going on thru out the USA has hurt them as there’s very little that’s healthy about their fare. Their menu is too lop-sided with fried food.
Sadly, the author of the article has sized up with deadly accuracy that: America has simply outgrown McDonald’s!
Only go for the coffee.
When the Mrs McD inherited the company and went left, we stopped going. Smaller sizes, poor taste, Went to In and Out instead.
the quality of their food and service has slipped drastically ON AT LEAST TWO CONTINENTS: I live in the US and Germany.
I deliver beer and my helper makes $200 a week. We go to McDonald’s because that is where he got the most for his money. We do not go as much anymore because they have raised the prices. A dollar will buy you a chicken sandwich at Burger King but costs $1.40 at McDonald’s. Is it worth the 40 % more because it is a better sandwich ???
When I was in college in the 1960s, Tuesday was a big day because that was McDonald’s 2 for 1 day and I could eat like a real person – two hamburgers for 16 cents. I have not been in McDonalds five times since those days, and the lack of food quality is the reason.
A friend of mine and I do a long business drive twice a week. We dropped McDonalds when they cheaped out and dropped the Angus Burger. We are Boomers and when we had a burger craving, the Angus was a definite option. Now we drive on by.
McDonald’s has relinquished quality of their food which is not nutritious. Meat isn’t real, chicken mcnuggets tested by Mike Adams of Natural Health in his laboratory revealed scarey ingredients. People are more health conscious than ever before. Young teens are also. Taste buds have changed and McDonald’s will have to also.
There will always be a spot for Mickie D’s. There’s a lot more competition now for the same fast food buck. I’m 75 and still enjoy a McDouble w Med fries, a good Sundae and one of my fav’s a Sausage Biscuit but variety is the spice of life !!
McDonald’s renovated or replaced all of their restaurants in Venice, Florida. They are cold and noisy. No ambience at all. The kitchens are more open so all the chatter by employees and all the noisy ice crushers leave a customer looking for a nicer place.
The one I go to now has about 1/2 as many customers and very few kids. When coffee goes over $1 a cup, bye, bye, John!
The problem is the quality of the hamburgers. You don’t know whether to eat the burger or the box-they taste about the same.
McDonald’s CEO’s should visit Chick Fil and some other fast food chains to see where they can make changes. McD started the fast food revolution so shouldn’t they take tips from more successful one?. I frankly do not patronize Chic Fil because of its narrow minded management, but I checked it out to see why anyone else does. They offer smiles when you come up to order, plenty of order takers, clean looking restaurants, more healthful entrees (like veggie & chicken wraps), sometimes a chocolate at the end of the meal, and well equipped rest rooms with handles you push instead of touch after washing hands. Easy and inexpensive changes. McDonald’s nuggets have a hard, grease soaked crust compared to chick. Listen up McD – we like your dividends and want to keep investing. Make it worthwhile!
I gave up on McD years ago when they took the sesame seeds off the bun. I only visit there when traveling, maybe once a year at most, Better value and quality from Hardees burgers, chicken and busciuts..
In last 10 years my job has taken me to more than 40 countries. I saw great Americana icons like MCD and increasing numbers of other food franchises. The competition is furious among US brands and many local copy cats’ burger joints at lower price chocking up the sales.
MCD has also introduced local flavors in their overseas menus. Some of them are real good (last one I tried was veggie burger in India). MCD should offer these items other places as limited time menu to perk up business.
I sold the stocks earlier after hearing about raising minimum wages. I will buy back MCD when time right.
MCD is great for a snack, but not for a meal. If I want a meal, or to give my family a meal, I am much better off going anywhere other than MCD – for choice, freshness, price, comfort, you name it. In fact, if it weren’t for tips, a meal at Denny’s (or other sit down restaurants) would be the same price as MCD. To bring a family of four for a meal at MCD can easily cost $25. I don’t know about your town, but for $25 I can buy a nice pizza or a lot of Chinese food. Why would anyone choose MCD? That being said, sales may be down, but revenues are still huge.
McDonalds offers a limited menu of good, safe, predictable items at a reasonable cost. However, they are losing ground to upscale restaurants like Five Guys, Tom & Eddies or Smashburger that offer a great, fresh burger for a little more money. In addition, fast-food competitors like Wendys offer more variety and healthy choices. MCD has grown so large that they will find it hard to maintain previous rates of growth.
Personally I have not eaten at a McDonalds in about 20 years. My family won’t go there. The food is not fresh and it is unhealthy. Basically we don’t eat any fast food. We go to a decent sit down restaurant or eat at home, and most of my friends do the same. i think the party is over, not just at McDonalds but other fast food joints as well like Burger King and Carl’s Jr.
In Buffalo NY, as a child I remember tasting my first MD food… at one of their early
places…. it was tasteless and horrible… the bun was paste. The meat was rubber.
We find out later that they put sugar in their frying oil to help addict children to their
food at a very young age. For the health of America, the bankruptcy of MD will
be great NEWS. How anyone could have positive memories of MD’s food is a mystery.
I have not eaten in that place in over 50 yrs. The sooner they fold up…the better.
I agree. Google how their chicken nuggets are made. Disgusting!
I have always gotten the Fish Fillet at Mc D’s. I noticed a few years ago that the cheese slice that came on top of the fish had gotten about 75% smaller. (It used to cover the whole piece of fish). 6 months ago I noticed that the cheese piece had shrunk to where covers only about 1/3 of the fish. The open sandwich looked pathetic- but I realized they know that most people don’t open it. I haven’t gone back since. Although I think everyone has always realized that “Fast Food” has less value, when MacDonald’s first came along, you could eat there for 1/4 of the cost of anywhere else. That huge cost advantage doesn’t exist any more. Some People don’t see the bargain there anymore.
I have always gotten the Fish Fillet at Mc D’s. I noticed a few years ago that the cheese slice that came on top of the fish was about 25% smaller. (It used to cover the whole piece of fish). 6 months ago I noticed that the cheese piece had shrunk to where covers only about 1/3 of the fish. The open sandwich looked pathetic- but I realized they know that most people don’t open it. I haven’t gone back since. Although I think everyone has always realized that “Fast Food” has less value, when MacDonald’s first came along, you could eat there for 1/4 of the cost of anywhere else. That huge cost advantage doesn’t exist any more. Some People don’t see the bargain there anymore.
McD’s food is flavorless, expensive, but even if it was cheap it is still not worth eating. After all, bat droppings are bat droppings regardless of price. But food is not McD’s main business. They are in the real estate business. There stores are located on the best corners in every city around the world. So as far as I am concerned, they are a plague upon the earth for a whole bunch of reasons and the sooner they are gone (along with others of their ilk) the better!
No way will I take my grandkids to McDonald’s. My daughter is 35 and I knew it was bad when she was a kid.
McDonalds has far too many items on it’s menu. They are rushing you through and get impatient when you take time to peruse the menu. Their food is as good and wholesome as any small restaurant in my area. They are being hurt big time here by the food trucks and the arrival of oriental buffets and secondary fast food places like Chipotle, Chic-fil-A Red Robin etc. I still love my 1/4lber and the Shamrock Shake but only occasionally.
McDonald’s is not dead and it’s probably not going to die. Mickey D just needs to realize that it shouldn’t waste time trying to compete with restaurants who serve salads and other “healthy” choices. Nobody goes to a bar for their health. Nor do they go to McDonald’s for a healthy meal. If Mc’D eliminates costly healthy choices; which nobody is buying anyway, they cut costs and increase profits. If they wake up and remember that their dominance has always been burger–fries–shake, and forget about trying to compete with Panera or Chipotle, they will be just fine. Ask yourself this–“does Chik-Fil-A try to compete with Panera’s stupid turkey chili with corn and carrots . . ” (which nobody in their right mind can really call chili)? Heck no. Chik-Fil-A knows its market and conquers it. McDonalds can, and probably will, also regain dominance.
McDonalds’ sales slump probably has more to do with competition than culture. The profitability of the fast food industry is well known and that has drawn competitors in for a slice of the action. Direct competitors such as YUM, Chipotle, Starbucks, Panera Bread and more have expanded rapidly in the last decade, and other operations such as Dunkin Donuts have expanded their menu’s to offered a full range of light meals as well. There are just so many eating out options for consumers today that were not around 30 and 40 years ago – it has to be a drag on MCD sales. I think that’s mainly what we’re seeing.
The bad news, however is that those competitors are not going away. To remain strong McDonalds is going to have to figure out ways of competing effectively in this environment.
I never had any problem with MCD’s service, but always preferred Burger King’s Whopper to the Big Mac — better price and better tasting. But, there is a LOT of tough competition out there, today. Hardies, Steak and Shake, Arby’s (have you tried their Brisket?), and many smaller chains and local enterprises peddle similar products. But, you are right — I think America has gotten over the hamburger, especially with “pink slime” and other slaughterhouse scandals in the news, and the desire to eat healthier and more varied fare. Demographics is also another big factor, as the population ages, they prefer buffets and sit-down meals with less fried food. And, finally, stagnant wages and rampant inflation have just been devastating to families with children who are MCD’s target market – they are now on food stamps and getting food from the community pantry, unable to afford eating out. It will get far worse before it gets better, no matter what MCD decides to do. MCD originally was the low-price leader, but as they matured, they raised prices and enjoyed healthy margins. Now, as their popularity fades and volume declines, are they going to compete on price, or upgrade the fare and raise prices? I think the dollar menu is on the way out and the upgraded menu options will expand to include Mexican food, pizza, and some asian items, like egg rolls and tempura. Pizza Hut went for the smorgesboard, but I don’t think MCD’s fare lends itself to that option. Going after the coffee market was a wise move for MCD. What next?
This is 2014 and we have the internet to do research on the harm MCD’s does to your body. MCD’s and all of these other companies will continue to die a slow death – like newspapers. When I was a kid, I was there once a week for years. I will not step foot in a MCD’s anymore. Garbage in, garbage out.
The McDonalds burger used to be fried on the spot, now you see then in plastic bins….to you see the eggs and sausage/bacon….all precooked not personally cooked!!! The salads are fair at best, Wendy’ chicken salads are better and less calories. McD’s should face it…there needs to be a big menu shift towards healthier foods, fruit and veggies…..
McD’s is on its way to being another Woolworth, Grants and soon to be with Sears and JC. Penny’s on the way out!!!!!!
here in holland we are fed up too. small locals give u better and cheaper food.
we are more aware of the health-thing and mD does not have a good reputation.
My goodness, what a lot of handwringing over MickeyD! It’s as if they are ready to call it quits and go out of business!! This is a company that generates nearly 30 billion dollars in revenue and almost 6 billion in profit. Who are we kidding..a down quarter or two and you all are ready to kick them off the bus. Sure, they have some management issues – but like people, companies change and make no mistake about it – McDonald’s will change. Not only that but give us a couple of quarters of inflation and see where all the “healthy people” will be eating.
McDonald’s problems are due to cold fries, hamburgers that are kept in a warmer instead of cooked fresh and service period. McDonald’s fake was obvious when they gave less attention to the quality of there product for better service and lower “throw away food” costs due to expired timers on the burgers.
Nothing beats a freshly prepared HOT hamburger with MELTED cheese on a FRESH bun with HOT fresh fries. McDonald’s used to be the best at this. If they went back to the formula of cooking the burgers and wrapping them in paper and setting a freshness timer and keeping strict watch on the fry timer they would again be in the money and have long lines for there product.
Fewer children in our area mine are grown (I am 75)and with health problems so would not go for fast food. With my sons would occasionally go to a steak house or for ribs and a fresh raw .salad. Non of us want fries/burgers/ice cream. Sons in their 40s so dietary needs changing. We will go to vegetarian fresh raw where we pick with tongs and it is weighed by the plate and green tea. That time in our lives is long gone so we never set foot in the place which used to be our place ti eat. WE HAVE CHANGED!
Dear Mike, don’t just stick to McDonald’s. Check other old timer fast food chains to see if the same is happening. Many years ago there were just a few fast food outlets. Today there are a whole lot more, with a lot more variety (chinese food, mexican food, pasta, hot dogs, potatoes, pizza, etc.). I believe that retooling could help recoup many vanishing customers. But Macs have probably saturated the markets, everywhere, and retooling will have to be a constant corporate startegy in order to maintain its present sales level, not necessarily market share. Regards, Mario E. Porrata