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The Year of McDonald's

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Re: The Year of McDonald's

#11

Post by caseyohara »

Waterluvian wrote: post #4

When I was quite young (maybe 5-9) my family did a lot of trips to the U.S. for my dad’s IBM server training stuff. Something that made me anxious was the border crossing because my dad got all serious and told us to be quiet and it felt intimidating. As a consequence of being so young I couldn’t distinguish between Customs and a toll booth so they made me anxious too. And one day we were driving up to what looked li…

My favorite unique McDonald’s is in Freeport, Maine.

> When the town wouldn't allow the fast-food behemoth to build a new restaurant, they put one inside an 1850 home.

> The year was 1984. McDonald's was looking to build a location in the town of Freeport, Maine. There was only one problem: The Freeport building design restrictions were strict, and the town wanted the fast-food giant to maintain the area's aesthetic. In other words: No golden arches. McDonald's solution? Remodel an existing structure.

Pictures here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/mcdonalds-freeport-mansi...

Re: The Year of McDonald's

#12

Post by Dosenpfand »

paulpauper wrote: post #7

Then, this week, there was the news that Luigi Mangione, the alleged assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Isn't it pretty obvious it's him? Is there any possibility he was framed or something. McDonald's plays a big role because it also happens to be extremely popular and has many locations all over America. It's brand is an iconic and big as ever. It also shows how America has a sort of love-hate relation…

Innocent until proven guilty.

Re: The Year of McDonald's

#13

Post by alwa »

paulpauper wrote: post #7

Then, this week, there was the news that Luigi Mangione, the alleged assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Isn't it pretty obvious it's him? Is there any possibility he was framed or something. McDonald's plays a big role because it also happens to be extremely popular and has many locations all over America. It's brand is an iconic and big as ever. It also shows how America has a sort of love-hate relation…

The people who would know that best are the people investigating, prosecuting, and judging him. In real life, not through rumor and media (social or otherwise).

I’m not aware of evidence to the contrary, but then I wouldn’t be, because I’m not involved with the investigation or the trial. Neither is most anyone commenting publicly right now.

It’s alleged until it’s proven, and in the US that’s a formal process that concludes with a guilty plea or verdict.

Re: The Year of McDonald's

#14

Post by markus_zhang »

munk-a wrote: post #5

What a bizarre statement about a place of business that's tried to irrelevance themselves into non-existence this year. Fast food pricing is now equal or beyond the prices of quality food with non-chain fast food (i.e. doner/local pizza joints) becoming the new affordable option.

Costco is my new restaurant. Food is more fresh and costs way less.

Re: The Year of McDonald's

#15

Post by kube-system »

munk-a wrote: post #5

What a bizarre statement about a place of business that's tried to irrelevance themselves into non-existence this year. Fast food pricing is now equal or beyond the prices of quality food with non-chain fast food (i.e. doner/local pizza joints) becoming the new affordable option.

McDonalds is financially quite healthy. They've never been the cheapest nor the best quality. McDonalds excels in having food at the right place at the right time and a minimal effort to transact.

If you are traveling at any random place in the US, and you are in a hurry and want something you are familiar with, McDonalds is the most likely thing you will come across first. There is a huge cognitive anchoring this has.

Re: The Year of McDonald's

#17

Post by wk_end »

paulpauper wrote: post #7

Then, this week, there was the news that Luigi Mangione, the alleged assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Isn't it pretty obvious it's him? Is there any possibility he was framed or something. McDonald's plays a big role because it also happens to be extremely popular and has many locations all over America. It's brand is an iconic and big as ever. It also shows how America has a sort of love-hate relation…

It’s an established practice in journalism to describe accused who haven’t been convicted as “alleged” criminals, regardless of how damning the evidence is.

The legal basis of this is a fear of libel lawsuits. But I think even when a libel lawsuit is extremely unlikely the practice is still followed - out of an abundance of caution, out of convention, or perhaps out of principle - that is, out of deference to the presumption of innocence on a fundamental level.

Re: The Year of McDonald's

#18

Post by bigstrat2003 »

paulpauper wrote: post #7

Then, this week, there was the news that Luigi Mangione, the alleged assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Isn't it pretty obvious it's him? Is there any possibility he was framed or something. McDonald's plays a big role because it also happens to be extremely popular and has many locations all over America. It's brand is an iconic and big as ever. It also shows how America has a sort of love-hate relation…

Journalists generally say "alleged", even when it's real obvious someone did the crime, in order to limit liability. They don't want to risk the off chance that the person is found not guilty and then comes after the journalists for libel.

Re: The Year of McDonald's

#19

Post by alwa »

munk-a wrote: post #5

What a bizarre statement about a place of business that's tried to irrelevance themselves into non-existence this year. Fast food pricing is now equal or beyond the prices of quality food with non-chain fast food (i.e. doner/local pizza joints) becoming the new affordable option.

Have you spent much time in their dining rooms? Niche as Chris Arnade’s expertise may be, it sure seems hard-earned:

> I can answer both questions. I’ve spent over a decade sitting in McDonald’s all over the United States—I believe I’ve visited over 500 franchises. Roughly half the conversations I had for my 2019 book Dignity took place in a McDonald’s—in fact, my working title was, Everything You Want to Know About America Can Be Learned in a McDonald’s, because I sincerely believe this.

Re: The Year of McDonald's

#20

Post by paulpauper »

markus_zhang wrote: post #14
munk-a wrote: post #5

What a bizarre statement about a place of business that's tried to irrelevance themselves into non-existence this year. Fast food pricing is now equal or beyond the prices of quality food with non-chain fast food (i.e. doner/local pizza joints) becoming the new affordable option.

Costco is my new restaurant. Food is more fresh and costs way less.

but not as convenient as McDonald's . fewer locations, need membership afik for food
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