I’m sure you’ve heard or read that McDonald’s profits are in the toilet right now. Declining sales and patronage have led to McDonald’s decision to close 350 stores worldwide AND fire their CEO. Times are a’changin’, and peeps are opting instead for healthier fast options, like Chiptole {ironically, a chain that McDonald’s sold about a decade ago}. Bet they are totally regretting that decision…
BIG mistake, indeed. Julia really knows how to break it to ’em.
I have been wondering a for a couple of years now why McDonald’s hasn’t gotten ahead of the health trends. I think they thought that when they offered calorie information on all of the their food items right on your tray they were doing the healthy thing…when really all it did was remind you how crappy you were eating. Even the salads seem to be packed with the cheapest possible ingredients. I guess their game plan was to stick to cheap ingredients so that they could offer cheap menu items?
According to an article on CNN Money, McDonald’s will be rolling out a new game plan on May 4th, but until then, they are experimenting with serving all-day breakfast. While I get people love Egg McMuffins, I think they are missing the whole point–people are drifting away from crappy over-processed poor quality food and moving toward fresh, healthier sourced options. Hello!?
What do you think? Will McDonald’s stand the test of time?
~Mavis
Julie says
Which is funny is that in France McDonalds is first WAY better! They are one of the only fast food there, there are more options, the quality is far better than in the US, and they also have a lot of healthier options! So maybe McDonalds US should take example on the European ones first! And they should look for their quality, I get sick every time I go there… so now if we decide to eat a fast food, which is rare, we go somewhere where the burgers are better and there are a lot of options!
Tammy says
There’s so much nutritionally wrong with almost everything McDonald’s serves…I hope that their declining sales indicates people are making healthier choices and not just moving to Burger King or the like.
Tammy says
And really? Breakfast all day? Gag me.
Dale says
If McDonalds is banking on me they had better think twice. Decades of crappy foods won’t be forgiven soon or ever. Their brand, to me, is cheap crappy cheap. I’m an ad agencies worst nightmare. I still refuse to buy Charmin Bath tissue because of the years of “Mr. Whiffle”. I still feel traumatized by that assault. There are other companies I won’t shop due to their poor quality products, poor customer service and/or their “Aggressively” insulting commercials. Jack in the box, Sonic, Taco Bell, and Toys R Us to name a few. Beside fast food, Car companies have the worst commercials so I will never buy a Nissan or Ford. OK I’m a little off subject but McDonalds is one of the worst companies out there and in my opinion are a key factor in the obesity of the American people.
jan says
While I agree that a lot of their foods are garbage, so are most of the fast food in other restaurants. Mc D’s offered affordable food. They have been singled out to squash – remember no happy meal toys? Raise wages so they would have to raise prices, scrutiny of all their ingredients, etc. ?? McD’s is what it is. Let them run their business and don’t go if you don’t like it.
PattyB says
Seems that’s exactly what is happening. People are going elsewhere.
Lana says
I really do not think they can recover. The food is gross besides the health issue. They at least used to have good regular old brewed coffee and we would stop sometimes for that late at night but now it is worse than Maxwell House. We are finished with them. They would have to give the new food away to get people to even taste it.
Ashley says
They might end up closing some stores, but i think they’ll be okay, especially in areas where money isn’t as easy to come by. A family could get a couple 10 piece nugget for $5, add a couple fries to that, cheap meal. Everyone knows it’s not good for you, but for some people cheap and easy is going to be where it’s at. Plus, they cater to kids. We go to McDonalds for lunch on our kids’ birthdays to treat them to a happy meal and to play. Every now and then I take them early in the day to split a $1 pack of cookies and then they play in the playplace. They think McDonalds is the greatest thing ever. I do think most kids grow out of that though, so McDonalds will have to find a way to carry over the kids to adulthood to keep business going. But what I’m saying is if my kids who rarely go to McDonalds love it, imagine how loyal kids who go all the time will be.
Diana says
I agree that McDonald’s approach to the demand for healthier foods does not make sense. When they added oatmeal to their menu, it was doctored up with junk to the point where it was almost unrecognizable, and priced as if it were made of platinum. Who would buy a single serving of something that barely resembles what it is supposed to be, and costs more than an entire carton of oatmeal from the grocery store? Same thing with their fruit-yogurt parfait.
My inner sinful eater loves the idea of all-day breakfast, though.
There are reasonably healthy options on the menu, such as a carton of milk, and a plain hamburger. I also not very worried about what is in the breakfast burrito and egg mcmuffin. But that is about all I would order and not call it junk food.
Pam says
Fast food hasn’t been my thing since I was a teenager (and I’m old enough to remember when the Quarter Pounder was the new sandwich). But some folks like them and who am I to judge? There are people who eat at Red Lobster and think they’re getting fresh seafood. *shrug* Live and let live.
Kathleen says
In the movie, “SuperSize Me,” McDonalds was being sued by someone who had gotten fat from eating their food. In the legal brief, McDonalds stated something to the effect of they (McD’s) knew their food was bad for people, and people still made the choice to eat the (bad) food. Therefore it isn’t McDonalds fault that people get sick or fat because they can choose to eat (or not eat) McDonalds. We haven’t eaten there since.
For any McDonalds execs who might be reading this post, the only way you will ever get me back to your place (can’t call it a restaurant), is to serve 100% USA grass fed beef, fries made from potatoes without weird additives, and cheese that is real cheese, not a processed cheese-like plastic-like product. Eliminate all gmo’s from all your products. In other words: serve REAL food, like what I would serve my family at home. Then, and only then, will I consider coming back. Until then, we’ll go to Chipotle and other healthy choices.
sk says
I LOVE McDoubles.
Lena says
Anyone choosing to eat at McDonald’s knows what they are getting, cheap food, fast. Honestly, would it not be cheaper to pay people to cut up real fresh potatoes instead of the science experiment with 19 ingredients that they call french fries? I think there is a paradigm change happening in the world of food as a whole. McDonald’s needs to make great changes to keep up with the desire for fresh wholesome food. And FAST!
PattyB says
I agree!
Robin says
I haven’t eaten at McDonald’s in over 5 years. Actually, the only fast food restaurant we eat at is Chick fil A. We mostly eat home cooked meals with real ingredients you can recognize and pronounce. When we know we will be on the road and can’t afford or don’t have time for a quality restaurant, I pack us a lunch in a cooler. I’m hoping other eating establishments are paying attention!
Michele P says
Hilarious timing on this article… Our family NEVER eats at McDonalds and we eat a very healthy diet. However…some friends of ours ( ARG!) introduced our kids to McDonalds and now they want to go there. I think for they toys in the happy meal.
So…on Monday I caved in and I took my 6 yr old there and I got this bacon club on brioche with carmelized onions. It was so good… I cannot lie. I had such inner turmoil – guilt for eating there, but elation that it tasted so ridiculously good.
It is now Wednesday and I had almost worked past my guilt…until this showed up in my Email! LOL
I would be thrilled if they closed the two restaurants in our small town. However, I think McDonalds as a whole will survive…they’ll just have to downsize. There are still far too many McDonalds fans out there for them to be wiped out. Now…the other places like Burger King, Hardy’s, and Jack in the Box, will take a beating in the future.
kristina@calwalnut.com says
I’m no fan of McDonalds, because their food is crummy crap. However, heart disease is the most common cause of death among Americans, and another obesity-caused disease, diabetes, is right up there. Anyone who’s ever looked at the stats of Chipotle’s burritos will see that they clock in at 1000+ calories. They may taste better than a big mac, but they’re not health food, either. The whole no-GMO thing should be seen as the marketing ploy that it is (which seems to be working beautifully).
Linda says
I guess it depends on what you get whether or not they are cheap- You can go to a resturant- Cracker Barrel for same price, except if you are just getting a snack. We don’t do any fast food anymore- once in a blue mood- ice cream cone but that is it. Most of their food is unedible.
Mari says
It is certainly time they got in on the trend to be gluten free. Here in New Zealand we have McCafe’s with in the McD’s store. Supposedly they offer a healthier line of foods (salad rolls, panninis, cakes etc) but apart from macaroon biscuits, they have nothing gluten free, meaning I can’t eat there (orBK or KFC for that matter either). You can’t even buy fries without going to a completely different part of the store from the McCafe. On their side tho… they do the best coffees in their cafe’s. It has been years since I have ‘eaten’ at a McD, but we do use their McCafes when travelling.
Stacey says
While I don’t eat out very often, when we travel, which has been a lot over the last ten years, I lost about 25 pounds while doing this, making wise choices when we stopped at fast food places. McDonald’s has been a good choice for us. It’s very fast so we can get in and out and not waste travel time, and there are enough choices that everyone with us can choose something they want. I probably had the hardest time because I’m the healthiest eater in the family, but I’m able to find something that will at least tie me over to the next meal. If McDonald’s were to increase its healthy options and make them healthier, I might eat there more often. The egg mcmuffin is definitely a favorite, and I would love if they offered them all day as long if they start offering a whole wheat english muffin!
mdoe37 says
In the small town a few miles away (not even a gas station here), there is a McD’s, Arbys, Taco Bell, Burger King and a Subway along with a couple of pizza places. No regular restaurants….they open and then close…they are just too pricey for the area. A McDouble is a couple of bucks…the local bar charges nearly $5 and frankly its a lousy burger..no fries or drink in that price, plus tip. I can get basically the same meal at McD’s for half the price. My choice would be a Subway salad….but those aren’t exactly cheap. I had a “salad” at McD’s a while back…I wish they would forget the fancy greens which don’t hold up well and just use iceberg..not worth the $5 they ask for them.
I figure if I cook at home 90% of the time, it will offset the 10% when I eat out. Eating a reasonable portion on occasion isn’t going to hurt. (Cholesterol 150)
Stacey says
My criteria for salads is to have the darker-colored greens or at least romaine lettuce because the nutrition content is much higher. Iceberg lettuce doesn’t have much in it except water, and I never buy it.
Mariana says
Linking to another comment earlier, yes McDonald’s in Europe are much better quality. The choices of sandwiches are really wide and they have lots of fresh and local veggies in them (referring to local McDonald in Poland). I will not go as far as saying this would be my top choice but this definitely is a ‘treat’ for the kids that parents don’t feel too guilty about.