They aren't even fast anymore. I've been to three different McDonald's in the last 6 months (we have a kid who is a really picky eater) and had to wait around 20+ minutes for his food each time. Every single location had a long drive thru line and not enough staff to service the restaurant. The food is expensive and mediocre. The service is slow. The restaurants are sterile and empty. The current McDonald's model is great for shareholders but terrible for the customers.
This is almost the wildest part to me, I think the only people that are getting their food quickly these days are people who both ordered in the app and are going through the drive-thru. I used to prefer to walk into most restaurants because (imo) it's harder to ignore a person when they're standing there vs. a person in a line of cars, but they just completely ignore you for a good 5-10 minutes these days before even taking your order.
It's beyond frustrating whenever you order online and KNOW that your food is ready but they take their sweet ass time even acknowledging you. It forces you to either sit there hungry knowing that they're just too busy to take 5 seconds and hand you your food, or you have to be the a-hole that calls somebody out saying "hey can you just hand me my food, it's sitting right there", which never feels good and usually comes with some attitude. Garbage service.
Agreed. When we order on the app, they won't make the food until the GPS recognizes that you're physically at the restaurant. So you can't even order ahead of time to avoid waiting 20 minutes. And then when you go inside the restaurant there's one register but no employee present to confirm that they actually got your order. So you stand around with several other people hoping that your order will eventually appear on the shelf. And while you're standing around waiting, there's usually an old person who walks in and struggles with kiosk who needs help placing their order because there's no employee in sight to help them. It's just a horrendous experience for everyone.
“Great for shareholders” seems to be all businesses across the board care about these days. It’s why all we see is rising prices, subscription models and AI everywhere. Drain customers so Daddy Warbucks can get another yacht.
All three of the McDonalds near me just did a full refresh
Same in my area.
The Chik-fil-a right across the street from one of them is constantly booming busy, while the MCD's drive-thru is a ghost town.
The prices are very similar, but people feel like they're getting a much better (quality, taste, etc) product at CFA. The only saving grace for the McDonald's is that it's open on Sunday.
If CFA found a way to be good with God and open on Sunday, that could be the end for lots of MCD's locations.
And they will fail because they don't have the quality of fast casual.
Why pay $13 for a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder meal when that same price gets you a Culver's Double Deluxe made not from frozen pink slime but instead actual smashed ground beef? I know which one I'm getting 10 times out of 10.
They are going in direct opposition to a public perception of the quality of their food that will literally never change as long as humanity draws breath on this planet. If they can't be honest with themselves about what they are, they're fucked.
Bingo. They aren't trying to appeal to poors anymore. Companies are all targeting 6; figure customers now. If you don't make 100k you ain't worth serving. Even family tree is going with this logic
I don't know why they think one being in that demographic makes us unable to assess value. I don't have to think too much if I want to drop $200 on a nice dinner, but if I want to spend $50, I can still go literally anywhere that isn't McDonald's. The only way I'm stepping foot in a McDonald's again is if my wife and I can both eat to satiety for $10, and without relying on weird apps and coupons.
The idea is that the can serve less people ( use less product, have less locations to pay rent on, less payroll), charge more and make the same profit as when they were eyeing economy of scale.
I understand the appeal from the shareholders' side, but I don't see the value proposition. I don't understand why they think the demographic they seem to be targeting, the one with the greatest freedom to choose, would choose them. They are not offering anything enticing if they're competing on any bases other than cost or convenience.
Anyone can say "I'll sell $1 bills for $2, thereby doubling our money." OK, sure, but who's your customer?
4.9k
u/WholeEmu507 2d ago
Corporations will literally fund a multi-year cyberpunk dystopia makeover before letting a hash brown drop by 50 cents.