Author Topic: McDonalds question? (Read 5314 times)

Drop Bear · « **on:** 29 October 2015, 19:57:27 »

Ok we invented McCafe and it has bean picked up world wide with some success, but what about [urlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ2Q-i6XxBU]Create Your Taste[/url], bean out down hear for about a year.

during the week went to lunch with an American who when in OZ eats every meal they can at Maccas, because Australia dose the Big Mac Better (his words, we have tastier cows and don't allow Offal in our Burgers).

Anyway went to Maccas and we (myself and a friend who works at the Oz branch of the same company as the visiting american) introduced him to Create Your Taste and I don't think he wants to go home, even though I think CYT has bean rolled out to some US locations.

Do you think McDonalds should spend their budget rolling out CYT to more US locations instead of wasting money on stupid add featuring a carton Grumpy Cat to try and bring back the Millennials?

rebs · « **Reply #1 on:** 29 October 2015, 20:36:44 »

As an American, I'm intrigued by the whole "better grade of beef at McDonalds" concept.

Hmmmmm... wonder if McD's execs can be troubled with such a prospective outside-the-wrapper innovation?

Drop Bear · « **Reply #2 on:** 29 October 2015, 22:37:32 »

hey it's as much Food Standards Laws fault as McD's, talk to your Ombudsman and Elected Reps, give your Food Standards..... well Standards.

what would you prefer?
Offal, Processed Cheese Kidi Katuap (I don't know how to spell the American word for tomato sauce) on a over Sugared & Salted pun laden down with preservatives,

Or premium minced muscle mass (with set cap on Fat) on a fresh baked (for your order) bun with your choice of quality cheeses, Farm fresh Veggies (and Fruits) Small-goods and Adult Sauces.

either served with a side of "Fries" and Post-mix, that really can't be helped, unless you stop frying the "Fries" in Trans-fats and sweeten the post-mix with Cane Sugar instead of HFCS

Red Pins · « **Reply #3 on:** 29 October 2015, 22:49:39 »

Apparently the cyt thing is a failure, the options slowed delivery time enormously and the cost of kitchen mods and stock is making it unprofitable for franchises to make a profit.

Frankly, even I could have told them that - same with the notion that an all-day breakfast menu would make money. I wonder what they'll do next, they've had some really dumb marketing blunders lately.

Probably reintroduce Ronald McDonald and the gang to draw in the kids and their parents like Disney re-releases DVDs every now and then.

Feenix74 · « **Reply #4 on:** 29 October 2015, 23:28:37 »

The CYT thing is an abomination that needs to steaked (pun intended) through the heart ASAP. All it does it take up lots of room with self-service ordering terminals that clutter up the Maccas restaurant with people who cannot make up their mind on exactly what they want congregating around them. After they have consumed their CYT most patrons just leave their mess all over the tables and walk away because it is too hard to figure out where to put the fancy wire baskets used for the fries and the wooden serving boards on the tables (all the bins have signs not to throw the wire baskets and wooden serving boards in the bins, but no area has been designated for placing the used CYT serving equipment). As the Maccas staff are horribly inefficent at clearing the CYT wire baskets and wooden serving boards, so it is left to regular Maccas patrons to cleaning up after them so that there a table to sit at).

Also, 16-year old daughter went to try out the CYT and it wanted to charge her a ludicrous amount for the burger she wanted, she then went to the counter ordered a standard burger off the menu without cheese which was exactly what she wanted for half the price CYT wanted to charge her for the same burger.

Here in Aus as well as having better quality standard Maccas patties, they also regularly offer Angus beef patties (which are tastier) at a premium, swiss cheese (an optional extra) and the McOz burger (a quarter pounder with a slice of beetroot added - it is not a proper Australian hamburger if it does not have beetroot).

Drop Bear · « **Reply #5 on:** 30 October 2015, 02:20:52 »

Normal Maccas tastes like <Censored>, the normal "Premium" Menu much better but still not eatable, CYT tastes like Real Food (like a Cafe or Restaurant burger) and not Maccas or HJ's (our Burger King) and is actually filling, Large Mac Combo $11-12 leaves me hungry again a little over an hour later, my CYT Burger (Bakery Bun, Single Patty, Colby/Jack Cheese, Short Cut Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle & Dejonase) $10 on it's own and I'm full for hours without going the Combo.

Wombat · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 October 2015, 03:41:56 »

CYT is Hong Kong and, from what I've heard, even here in parts of China now too. Its beyond a failure. I watched a rather large American tried to order from the CYT menu in Hong Kong this past weekend and the manager was so frustrated over the order, he eventually told him to "just go order two Big Macs".

- on a sidenote, I also just read an article in Hong Kong this past week about the "McRefugees"; people in Hong Kong that have nowhere else to go and so they sleep in 24-hour McDonald's overnight. Apparently there is a whole community of people that do this every night in Hong Kong now.

Feenix74 · « **Reply #7 on:** 30 October 2015, 06:11:06 »

Well if I am looking for a gourmet hamburger I will go to London Burgers and Beer, or Brodburgers, or the little takeaway shop across the road from my home that does a great hamburger with beetroot and BBQ sauce.

Normally, Maccas is a lunch on a weekend when on the run to out and about doing errands. So I have gotten used to ordering a hamburger happy meal same as for the toddler and preschooler - it give me an extra toy to trade for good behaviour and allows me to mix and match what they feel like eating that day (chippy burgers are the usual favourite, so remove the pattie and replace with fries, leaving me with a hamburger that has two patties in it), less wastage and less bloat on my waistline.

Sharpnel · « **Reply #8 on:** 30 October 2015, 06:22:45 »

If I eat at McDonald's I avoid all products with beef in them. Chicken McWraps or breakfast items only for this guy. For burgers I will go to Wendy's or BK amongst the fast food entries or make my own.

Kitsune413 · « **Reply #9 on:** 30 October 2015, 08:29:01 »

Haven't eaten at Mcdonalds in years. Last time I was did was because I was desperately hungry.

I'm hoping for a continued decline for Mcdonalds or an eventual collapse for a healthier and less toxic food environment.

Kidd · « **Reply #10 on:** 30 October 2015, 10:00:52 »

McD is alright here in Singapore, cheap but reasonable quality which makes it far too tempting for a quick office lunch... the lack of veggies are a problem but food laws here outside the US means no pink slurry and most importantly no fillers so 100% animal meat. No doubt offal is still used but I've never had a problem with that personally... nose to tail eating... good for the environment! :D

CYT heh... the wheel turns. Didn't Burger King (Hungry Jack for the Aussies) tried this way back when with "Have It Your Way"? With much the same dismal results too...

guardiandashi · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 October 2015, 12:09:55 »

Quote from: Kidd on 30 October 2015, 10:00:52

McD is alright here in Singapore, cheap but reasonable quality which makes it far too tempting for a quick office lunch... the lack of veggies are a problem but food laws here outside the US means no pink slurry and most importantly no fillers so 100% animal meat. No doubt offal is still used but I've never had a problem with that personally... nose to tail eating... good for the environment! :D

CYT heh... the wheel turns. Didn't Burger King (Hungry Jack for the Aussies) tried this way back when with "Have It Your Way"? With much the same dismal results too...

at least in the US the BK have it your way is to an extent still going on but as I remember it its fairly limited on the choices.

I will admit I avoid mcdonalds like the plague. I realize that nutritionally bk really isn't much better, but to me the taste difference is noticeable.

MD uses a pretty standard large griddle (at least the last time I looked) to fry their burger patties.

BK uses a cooking system where the patties move through a "cooker" on a chain belt that "flame broils" them more like cooking them on your bbq grill.

in my area I believe the mc donalds menu is more or less what you see is what you get, and they get really cranky if you say "I want a big mac, no onions.

BK you tell them you want to hold the onions, or pickles and they don't argue. they DO try to upsell you to "with cheese" and or with bacon on just about everything because of the profit margin there (seriously and extra $0.50 for a slice of cheese? )

to be honest though yes the "pink slime" bothers me to some extent, but what actually bothers me more is the massive extra sugar and nasty preservatives and stuff added to everything.

Kitsune413 · « **Reply #12 on:** 30 October 2015, 15:28:33 »

It masquerades by the name, "Textured Beef" These days.

Red Pins · « **Reply #13 on:** 30 October 2015, 16:46:35 »

When somebody has a logo saying, "100% Beef" and it's nothing of the sort - why would you go there? I pack a bunch of granola bars and some water in the diaper bag as a matter of course.

Kitsune413 · « **Reply #14 on:** 30 October 2015, 18:06:24 »

Because they build advertisements to target your demographic and addict people to a specific ratio of sugar, fat and salt. They start targeting you with music and slogans and chemicals before you are even born and try to make their brand synonymous with happiness.

I'm glad you know to avoid it. I hope more people realize and do the same.

Redshirt · « **Reply #15 on:** 30 October 2015, 18:47:44 »

I think the bigger thing that McDonald's has done over here has been to make Breakfast an all day thing, which I personally think is cool. I've heard that some Franchisees have grumbled about the move for reasons that I can find pretty legit (layout of kitchens, combined size of menu, availablity of certain breakfast items based on region...), but I really enjoy the fact that I can get a couple of their Sausage Breakfast Burritos at 11:00 - 12:00 (or later) on a Weekend. I mean who freakin' wants to eat a cheeseburger at 10:30 in the morning?

Drop Bear, It's just me, but I figuratively want to smack your American co-worker for wanting to just eat McDeath when he's down under. It's a personal pet peeve of mine when an American goes abroad and cuisine wise, they can't get out and enjoy what the country has to offer, regardless of whether "the beef is better".

Drop Bear · « **Reply #16 on:** 30 October 2015, 20:35:12 »

Well the guy dose go to work lunches and diners (on the Companies, Suppliers or Clients coin) at all kinds of different places, unfortunately the part of my social circle that has contact with him is in to Steakhouse & American BBQ for when we dine out, so it's Pub-Grub, Take-Out (mostly Chain) or Room Service for our visitor.

until you hit the top end of town (or the producing communities) their is very little uniquely "Australian Cuisine" out side Vegemite, Kranskys, Chicken schnitzel & Take-a-Way Burgers with Beetroot, we mostly eat "Immigrant" when we go anywhere but the Pub or Steak Place (even Pub Menus are Steak, Import dishes, Chicken schnitzel, Burgers W/beetroot or fish). our Menu is International (because we are nation of immigrants), even the Take-a-Way, you can eat a different cuisine every meal for a week without repeats, Around the World in 21 meals and just as many snacks.

For the record the Visitor works with a friend of mine (not myself), I tag along out of hospitality since I've got a few of the same (non Gaming) hobbies as the visitor. and who am I to be his food police, if he can find our version that he enjoys more than the stuff from back home who am i to intervene on my own time (I've given him a list of alternatives).

Sabelkatten · « **Reply #17 on:** 30 October 2015, 20:38:26 »

I just saw what I think was a CYT setup in a restaurant here. Might check it out at some point.

I've never been to the US so I have no idea how McD is over there (I guess it varies a whole lot!). Swedish McD pushes vegies pretty hard and supposedly their meat products is high quality (tastes all right, anyway. Thought frying of some kind would be a bit nicer).

Most interesting thing I've read is about an experiment done after the "Supersize Me" movie. Student class got to eat only at McD for a month. After a month? They were healthier than before! :o

Kitsune413 · « **Reply #18 on:** 30 October 2015, 20:46:26 »

That would be... difficult.

I'd like to see a link if you have one. I'd also be interested to see what metrics indicated that they were healthier.

You can lose weight on an all twinkie diet. (there were supplements. The guy didn't want to lose teeth or anything.)

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/

Drop Bear · « **Reply #19 on:** 30 October 2015, 20:51:40 »

I can actually see that, if going in you know you are going to be living on "Junk" food you try and make an informed decision for most of your meals, not just shovel down whatever is tasty or easy like in everyday life, plus they would have had to cut out the Booze removing that stressor from their liver and kiddies letting them handle the Crud they where eating better.

what made them healthier was the informed decisions and no booze, not the McDonalds.

Kidd · « **Reply #20 on:** 30 October 2015, 21:18:05 »

Quote from: Kitsune413 on 30 October 2015, 20:46:26

That would be... difficult.

I'd like to see a link if you have one. I'd also be interested to see what metrics indicated that they were healthier.

You can lose weight on an all twinkie diet. (there were supplements. The guy didn't want to lose teeth or anything.)

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/

http://newsfeed.time.com/2014/01/05/teacher-loses-37-pounds-after-three-month-mcdonalds-diet/

This chap.

So a double cheese burger provides what, 40% of sodium and protein a day? Eat two of those and dump in a lot of salad and oatmeal for nutrients and carbs and we're gold, right?

VhenRa · « **Reply #21 on:** 30 October 2015, 21:21:16 »

As a Kiwi if I want a high-quality burger... I am not going to Mcdonalds... I am going to Burger Fuel.

Though, I do admit, last few years. Stuff like those Angus burgers have really improved the menu there. Just wish they would have the Kiwiburger more often. (Egg, Beatroot, Meat pattie, tomato, lettuce, mustard, tomato sauce, cheese, onions).

Daryk · « **Reply #22 on:** 30 October 2015, 21:23:03 »

Quote from: Kidd on 30 October 2015, 21:18:05

*snip*
So a double cheese burger provides what, 40% of sodium and protein a day? Eat two of those and dump in a lot of salad and oatmeal for nutrients and carbs and we're gold, right?

Two of them are almost 900 calories, so you don't even need that much in the way of extra carbs. Nutrients are a different matter...

Drop Bear · « **Reply #23 on:** 30 October 2015, 21:40:11 »

He's talking about dietary filler to stop you from getting hungry (so you don't eat more crud) and fiber to absorb fats that accumulate if undigested.

when I was back in Uni the one i attended did (or was part of) a joint Psych/Health & Medicine study, they gave a bunch of student nutritionally neutral diets (food provided by the study), the subjects where told the food was of differing values, many of those told they where eating a less than healthy or unhealthy diet increased their activity levels, their fitness improved for the most part.

if you where on a McDonalds diet for the study wouldn't you try and make the least bad choices and lift your activity levels just in case of misleading or bad info?

Daryk · « **Reply #24 on:** 30 October 2015, 21:42:32 »

It would depend on my baseline activity level. For me, working out makes me crave red meat. Increasing my activity level would make me crave it more.

Kitsune413 · « **Reply #25 on:** 30 October 2015, 22:20:14 »

Seven or eight years ago I did essentially the same thing. Had moved from home, was working as a store manager in a tiny town and my natural body weight shifted by twenty pounds for the first time ever. I was always 180, or 190. I'm six foot three. I hit 200 and was going a bit over it.

So I ate Wendy's chicken salads. Etc. Worked out alot. I lost a little weight and gained alot of muscle.

I wasn't healthy though. That guy in the study is probably the same way. If reducing his caloric intake to 2,000 calories made him lose 37 pounds. With the 300 calories max he burned walking he was already eating a daily surplus.

The crap salads would get you vitamin K. The meat would get you vitamin b. You can maybe get some vitamin c out of their hopeless fruit options? Vitamin A is off the table though I think. No carrots or sweet potatoes or anything like that. Your body can synthesize anything but b12 but you would still be literally malnourished.

Dude was just working out and counting calories. Like the link above shows you can lose weight by 3ating twinkies.

Drop Bear · « **Reply #26 on:** 30 October 2015, 23:25:50 »

American Mcdonalds doesn't put Carrots in their salads, serve carrot cake in the McCafe or do Sweet Potato Fries? even at thanksgiving? and no vitamin C fortified OJ to make the parents groups shut the hell up over a lack of healthy options on the drinks menu?

Arkansas Warrior · « **Reply #27 on:** 30 October 2015, 23:42:44 »

Quote from: Redshirt on 30 October 2015, 18:47:44

I think the bigger thing that McDonald's has done over here has been to make Breakfast an all day thing, which I personally think is cool. I've heard that some Franchisees have grumbled about the move for reasons that I can find pretty legit (layout of kitchens, combined size of menu, availablity of certain breakfast items based on region...), but I really enjoy the fact that I can get a couple of their Sausage Breakfast Burritos at 11:00 - 12:00 (or later) on a Weekend. I mean who freakin' wants to eat a cheeseburger at 10:30 in the morning?

Drop Bear, It's just me, but I figuratively want to smack your American co-worker for wanting to just eat McDeath when he's down under. It's a personal pet peeve of mine when an American goes abroad and cuisine wise, they can't get out and enjoy what the country has to offer, regardless of whether "the beef is better".

[raises hand]
As someone who works nights (12:00-08:00), when I get off work I'm usually ready to go to bed, ad definitely not thinking about breakfast. I actually said when they started the all day breakfast "Ok, but when do they start offering chicken nuggets in the mornings?"

Kidd · « **Reply #28 on:** 31 October 2015, 01:41:06 »

Heck an Egg McMuffin with Sausage is practically a cheeseburger with an egg banjo on top. All day breakfast? The wheel turns... Mcd has been criticised before for offering too many menu items that merely took business from itself - cannibalisation its called.

But you know what, in the end I just do Subway most of the time :D

Feenix74 · « **Reply #29 on:** 31 October 2015, 03:57:36 »

Sushi will always be my first choice (and no I am not a Drac) but due to the variability in quality of sushi in town sometime we have to default to the takeaway chains.