Fast Food Nastiness

[GeneChing]

Gimme an M! Then gimme some fries! McDonald’s Taiwan has cheerleaders serving burgers! (http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/01/08/gimme-an-m-then-gimme-some-fries-mcdonalds-taiwan-has-cheerleaders-serving-burgers/)
evie lund 12 hours ago

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/68.jpg?w=580&h=480

Usually, eating at McDonald’s is a pretty standard experience that doesn’t vary too much from country to country, beyond sampling whatever interesting local variant burgers are available, that is. It’s probably why nervous travellers often make a beeline for McDonald’s rather than opt to experiment with the local cuisine. However, eating at McDonald’s in Taiwan usually always guarantees a little extra entertainment to go with your fries – in the form of cosplaying waitresses! We’ve already reported about their maid costumes, kitty schoolgirl costumes, and sexy doctor and nurse costumes, and now we’re happy to report that Taiwanese Maccy D’s have gone all-American by adopting cheerleader costumes, as well! Join us after the jump for the pics!

Upon entering the fast-food eatery, you’ll be greeted by a cheesy grin and possibly some cheeseburgers.

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/124.jpg?w=580&h=772

While the cheerleader uniforms perhaps aren’t as snazzy as we might have hoped, they certainly look comfy. To be honest, we were picturing something in the traditional red and yellow McDonald’s colour scheme, but then again, we’re picky.

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/37.jpg?w=580&h=772

If you were hoping the staff was going to leap on each other’s shoulders in human pyramid formation while yelling “cheer if you want fries with that!,” we’re sorry to report that everything seems to be business as usual, albeit conducted in form-fitting shiny lycra.

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/47.jpg?w=580&h=772

There’s even cheerleading oufits for the boys, although they’re spared having to wear a little frilly skirt. Nobody gets pompoms, though (we guess it might be a health hazard to have something that could potentially trap thousands of germs rustling around over everyone’s fries and boxes of nuggets).

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/59.jpg?w=580&h=772

Netizens in Japan were delighted by the above snaps, with many cooing over the cuteness of the cheerleader outfits and the brightness of the McDonald’s staff’s smiles. Perhaps one commenter put it best when they said: “Taiwanna go there now!” Hmm, with the recent trouble McDonald’s has been having in Japan, perhaps a little cosplay could do wonders to boost sales!

Source: Yurukuyaru.com, Hamusoku.com
Images: Yurukuyaru.com
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Next step, McBreastaurants (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?54808-Breastaurants). :eek:

[PalmStriker]

:D Or Burger Ching with ninjettes.

[GeneChing]

um....can I get nachos (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?37625-Gene-amp-Nacho-Cheese) with that?

[PalmStriker]

:D Nacho burgers. https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrTccGSUK9U0b0Aqn8PxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTBs OXB2YTRjBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkAw--?_adv_prop=image&fr=yhs-mozilla-001&va=nacho+burgers&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001

[GeneChing]

5:30 am HKT
Jan 30, 2015
Culture
Hungry in Hangzhou? McDonald’s Applies to Lease Taiwan Leader’s Home (http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2015/01/30/hungry-in-hangzhou-mcdonalds-applies-to-lease-taiwan-leaders-home/?mod=chinablog&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter)

http://online.wsj.com/media/hangzhoulake_G_20100106030259.jpg
Hangzhou’s West Lake draws crowds of tourists every year.
Associated Press

For years, local authorities in the Chinese city of Hangzhou have put Taiwan leader Chiang Ching-kuo’s former home up for rent.

Now they have a taker: McDonald's MCD -0.25%.

The U.S. fast-food chain has applied to open shop in the historic lakeside villa, a spokeswoman for McDonald’s Corp. said. She declined to disclose further details on plans for the villa, located in the hotbed of a tourist town and once owned by the son of the famed Chinese Nationalist Party leader Chiang Kai-shek.

Local Chinese media is reporting that McDonald’s applied to roll out a McCafe coffee shop, selling 20 yuan lattes and sweet cakes instead of Big Macs and McFlurries from its typical McDonald’s fast-food chain.

Hangzhou authorities are requesting public comment on conversion plans for the villa, which Mr. Chiang inhabited before the Nationalists lost control of mainland China, spurring him to find a more permanent home in Taiwan. The two-story house, overlooking the scenic West Lake, was built in 1931. The trees lining the garden are reportedly ones that Mr. Chiang planted himself, according to Hangzhou tourism authorities.

If social media outrage is any indicator of public sentiment, the application may not pass muster. “This is a joke,” one person wrote on Weibo. “Can we turn Mao’s old house into a KFC?” another person wrote.

China has proven to be a mixed bag for Western companies that attempt to move into historic spots. KFC opened its first China outlet decades ago in a prime spot along Tiananmen Square in Beijing and still operates there today. But Starbucks shut its doors in 2007 at its Forbidden City outlet, succumbing to public outcry that the coffee chain was inappropriately stomping on Chinese culture grounds.

Conversions of historic buildings are fairly common in China. Luxury giant Hermes recently overhauled an old French Concession fire department for its Shanghai flagship store. Outside of the country, brew-pub company McMenamins converted the John D. Kennedy Elementary School in Portland, Ore. for its current-day bar, movie theater and hotel. A night club opened in former Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion in New York in the 1980′s. It closed its doors in 2007.

– Laurie Burkitt




“Can we turn Mao’s old house into a KFC?” bawang? Were you the person who wrote that? :p

[GeneChing]

Whopper Day is April 1. If I'm interpreting this promotion correctly, this is a cologne that makes you smell flame-broiled? :confused:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BB6B2Y2G7E

[GeneChing]

"They're making our food out of people. Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!"


Report: Human DNA found in hot dogs (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/10/26/report-human-dna-found-hot-dogs/74617102/)
USA Today Network Jessica Durando, USA TODAY Network 10:43 a.m. EDT October 26, 2015

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/27f6664fb8ef48299f06ee96e2d6771613497b2a/c=170-0-2830-2000&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2015/10/26/USATODAY/USATODAY/635814491984513263-GTY-142263907.jpg
(Photo: Tyler Barrick, Getty Images)

Hot dogs are considered one of the most American foods.

However, a report uncovers some startling findings on what people are really eating when they bite into a frankfurter.

Clear Food analyzed 345 hot dogs and sausages from 75 different brands sold at 10 retailers and found that 14% had hygienic or substitution issues, according to the report.

(Substitution means when ingredients are added to the product that are not displayed on the label and hygienic issues happen when a "non-harmful contaminant is introduced to the hot dog.")

The online food guide, which uses "genomic technology" to examine foods by ingredients, found human DNA in 2% of the samples, and in two-thirds of the vegetarian samples."

Other important findings include:

Ten percent of vegetarian products contained meat.

Samples showed chicken, beef, turkey and lamb were found in products that were not supposed to have those ingredients.

Sixty-seven percent of hygienic problems found in the report were from vegetarian products.

But, it isn't all bad news. Clear Foods finds "there are a number of hot dog manufacturers, large and small, that are producing high-quality hot dogs with integrity."

Butterball, McCormick, Eckrich and Hebrew National received the top scores for quality hot dogs among major brands. And Gardein topped the specialty and regional hot dog list.

The report comes amid unrelated research released by the World Health Organization on Monday that finds eating hot dogs, ham and other processed meat can cause colorectal cancer.

[GeneChing]

Wonder if the government will bail them out like the banks...:rolleyes:


McDonald's franchisees say the brand is in a 'deep depression' and 'facing its final days' (http://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-franchisees-say-the-brand-is-in-a-deep-depression-2015-10)
Hayley Peterson
Oct. 16, 2015, 12:02 PM

http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/55b290ac371d2279018b97c0-480/mcdonalds.jpg
Flickr/yum9me

McDonald's franchisees believe the brand is in a "deep depression" and could be facing its "final days," according to a new survey.

"We are in the throes of a deep depression, and nothing is changing," one franchisee wrote in response to the survey by Nomura analyst Mark Kalinowski. "Probably 30% of operators are insolvent."

Another wrote, "The CEO is sowing the seeds of our demise. We are a quick-serve fast-food restaurant, not a fast casual like Five Guys or Chipotle. The system may be facing its final days."

More than a dozen franchisees expressed frustration with McDonald's management, saying that CEO Steve Easterbrook's turnaround plan — which includes initiatives like all-day breakfast and a shift to digital ordering kiosks — is a distraction from the core issues of McDonald's, like food quality and customer service.

"The lack of consistent leadership from Oak Brook is frightening, we continue to jump from one failed initiative to another," one franchisee wrote.

A second wrote, "I have been in this business since the early 1970s but have not seen us this leaderless in all my time."

The company's reaction to their frustration, one franchisee claimed, is for operators to "get out of the system" and quit the business.

http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5613cc43bd86eff45b8b46cd-981-736/1512125_10152036123657014_2083558009081143170_o.jp g
McDonald's

Several franchisees complained about all-day breakfast, saying that it has complicated kitchen operations and goes against Easterbrook's repeated promises to simplify the menu.

"The system is very lost at the moment," one franchisee wrote. "Our menu boards are still bloated, and we are still trying to be too many things to too many people. ... Things are broken from the franchisee perspective."

Franchisees also criticized the "Create Your Taste" program, which allows people to customize their burgers with premium ingredients.

"They are throwing everything they can against the wall to see what will stick," one franchisee wrote.

Kalinowski interviewed 29 US franchisees covering about 226 restaurants for the survey. McDonald's has more than 14,000 restaurants in the US.

In response to the survey, McDonald's said it's hearing a different story from franchisees — specifically pertaining to all-day breakfast.

"We’re hearing from customers and the overwhelming majority of our 3,100 franchisees that all-day breakfast is a hit!" a company spokeswoman told Business Insider. "In fact, since the launch, McDonald’s has reached its highest brand score in two years according to YouGov BrandIndex."

McDonald's is trying to revive business following seven straight quarters of same-store sales declines in the US.

In addition to adding all-day breakfast and "Create Your Taste," McDonald's has also made some changes to its core menu items.

The company started toasting its hamburger buns longer, making its beef patties slightly larger, and changing how the patties are seared.

McDonald's has also announced plans to remove antibiotics from its chicken.

There are at least a few franchisees who are on board with the changes.

Among the myriad negative responses to Kalinowski's survey, several franchisees expressed hopeful attitudes.

"I think our leadership is headed in the right direction," one wrote. "It will take time."

Another said, "The CEO seems to be doing OK so far!"

[Jimbo]

"They're making our food out of people. Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!"

Where in the hell is the human DNA coming from?? Human spit? Dandruff? Poop? People's limbs or whole bodies being pulled into meat grinders? Some of the thousands who go missing each year? (I'm only partially joking with that last one).

[mickey]

Where in the hell is the human DNA coming from?? Human spit? Dandruff? Poop? People's limbs or whole bodies being pulled into meat grinders? Some of the thousands who go missing each year? (I'm only partially joking with that last one).

That is what happens when there is no longer any display space at those "Bodies" exhibitions. Most of us know we are looking at what used to be political dissidents.

mickey



:D:D:D

[MarathonTmatt]

Hello,

Ya, sounds like hot dogs are mystery meat. It reminds me of the old mobster films where the gangster says "we'll make mince-meat outta you!" with a laughing smirk in the face. "Uncle Louie" probably owned a meat processing plant

[GeneChing]

How do you say "starbucks" in Chinese? I remember McDonalds was something like 'ma dan lau' and Pizza Hut was like 'bi zi hai'.


Starbucks adding 1,400 new shops in China (http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/12/investing/starbucks-china-expansion/)
by Sophia Yan @sophia_yan
January 12, 2016: 11:39 AM ET

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/160112234537-starbucks-china-780x439.jpg

Make that a venti! Starbucks is going big in China, with plans to roll out hundreds of new shops in the next few years.
Starbucks aims to open 500 stores this year as part of a broader plan to operate at least 3,400 coffee shops in China by 2019. That's an ambitious 70% expansion from the 2,000 stores it has now in 100 Chinese cities, the company said in a statement.
"As Starbucks' second largest and fastest-growing market globally, China represents the most important and exciting opportunity ahead of us," said CEO Howard Schultz.
It's an ambitious move, as China's economic growth is starting to slow. Still, plenty of food brands -- from McDonald's (MCD) to KFC -- have long clamored to tap into China's ever-increasing middle class. But many firms have faltered -- picking the wrong name or getting caught up in food safety scandals.
By comparison, Starbucks (SBUX) has done much better -- it chose a catchy name (which means "Starry Hope") that sounds much like its English moniker, and adjusted its menu options to cater to local tastes.
Starbucks in China has all the typical cafe items like lattes and scones. But it also offers a slew of food and beverage choices with a Chinese twist: think red bean-green tea frappuccinos, sausage buns and mooncakes -- traditional sweets eaten during an annual autumn holiday.
The Seattle-based coffee chain has long courted China -- a tea-drinking nation -- since opening its first mainland store in Beijing in 1999. Last year, Schultz even met with President Xi Jinping on his first state visit to the U.S.
But the road hasn't always been smooth. In 2013, state-controlled media outlets accused Starbucks of squeezing higher margins out of its operation in China than in other markets.
Related: 8 of the world's craziest fast food items
CCTV, for example, reported then that a tall latte cost 27 yuan or $4.40 in Beijing, while the same drink cost about a dollar less in Chicago. The report also said a Starbucks coffee mug -- which is made in China -- sells for between $10 and $14 in the U.S., and as much as $18 in China.
For many Chinese, drinking Starbucks is sometimes considered a status symbol -- in China, many consumers can have dinner for a few bucks, or what one cup of coffee costs.
On Tuesday, Starbucks also announced that all full-time baristas and store supervisors in China will receive a stipend to cover roughly half of their housing costs.
Shares rose more than 2% Tuesday morning.

[GeneChing]

Here are some links from the same author:


What's in a brand name? In China, everything (http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/07/news/foreign-firms-china-branding/index.html?iid=EL)
by Sophia Yan @sophia_yan
September 7, 2015: 9:27 PM ET

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/150904161850-cocacola-china-780x439.jpg
Coca-Cola came up with a clever Chinese name that sounds similar, and means Delicious Fun.

If you're a well-to-do Shanghai resident, you might start a typical day with a cup of Starry Hope, and then check email on your Triple Stars before driving to the office in your Treasured Horse. After work, you might unwind with a cold bottle of Hundred Prestige.
In case you missed it, that's actually Starbucks (SBUX), Samsung, BMW and Budweiser.
The Chinese names of these well-known brands might sound silly in English, but they're key to helping foreign companies rake in billions in China, where a name is thought to make or break your luck.
For companies, coming up with a name that fits the firm's image is tricky enough. But it's even more challenging in Chinese, which has multiple dialects and scores of ****phones that can lead to unintended double entendres.
For example, in Mandarin, the word for "tall" (高) sounds exactly like the word for "cake" (糕) -- they're both pronounced "gao."
"The wrong name will just give the wrong impression," said Tait Lawton, founder of Nanjing Marketing Group. Foreign firms have "to understand there is meaning in Chinese characters -- it's not like English where you can take letters and mash them together to make different sounds."
Best Buy (BBY), for example, didn't have a very catchy Chinese name, using a near-direct translation from English, Lawton said. While it's hard to discern just how much the name had to do with its business prospects, the electronics retailer never caught on in China, and shuttered its namesake stores in 2011.
Some brands have found success with names that not only sound like their English monikers, but also have significant meaning in Chinese. "Rui bu," used by Reebok, means "fast steps," while Nike (NKE) goes by "nai ke," which translates to "endurance and perseverance."
Coca-Cola (KO) came up with a clever one, "kekou kele," which means "delicious fun," and stays true to the original English. On top of that, part of the name sounds like the Chinese word for "thirsty."
While that kind of significance might be lost to a foreigner's ears, it's something that sticks with Chinese consumers, who are more inclined to remember the Chinese name over the English one, said Vladimir Djurovic, CEO of Labbrand, a company that helps foreign firms brand in China.
It's important "to connect with the category ... [and] to be close to your target audience, to be accessible," he said.
Banks, for instance, seeking to attract the rich, should consider names that give off the impression of wealth and prosperity. Goldman Sachs' name in Chinese is "gao sheng," or "highly prosperous."
London bank HSBC went with "hui feng," which roughly translates to "gathered abundance." A direct translation for HSBC, which stands for Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, wouldn't have worked -- in Chinese, it would have sounded like every other local bank, instead of a global finance powerhouse, Djurovic said.
Others, like French grocery chain, Carrefour, will want to appear more consumer-friendly. Its Chinese name, "jia le fu," means "happy family."
Djurovic said that choosing a good Chinese name can take up to a year. "There is no absolute rule ... the right name will always depend on a couple of things," he said.
CNNMoney (Hong Kong)
First published September 7, 2015: 9:27 PM ET


The crazy flavor experiments in Chinese fast food
by Sophia Yan @sophia_yan
August 22, 2014: 6:17 AM ET

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/140820093841-hong-kong-pizza-hut-1024x576.jpg
Pizza Hut in Hong Kong serves a crayfish pizza that's designed to appeal to local tastes.

Have you ever craved pizza with mangoes and crayfish? How about a pork and seaweed flavored donut?
Sound strange? Not if you're in China, where these Frankenstein foods are being served up by American fast food chains hoping to dominate foreign markets by catering to local tastes.
The experimentation is endless: Pizza Hut offers Thousand Island seafood pizzas, McDonald's (MCD) serves soy milk and fried dough strips for breakfast, Dairy Queen scoops out wasabi ice cream and Starbucks (SBUX) sells red bean green tea Frappuccinos.
Burger King (BKW), Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, Papa John's (PZZA), McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC are all competing for a bigger slice of China's $100 billion fast food market.
There's just one problem: double cheeseburgers and pepperoni pizzas aren't exactly typical Chinese cuisine. As a result, the chains are constantly looking for ways to appeal to the local population, while keeping signature items on the menu.
"The trick is, they want to keep as much of their DNA as possible in terms of having core menu items that are recognizable in any market, but also figuring out what the hero products for the specific market are going to be," said Ben Cavender of China Market Research.
McDonald's in Hong Kong, for example, serves noodles, fresh corn and lychee punch. KFC offers rice with its fried chicken meals.
"When we introduce the rice option, we still use a Western flavor ... [such as] mushroom or Chicken a la King," said Alan Chan, CEO of Birdland, the private company that runs KFC franchises in Hong Kong. "We still want to keep the identity of predominantly Western-style fast food."
It's not only the menu that is different in China. The fast food chains are also going upmarket in an effort to stand out in the crowded restaurant industry.
Pizza Hut offers lobster bisque and mussels stewed in white wine. The restaurant is a popular spot for teenagers to spend a romantic evening.
These are "nicely-decorated sit down restaurants," Cavender said. "In most cases, people going tend to be white collar -- comparatively speaking, these restaurants are still quite expensive compared to a street corner noodle shop."
Dreaming up the right items for the local market is not easy, and can take as long as 18 months from concept to plate, said Richard Leong, CEO of Pizza Hut in Hong Kong.
Leong introduces new products about eight times a year. Everything from cheese fondue pots to a pizza crust stuffed with fish roe and salmon cream cheese have made the menu -- but he did once veto squid ink flambé pizza.
Even regional preferences can vary. Leong says what works in Hong Kong might not work in other parts of China.
"Every year, we still have to crack our heads -- we're like fashion designers," said Leong. "We have to sit and think about the next thing we have to do."
CNNMoney (Hong Kong)
First published August 21, 2014: 10:18 PM ET

[Jimbo]

Mickey and Matt:
I wouldn't be too surprised if there's a good bit of truth there.


How do you say "starbucks" in Chinese? I remember McDonalds was something like 'ma dan lau' and Pizza Hut was like 'bi zi hai'.

Gene:
Maybe "Shi Da Buo Ke Shi"? Lol.

[GeneChing]

First KFC is a Valentine's dinner location (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22096-the-Kentucky-Fried-Thread&p=1290727#post1290727) and now this?


The Chinese-food chain that is routinely mocked is building an empire to compete with Chipotle (http://www.businessinsider.com/panda-express-takes-stake-in-fast-casual-2016-2)
Ashley Lutz
Feb. 11, 2016, 12:02 PM

http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/56bcbdb16e97c662008b6a86-2529-1897/rtr2e7aw.jpg
Reuters
Panda Express is trying to cultivate a healthier image.

Panda Express trying to leave its mall-food-court image behind.

The Chinese-food chain has recently taken stakes in trendy fast-casual restaurants like Just Salad and Pieology Pizza, which have a combined 111 restaurants right now, reports Leslie Patton at Bloomberg News.

The brand, which has more than 1,700 locations, is also aggressively looking to invest in other hot restaurant concepts.

Panda Express hopes the investments will help it take steps to elevate its reputation and compete with Chipotle and Panera Bread.

The brand's current reputation is infamous in the Chinese-food world, the New York Times wrote last year.

The "less exalted view of the company is "by people like the Korean-American chef David Chang, who estimates that he has succumbed to Panda Express a half-dozen times in the last two years. This usually happens, he said, when he’s waiting at an airport and 'it’s like I’m stuck on a desert island.'"

Buzzfeed also made a video showing Chinese people trying Panda Express for the first time.

The brand is using the new investments to become appealing to urban millennial consumers.

For instance, it plans to adopt Just Salad's system for quick delivery, according to Bloomberg.

Just Salad is a concept that makes custom salads using premium ingredients like grass-fed steak, local produce, and fresh pita chips.

Pieology, which Technomic named the fastest-growing restaurant chain in America, lets customers build their own pizzas with options ranging from wheat crust to gluten-free crust to vegetarian pizzas to dairy-free cheese. There are 40 toppings, and a custom pizza is $8 or less.

http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/558b148d69beddb42a78f4c4-2000-1333/pieology%20pizzas.jpg
Pieology
Pieology lets customers build their own pizzas using premium ingredients.

Panda Express' motive for investing in these properties is clear.

The American-style Chinese restaurant's reputation is struggling, founder Peggy Cherng told The New York Times last fall.

Panda Express' food is generally seen as more of a guilty pleasure than a popular trend like going to Chipotle.

Panda Express is notorious for selling items like orange chicken, which is deep-fried and covered in sugary sauces. The brand has responded with a new Wok Smart menu that offers entrees for 300 calories or less.

The brand is also plagued by the idea that it uses additives in its food at a time when consumers are demanding fare that is fresh and natural.

"We need to focus on basic execution," Cherng told The Times. "No matter what, the food speaks for itself."

Marina Nazario contributed to this story.

[GeneChing]

tue mar 15, 2016 9:40am edt
yum brands to open its first taco bell outlet in china this year (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yumbrands-tacobell-china-iduskcn0wh1qa?utm_source=applenews)

http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160315&t=2&i=1125025453&w=644&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=lynxnpec2e0xh
a taco bell restaurant is pictured in paramus, new jersey july 8, 2015.
Reuters/eduardo munoz

yum brands inc (yum.n), the owner of the kfc and pizza hut chains, said it will open its first taco bell restaurant in china by the end of 2016.

The first outlet of the mexican food chain would open in shanghai, chief executive greg creed said at a consumer and retail conference in new york on tuesday.

Yum brands, which is in the midst of separating its china business into an independent, publicly-traded company this year, has about 7,000 kfc and pizza hut chains in the asian country.

(reporting by siddharth cavale in bengaluru; editing by sriraj kalluvila)

Nachos in China!!! :D

[GeneChing]

This little news item has this particular thread written all over it. :D


Chinese fast food chain disciplined by authorities for vulgarity (http://en.people.cn/n3/2016/1122/c90000-9145290.html)
By Kou Jie (People's Daily Online) 14:37, November 22, 2016

http://en.people.cn/NMediaFile/2016/1122/FOREIGN201611221436000168909925667.jpg
[File photo]

A Chinese fast food chain has been ordered to change its name and menu after its vulgar advertising campaign was bombarded with criticism on Chinese social media.
“Call a Chick,” a Shanghai-based fast food chain that mainly sell fried chicken, has sparked controversy nationwide. The company’s branch stores across the country have been boycotted by many customers, who criticize the company for being a bad influence, as its brand name and advertising are “erotic and disturbing.”
In order to promote their food, the chain has created a menu filled with sexually suggestive dish names, including “chick with no sex life” and “chick and booty calls.” The chain also refers to its telephone ordering service as “a hotline for calling chicks,” and advertises that Call a Chick food “will satisfy every ounce of your fantasy for a chick.”
The chain has quickly become an online sensation, with many Internet users poking fun at its name and advertising, as the Chinese word for “chick” is commonly used as slang for a female prostitute. In response to the negative comments, the fast food chain issued a statement on Sina Weibo on Nov. 19, promising its customers that it will change the content of its menu as well as its brand name. The company’s online menu has already been removed as of press time, though the company’s name can still be found on its website.
Call a Chick branch stores in Chengdu, Shanghai and Hangzhou have been ordered by local authorities to suspend operations, with the official explanation that they did not receive permission to use the brand name. Meanwhile, Shanghai authorities have carried out their own investigation, suggesting that the brand name may violate China’s advertisement law, which forbids obscene content from being used in advertisements, Shanghai Morning Post reported.

http://en.people.cn/NMediaFile/2016/1122/FOREIGN201611221437000012106680831.jpg
[File photo]

The incident has drawn thousands of comments on Chinese social media, with many criticizing the company for its potential impact on children.
“My 5-year-old son keeps asking me the meaning of the dish names. It’s disturbing enough to see a menu with so much sexual connotation, let alone figuring out a way to stop my child from asking me about the filthy content,” one netizen wrote on Sina Weibo.
On the other hand, some believe the brand name is clever and creative. Many Internet users were satirical and snarky in their tone, criticizing authorities for overreacting and “killing creativity.”
“KFC has used the slogan ‘We do chicken right.’ If you over-analyze this [slogan], it can also mean something dirty. Those who have dirty minds will see everything through a filthy lens. I don’t understand how such a creative business idea could get banned,” commented another netizen.

[Oso]

they certainly took it a step further than the "Fu Kwei" palace in my old hometown of Boone, NC did.

Fu Kwei was nasty. The plumber I worked for back then did the service work for their kitchen. Would go in there to see all the old chinese dudes chopping chicken with cigarettes dangling out of their mouths. I saw ash fall in to the chicken and they just kept on choppin'.

[GeneChing]

Nachos in China!!! :D


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGmpv9_0A0M

[Faux Newbie]

Gene, Starbucks is xing ba ke, or 'star hopes earnestly to be able to'. Apparently, the ba ke is the same ba ke used in bakekesi, Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. In case you forget.

[GeneChing]

You just gotta wonder what the ad people are thinking sometimes...:mad:



Burger King remove 'racist' chopsticks ad (https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-47866381)
By Kris Bramwell & Kerry Allen
BBC News & BBC Monitoring
3 hours ago

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/13E08/production/_106361418_burgerking.png
BURGER KING/INSTAGRAM
The Burger King advert has been described as racist by some Twitter users

Burger King has removed an advert which shows western people trying to eat a burger with oversized red chopsticks following criticism on social media.

The advert for a new Vietnamese burger in New Zealand has sparked a debate over whether the advert is harmless fun or culturally insensitive and racist.

A clip of the advert posted to Twitter by Maria Mo, a Korean woman living in New Zealand, has been viewed more than 2.9M times.


Skip Twitter post by @mariahmocarey (https://twitter.com/mariahmocarey/status/1113705743478190080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5 Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1113705743478190080&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fblogs-trending-47866381)
Embedded video

마리아. Maria.
@mariahmocarey
So this is the new Burger King ad for a “Vietnamese” burger ok coolcoolcoolcoolcool CHOPSTICKS R HILARIOUS right omg etc 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃

4,755
12:31 AM - Apr 4, 2019
4,371 people are talking about this
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End of Twitter post by @mariahmocarey
In her subsequent thread she berates Burger King's attempts to make fun of how Asians eat and described the advert as racist.

She tweeted: "I'm so sick of racism of any kind. Of the kind that makes fun of different cultures. Say no to every single manifestation of it."

Others feel equally as strong: "I always thought that Burger King was better than KFC and McDonalds, but now I don't want to eat their products," wrote one disgruntled post on the Chinese micro-blogging platform Weibo.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/16518/production/_106361419_d-g.jpg
DOLCE AND GABBANA/INSTAGRAM
A scene from Dolce and Gabbana's #DGLovesChina campaign

Some on social media have likened this to the racism row faced by fashion house Dolce & Gabbana after they posted videos of a Chinese model eating Italian food with chopsticks in 2018.

Twitter user TatianaKing wrote: "I thought brands learned their lesson after the D&G chopsticks fiasco... then again I'm not surprised."

In China, the Burger King advert has been viewed more than eight million times on the news website Pear Video and tens of thousands of Weibo users have been posting about it. The hashtag, which translates as #NewBurgerKingAdvertAllegedlyRacist, has also been used more than 12,000 times.

Not all posts are critical, however. "Whatever anyone does, it's discrimination, we're bursting with persecution and paranoia. What can brands do in the future to introduce Asian elements?" asked one user who had sympathy for Burger King.

Another saw the funny side of the advert: "This is just a joke that westerners can't use chopsticks. Why is it only in recent years that we hear that Chinese people feel discriminated against? Am I meant to get angry?"

And others believe those who have been offended by the advert are sensitive and show that people in China have an inferiority complex.

Burger King has now deleted the clip which appeared on their Instagram account for New Zealand and has withdrawn the television advert. A spokesperson said: "The ad in question is insensitive and does not reflect our brand values regarding diversity and inclusion."

[GeneChing]

what

Is

HAPPENING?

:eek:



Carl’s Jr. is rolling out a CBD burger, but don’t get your hopes too high (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2019/04/17/carls-jr-is-rolling-out-a-cbd-burger-but-dont-get-your-hopes-too-high/?utm_term=.5a6ae36345ba)
By Maura Judkis
April 17 at 2:00 PM

https://www.washingtonpost.com/resizer/4HHWeWw5OmCXZR3OgxnSVMbgssw=/480x0/arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/N7PRBU3TEIZ7LNH2HCPBOSLSZY.jpg
Carl’s Jr.

If you live in Denver and you’re celebrating 420, the weed-smoker’s holiday, the burger chain Carl’s Jr. has just the thing for your inevitable munchies. The restaurant is debuting a CBD-infused burger, to be sold for $4.20, on Saturday, April 20 (4/20), at a single restaurant in Denver. The burger, which has been named Rocky Mountain High: CheeseBurger Delight, consists of two beef patties, topped with pickled jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, fries and CBD-infused Santa Fe Sauce. Carl’s Jr. is the first major fast-food chain to put CBD on its menu.

But if you think you’re going to get blazed off a cheeseburger, bad news: CBD is a non-psychoactive compound in hemp. It does not contain tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the compound in marijuana that makes people feel high. Advocates say it promotes relaxation, diminishes stress and eases pain. In fact, some say that CBD can counteract some of the unpleasant effects of being high on THC — so if you show up to Carl’s Jr. stoned and anxious or paranoid, the burger could mellow out your high.

CBD has been popping up in lattes, gummies, skin-care products and even pet food: It has become one of the biggest trends of the year and is only expected to grow. The CBD industry got a big boost after the passage of the farm bill earlier this year. When it’s derived from hemp and grown according to strict regulations, its use will be legal nationwide. (Cannabinoids that do not comply with these regulations will remain a Schedule 1 substance.) But for now, it’s a tricky area of the law, because the Food and Drug Administration still hasn’t decided how to regulate CBD products.

April 20 has become a major branding opportunity for food companies. Even such mainstream brands as Burger King, Denny’s and Chipotle use the opportunity to connect with their customers through cheeky social media posts using stoner lingo. But professionals in the cannabis industry don’t love the pile-on from junk-food brands, which they say promotes negative stereotypes about the lifestyle.

Though the burger will be available only on Saturday at the Carl’s Jr. restaurant at 4050 Colorado Blvd. in Denver, availability could eventually expand. A company executive told Business Insider that if the test goes well, Carl’s Jr. would consider, ahem, rolling it out across America, though it could face challenges with state regulations.

Given how much publicity the burger is getting, there’s a good chance that demand on Saturday will be … high.


THREADS
marijuana tcm?!?!?!?!!? (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?52089-marijuana-tcm-!-!-!-!!)
Fast Food Nastiness (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)

[GeneChing]

Beijing woman finds feathers in her McDonald’s chicken wings (https://shanghai.ist/2019/04/25/beijing-woman-finds-feathers-in-her-mcdonalds-chicken-wings/?fbclid=IwAR3N0-12gysk8M0CoybgdaSrpu7BylUE3T4tW5v7lp08BMAHs6QfnGQE 0KU)
So, you're telling us that those things are actually made of chicken!?
by Alex Linder April 25, 2019 in News

https://i0.wp.com/shanghai.ist/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/feathers.jpg?w=1024&ssl=1

A woman is not exactly lovin’ it after her delivery order of chicken wings from a Beijing McDonald’s arrived with a few extra ingredients.

When the woman’s daughter bit into one of the wings, she got choked up by a mouthful of feathers. After the woman went to the restaurant raised a fuss, the shop offered to pay her 10 times the price of the chicken wings plus an additional 300 yuan ($45) in cash or coupons, according to a Btime.com report.

However, the woman refused the offer, instead reporting the case to the local food and drug administration. Meanwhile, McDonald’s has apologized publicly on Weibo, announcing that they are looking into the matter.

Some Chinese netizens have expressed skepticism over the finding while others have voiced their amazement that it appears to indicate that McDonald’s chicken wings are actually made of real chicken.

Still might not have been chicken. Could be pigeon or seagull.

[GeneChing]

I should try this. I've had Impossible Burgers before but it's been years since I've had a whopper. I actually gave up BK a few years before I gave up eating beef because it started giving me the runs after. Like immediately after. Like dash to the bathroom immediately. After a few episodes, I stopped eating there (but I was still eating beef at other fast food places).



Burger King is rolling out meatless Impossible Whoppers nationwide (https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/29/18522637/burger-king-impossible-whopper-nationwide-rollout-meatless-vegetarian)
Plant-based patties are coming to a BK near you
By Dami Lee@dami_lee Apr 29, 2019, 12:39pm EDT

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NpAOpIA8LqHYfQkHfjFXIMZ3WTc=/0x0:3780x2516/920x613/filters:focal(1588x956:2192x1560):format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63692118/1134335296.jpg.0.jpg
Photo Illustration by Michael Thomas/Getty Images

Burger King is rolling out the Impossible Whopper nationwide, after a successful trial run testing the meatless burger in St. Louis. The chain announced in a statement today that it plans to test in more markets before distributing the burger nationally by the end of this year.

The Impossible Whopper is made with startup Impossible Foods’ plant-based patties, which are designed to look and taste like meat. The patties are also designed to “bleed,” just like the real thing, which can be attributed to the use of heme, a soy-based compound found in plants and meat. The burgers have 15 percent less fat and 90 percent less cholesterol than regular Whoppers, and Burger King’s taste test experiments claim that customers and employees can’t tell the difference.

Meatless options are gaining popularity at more fast food restaurants. White Castle offers Impossible Burgers, which uses another meat-free patty recipe from Impossible Foods, and Carl’s Jr. sells a veggie burger made by Beyond Meat, a competitor to Impossible Foods.

THREADS
Shaolin diet, vegetarianism and stuff (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?61187-Shaolin-diet-vegetarianism-and-stuff)
Fast Food Nastiness (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)

[GeneChing]

Brooklyn Burger King Delivered Beef Whoppers to Customers Expecting ‘Impossible’ (https://ny.eater.com/2019/6/6/18652268/burger-king-impossible-whopper-nyc-fake-order)
One vegetarian ate two before realizing he wasn’t eating the popular fake meat, which won’t hit NYC outposts until later this year
by Eater Staff Jun 6, 2019, 8:47am EDT

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mkL5IyJ8k9DPAdLuDWpOWtU3stY=/0x260:1440x1440/920x613/filters:focal(632x830:862x1060):format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63960957/BK_ImpossibleWhopper_Post1.0.jpg
The Impossible Whopper Impossible Foods [Official]

A Brooklyn location of the fast food chain Burger King has been advertising that it sells the meat-free Impossible Whopper on Seamless — but instead sends customers regular old beef Whoppers without telling them. At least one vegetarian customer didn’t realize until after he’d already eaten two Whoppers, simply believing the ads boasting the two burgers taste the same.

For at least the last few weeks, the 736 Broadway franchise of the burger chain featured the Impossible Whopper — “100% WHOPPER, 0% Beef” — on its menu, at one point listing it as its most popular item. But serving the burger here is actually impossible, since it’s only available in select cities. A 35-year-old Williamsburg resident, who asked to go unnamed to shield his eating habits, says he only found out when he went into the actual store at a later point to order the burger and was told they don’t sell it.

“I was incredulous,” he says. “It’s maybe 20 percent poisoning. This is a city where there are a lot of reasons why people don’t eat [meat], from religion to health to ethics.”

A manager at the Burger King tells Eater that when a customer orders it, they’ve been sending a classic beef Whopper in its place, asking the driver to inform people of the swap. But drivers have not told multiple customers who ordered the Impossible Whopper that it actually contained real meat, the customers tell Eater. The receipt on the bag also says “Impossible Whopper,” which led the Williamsburg man to believe it truly did contain the trendy plant product.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ciHNi03vwXMLRCeZcKXG--Fqpfg=/0x0:1124x612/1120x0/filters:focal(0x0:1124x612):format(webp):no_upscal e()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16323165/impossibleseamless.png
The Burger King’s Seamless page advertising the Impossible Whopper

The restaurant’s Seamless page removed the Impossible Whopper some time on Tuesday afternoon, after Eater sent an inquiry to Burger King corporate and to Grubhub, the Seamless parent company. A Burger King spokesperson chalked it up to a “technology error” from a franchisee.

Other NYC locations of Burger King on Seamless did not list the Impossible Whopper; Burger King, Grubhub, and the franchise would not clarify how only one location had the error.

“We apologize for any confusion this has caused. Any guests who ordered an Impossible Whopper through delivery in the New York area and have any questions may call 1-866-394-2493,” the Burger King statement says.

It’s not known how many people ordered the Impossible Whopper; Burger King did not say. The item — which was listed at the top of the restaurant’s page — had been up since at least May 20.

The Williamsburg customer had eaten Impossible product before at a different restaurant and thought it tasted “80 percent” like a true beef burger; when he tried the Whoppers, he thought the same thing.

“Nope,” he says. “The Whopper is just ****tier than I remember.”


THREADS
Fast Food Nastiness (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)
Shaolin diet, vegetarianism and stuff (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?61187-Shaolin-diet-vegetarianism-and-stuff)

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIARm3780Ik

I realize this is one of those neurotic reaction things like Straight Pride or White Pride, and that it's a parody publicity stunt from Arby's, but if you're going to really make fake vegetables out of meat, they should attempt to taste like the vegetable. Plus it's cheating to use the actual vegetable as part of the ingredients. That's like dipping an impossible burger in meat drippings.
This marrot will just taste like turkey dipped in carrots.

THREADS
Shaolin diet, vegetarianism and stuff (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?61187-Shaolin-diet-vegetarianism-and-stuff)
Vegetarian (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?19996-Vegetarian)
Fast Food Nastiness (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imlFxSr6oqw

[GeneChing]

McDonald's Plant-Based Burger Trial Isn't a Slam Dunk, Analyst Suggests (https://www.foodandwine.com/news/mcdonalds-plt-plant-based-burger-trial-analysis)
The P.L.T. has "not been a blowout success thus far," an analyst says. What does that mean for the future of plant-based burgers at McDonald's?
By Mike Pomranz October 31, 2019

https://cdn-image.foodandwine.com/sites/default/files/styles/4_3_horizontal_-_1200x900/public/mcdonalds-plant-based-burger-ft-blog1119.jpg?itok=mAltVZB_
MCDONALD'S

Plant-based meats are arguably the biggest trend in fast food. And McDonald's is inarguably America's largest burger chain. So needless to say, the big question on many pundits' mind has been when is Ronald going to start selling a plant-based burger? It's a question that intensified this year when Burger King took its Impossible Whopper nationwide.

Last month, McDonald's partnered with Impossible Foods' top rival, Beyond Meat, to begin a test run of a new plant-based burger called the P.L.T. But short of letting any U.S. customers try it, the company instead trialed the burger at 28 locations around Ontario, Canada. Perhaps testing a Beyond Burger in America would have created too much hoopla, and Canada, while not quite as far away as Finland, where McDonald's launched a different fake meat burger, is a bit of a buffer from the U.S. Or, then again, maybe McDonald's has no deadset intention of ever bringing this burger to the U.S. Though, since McDonald's and Beyond Meat are both American companies, that's kind of hard to swallow.

Regardless, whatever McDonald's is planning with plant-based meat, a hiccup has apparently occurred: Yesterday, MarketWatch reported that sales of the P.L.T. aren't as strong as analysts had hoped. "A key question is whether McDonald's will partner with Beyond Meat in the U.S.," a Bernstein analyst was quoted as noting earlier this week. "Based on our channel checks with select McDonald's based in Ontario, Canada that are currently testing the Beyond P.L.T. burger, the initial feedback has been largely positive, although it seems that the trial has not been a blowout success thus far that justifies an immediate nationwide rollout across both Canada and the U.S."

Of course, not "a blowout success thus far" certainly isn't a failure. One could argue that blowout successes like KFC's meatless fried chicken test in one single location only did so well simply because of a confluence of publicity and scarcity, and doesn't correlate to national demand. And we shouldn't rush past the "feedback has been largely positive" part either. Still, part of the appeal of plant-based options is the excitement that surrounds them: Avoiding a lukewarm rollout is likely one of the reasons McDonald's has been slow to jump into the plant-based business to begin with. If that's the case, this talk sounds like a bad omen.

And yet, maybe this is just Canada being Canada. In July, the Canadian chain Tim Hortons added Beyond Meat items to its menus only to axe them by September. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Dunkin' also trialed a Beyond Meat breakfast sandwich in July and has just announced it is taking it nationwide. It could just be that Americans are more interested in plant-based beef than our neighbors to the north.

I reached out to McDonald's for a reaction to MarketWatch's report and received a reply from CEO Steve Easterbrook via an emailed statement cautioning that the trial was still in its early days. Easterbrook also indicated that while the Ontario rollout is indeed a limited run, it's less about timidity to enter the plant-based market and more about literally testing how the P.L.T. would be implemented while getting a read on the "flexitarian customer."

"We want to get the taste right, we want to get the marketing right, we want to get the operations right," he said. "So there's a number of important factors that we are learning quickly, and we think Ontario is a great spot, because it will give us a good read across North America frankly, but also into the developed markets in Europe as well [...] we think the read across will be beneficial and help us speed up our intelligence on this. So, more to come clearly, but it's an area of interest for sure."

Despite being the most successful fast food restaurant on the planet, McDonald's has a history of adding products people don't want. (I'm old enough to remember the Arch Deluxe!) So today's McDonald's may be warier of a big plant-based burger rollout than its competitors. And though the company is a late entry into the fake meat market, its commitment to the test phase means we're probably less likely to see a quick Dunkin'-style turnaround and a more measured rollout. If the Canada trial does turn out to be a bust, McDonald's plant-based burger timeline might get even slower. Either way, it seems the "when will McDonald's add a plant-based burger?" questions won't be going away any time soon.

UPDATE: Oct. 31, 2019: This article has been updated with a response provided by McDonald's.

I tried an Impossible Whopper. I figured I should support this movement. I was all excited because I haven't had a whopper in like a decade plus. But man, they're still nasty. I remember when I used to eat beef that I had to give up on BK because it gave me the runs afterwards. The Impossible Whopper didn't affect me that way, but I felt like I ate too much salt and too much grease for the rest of the day. :(

THREADS
Shaolin diet, vegetarianism and stuff (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?61187-Shaolin-diet-vegetarianism-and-stuff)
Vegetarian (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?19996-Vegetarian)

[GeneChing]

Fat Wang's Donkey Burgers sounds like a horrible porn flick.



Chinese food has conquered the world. But are we ready for the donkey burger? (https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/beijing-donkey-meat-china-intl-hnk/index.html)
Ben Westcott and Nanlin Fang, CNN • Updated 21st November 2019

https://dynaimage.cdn.cnn.com/cnn/q_auto,w_1092,c_fill,g_auto,h_614,ar_16:9/http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.cnn.com%2Fcnnnext%2Fdam%2Fassets% 2F191121142026-03-donkey-burger.jpg
Donkey meat chain Fat Wang's signature dish -- a donkey burger with sauce and spring onions.

Beijing (CNN) — From steamed dumplings to hot pot, traditional Chinese food has often proved hugely popular in the West. Now, Chinese restaurant owners are hoping they have found the next delicacy to crack the Western market -- donkey burgers.
In Beijing, the unusual dish is undeniably popular.
At lunch hour, diners pour into the brightly colored "Fat Wang's Donkey Burger" restaurant in the busy Beijing central district of Xicheng.
Sitting at a counter with a group of friends, Beijing local Wang Li Min is tucking into the restaurant chain's signature donkey burger, which comes in a long, thin bun with spring onions.
"In China, we have a saying," Wang says, between bites. "In heaven, there is dragon meat. On Earth, there is donkey meat."
The meat tastes gamey and full of flavor, more like beef than chicken or pork.
Originally a northern Chinese delicacy from Hebei province, the donkey-based snack has spread to major cities across the country. There are more than 20 Fat Wang's branches in Beijing alone.
Just how popular donkey burgers are across the whole of China is debated. According to Sun Yu Jiang, a professor at the Qingdao Agricultural University, heavy demand is only really isolated to a few big provinces such as Hebei or Xinjiang.
"Donkey meat is not the mainstream product of meat consumption," he says. "Most people in China are more likely to eat pigs, poultry, cattle and sheep."

https://dynaimage.cdn.cnn.com/cnn/q_auto,w_602,c_fill,g_auto,h_339,ar_16:9/http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.cnn.com%2Fcnnnext%2Fdam%2Fassets% 2F191121140125-02-donkey-burger.jpg
Donkeys, horses and mules are gathered for sale at a livestock trading market in Faku, northeastern China's Liaoning province on April 11, 2016.
STR/AFP via Getty Images

But Zhang Haitao, the official Hebei government-sanctioned representative of the donkey burger and founder of the Kung Fu Donkey restaurant chain, says demand is growing faster than supply. He even thinks it could go global.
"When I was the president of the Hejian Donkey Burger Association (earlier this year), the market value of the donkey burger business was about 8 billion yuan per year," he says. That's around $1.1 billion.
"But if the donkey meat market can improve, the industry's market value could be at least 100 billion yuan in the future," he adds.

Emperors and trains
There are different stories about how donkey meat became a popular delicacy in northern China.
Wang Haibo, regional head of the Fat Wang's chain and nephew of the eponymous founder, says the legend of donkey meat goes back to the 1700s during the reign of the Qing dynasty's Qianlong Emperor.
"When the emperor was traveling south, he stopped at Hejian Fang in Hebei province. He felt hungry at night and asked a eunuch if there was anything he could eat. The woman at the house he stayed at made him a pancake. Coincidentally, they had just killed a donkey and stewed its meat, so she put them together and gave it to the emperor," Wang says.

https://dynaimage.cdn.cnn.com/cnn/q_auto,w_602,c_fill,g_auto,h_339,ar_16:9/http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.cnn.com%2Fcnnnext%2Fdam%2Fassets% 2F191022145817-01-donkey-burger.jpg
Wang Haibo, regional head of Fat Wang's Donkey Burgers, with a sample of the store's signature products in Beijing in September.
Ben Westcott/CNN

According to Wang, the emperor was so impressed by his meal that he brought the recipe back to Beijing, from where it spread across the country.
Another explanation is that Hebei province's many donkeys, previously used for freight transport, fell into disuse after the introduction of railways towards the end of the Qing Dynasty. No longer needing them for transport, locals found another use for their donkeys.
But the government-sponsored expert, Zhang, says the story is very simple. Shortly after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, farmers began to use donkey meat as food when they traveled for work.
"Donkey meat was cheapest at that time. The donkey burger can be stored for several days before it gets sour," he says. Over time, according to Zhang, it spread to other nearby provinces and cities
Whatever the reason, the dish has now become a major part of northeastern Chinese cuisine and is increasingly being used to attract tourists.
Hebei province even hosted its first annual donkey burger festival in May 2017.
"The demand for donkey is growing, but the market has shifted in recent years. It was a low-end market before, and now it has become a middle or high-end market," Zhang says.
However, there are indications that instead of growing, the donkey meat market in China is actually shrinking.
According to official Chinese government data, the number of donkeys being kept as livestock shrank almost 50% over the past 10 years to 2.53 million in 2018. In comparison, before the recent swine fever crisis, China had more than 420 million pigs.
Qingdao professor Sun says the drop was probably partly due to the growing industrialization of transportation and agriculture. Also, raising donkeys is expensive and time-consuming.

Fast food sensation?
Originally from Hebei, Fat Wang's is one of China's largest donkey meat restaurant chains. Apart from their signature donkey burgers, they also are known for donkey meat hotpots.
Regional head Wang is very particular about how to handle donkey meat. "It has to be from donkeys that are older than three years. If they are too young, the meat will be too soft to eat. If the meat is frozen it won't taste good," he says.
Wang explains that it is their family's recipe for donkey burgers they use to this day. And now they want to share it with the world.
"I am thinking about expanding outside of China," Wang says. "It's just that so far our management team can't follow the speed of expansion (domestically) ... But I think we can expand this to the Western world."

https://dynaimage.cdn.cnn.com/cnn/q_auto,w_602,c_fill,g_auto,h_339,ar_16:9/http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.cnn.com%2Fcnnnext%2Fdam%2Fassets% 2F191121142139-04-donkey-burger.jpg
One of about 20 outlets of the popular donkey meat chain Fat Wang's Donkey Burgers across Beijing.
CNN/Ben Westcott

Kung Fu Donkey's Zhang says there are already several people looking into opening branches overseas.
"It has been called a model for 'Chinese fast food' ... The cooking procedure of donkey burger can be standardized like the hamburgers of McDonald's and KFC," he says, adding that he'd like to emulate the success of hot pot sensation Haidilao, which has hundreds of branches around the world.
They might be fighting an uphill battle. A donkey burger restaurant which opened with much fanfare in the Australian city of Sydney in 2018 appears to have already closed permanently.
Wang says he's relying on Chinese Americans to spread the word about the great taste of donkey meat and create a market for it in the United States.
Whoever gets there first, Wang says he's happy to wait as he's not worried about his competition.
"Their burgers will never taste like ours," he says.

CNN's Maisy Mok and Yong Xiong contributed to this article.

THREADS
Donkey Crisis (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70416-Donkey-Crisis)
Fast Food Nastiness (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)
Kung Fu Restaurants & Bars (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?51971-Kung-Fu-Restaurants-amp-Bars)

[GeneChing]

McDonald’s China Releases Limited-Time Spam Oreo Burger (https://nextshark.com/mcdonalds-china-releases-limited-time-spam-oreo-burger/)
BY BRYAN KE
DECEMBER 21, 2020
2 MINUTE READ
https://cdn.statically.io/img/nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/spamburger-1.jpg?quality=80&f=auto
McDonald’s China has released a limited-time Spam Oreo burger for the holidays.

Although it sounds like an early April Fools’ joke, the company first teased the existence of the new Spam Oreo burger on Dec. 15 on Weibo, according to Delish.

https://cdn.statically.io/img/nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1jysgdfloakjsflkuhaskjghasg.jpg?quality=80&f=auto
Image screenshot via Weibo
The Spam Oreo burger will be available starting Dec. 21 for 13.14 Chinese yuan ($2). McDonald’s China will only make 400,000 of the burgers. The sandwich will come with two slices of Spam slathered with mayo and drizzled with Oreo crumbs.

https://cdn.statically.io/img/nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2jsgdyfiljasfkuhaksjghag.jpg?quality=80&f=auto

I can't even make those flavors go together in my head. Sounds like a stoner munchy fix.

[GeneChing]

I can't even...


BTS and McDonald’s Collab Brings New South Korean-Inspired Sauces to ARMY in 50 Countries (https://nextshark.com/bts-army-mcdonalds-fast-food-meal/)

BY KIMBERLY NGUYEN
APRIL 19, 2021
2 MINUTE READ
https://cdn.statically.io/img/nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/pixelatedbts.jpg?quality=80&f=auto
The BTS ARMY has something new to look forward to next month as the South Korean supergroup collaborates with McDonald’s on a signature order.

The BTS-approved meal will include a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, medium fries and a medium Coke, according to a press release.

The meal, available on May 26, will also come with two new sauces inspired by the menu found at McDonald’s branches in South Korea: sweet chili and cajun.

The South Korean boy band shared great experiences with the fast-food company, their label BIGHIT MUSIC shared.

“We’re excited about this collaboration and can’t wait to share the BTS Meal with the world,” the label said.

The BTS meal follows McDonald’s previous partnerships with Travis Scott and J Balvin last year, as part of the fast-food chain’s Famous Orders program. It is the first celebrity collaboration from the program to become available in nearly 50 countries.

“BTS truly lights up the world stage, uniting people across the globe through their music. We’re excited to bring customers even closer to their beloved band in a way only McDonald’s can – through our delicious food – when we introduce the BTS signature order on our menu next month,” McDonald’s USA CMO Morgan Flatley said.

Last month the seven-member group, which was named Time Magazine “Entertainer of the Year” in 2020, released a statement on social media, condemning anti-Asian hate.

“We recall moments when we faced discrimination as Asians,” they wrote. “We have endured expletives without reason and were mocked for the way we look.”

“We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.”

Feature Images via Getty

[highlypotion]

I really like McDonald's Cheeseburger. One of my favorite food to buy in a fast-food chain.

[GeneChing]

fascinating...


November 30, 2021
The Big Mac Index in 2021 (https://fxssi.com/big-mac-index)

Entertaining
Who hasn't tried or at least heard of a famous Big Mac at McDonald's fast-food restaurants? However, few people know that it gave rise to the so-called Big Mac Index, which compares the value of currencies of different countries.


The Big Mac Index in 2021
Olga Protska Senior Content Writer & 2D Artist

https://fxssi.com/images/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/en_poster-big-mac.jpg

What is the Big Mac Index?

The Big Mac Index is the price of the burger in various countries that are converted to one currency (such as the US dollar) and used to measure purchasing power parity.

It all started in 1986 when The Economist magazine decided to estimate the currencies' value by country based on the prices of Big Mac at McDonald's fast-food restaurants.

Thus, The Economist introduced a simple indicator of the fundamental value of currencies globally.

What does the Big Mac Index show, and why exactly was it taken as an indicator?

It's pretty simple. Big Mac is the most well-known product in McDonald's' fast-food chain. Besides, the same ingredients are used for Big Mac in any country: meat, bread, cheese, lettuce, onions, etc. Therefore, The Economist experts use Big Mac alone instead of determining the cost of a consumer basket (more complex method) for each country.

Big Mac Index Table as of Q3 2021

The most relevant Big Mac Index so far (as of July 2021) is presented in the table below.

https://wp.fxssi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/BigMac-Index-2021_july_updated.png

Let's analyze these data a bit.

The Lebanese pound exchange rate expressed in the Big Mac Index in July 2021 is 6548.67 pounds per dollar.

Considering that the current market rate of the Lebanese currency is about 22000 pounds, rather than 6548.67 per US dollar, the pound is undervalued by approximately 70.20%.

Thus, the Lebanese pound is the world’s most undervalued (cheapest) currency according to the Big Mac Index.

In 2019, the Russian ruble was the most undervalued (by 64.5%) currency worldwide.

Now, Big Mac costs $2.19 in Russia. While the price of the burger in the United States is $5.65, the Russian currency exchange rate is 29.91 ruble per dollar in terms of the Big Mac Index.

However, the ruble is cheaper in Forex – about 74.53 rubles per US dollar (as of July 2021). Therefore, we can conclude that the market undervalues the Russian currency by almost 59.90%.

In the list of the world’s most undervalued currencies, the Russian ruble and the Lebanese pound are accompanied by the South African rand (undervalued by 59.60%), Azerbaijani manat (undervalued by 58.90%), and the Turkish lira (undervalued by 58.70%). Notably, the currencies of India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and other low-income countries are not in the top five most undervalued currencies in 2021.


As for the most highly valued currencies, the statistics by countries show that the world’s most overvalued (expensive) currency is the Venezuelan bolívar.
As of July 2021, the Big Mac costs 30,164,100 bolívares in Venezuela or $8.35, making it the most expensive Big Mac in the world. The exchange rate based on the Big Mac Index is supposed to be 5,338,778.76 bolívares per US dollar. Although, the actual VEF/USD rate is approximately 3,613,989.07, making this currency overvalued by 47.70%.

Switzerland, Norway, and Sweden accompany Venezuela as the most overvalued currencies based on the Big Mac Index.

According to the Big Mac Index authors, Euro is also undervalued by the market. The average Big Mac price in the Eurozone is $5.03, meaning the currency is undervalued by 11.10%.

Notably, according to the Big Mac Index, all major currency pairs, except the Swiss franc, Swedish krona, and Norwegian krone, are undervalued against the US dollar.

Can We Use This Knowledge in Trading?

We can hardly do it in the short and medium terms, but the Big Mac Index can serve as a helpful assistant while long-term trading.

For example, it can be used as a filter when opening positions in the Forex market. After all, if the Japanese yen is significantly oversold against the US dollar, traders should refrain from opening long positions on USD/JPY.

We can draw similar conclusions for other Forex currency pairs.

The key thing to remember is that the Big Mac Index is an accurate indicator of the fundamental value of currencies, and traders can benefit from its use in trading.

[GeneChing]

McDonald’s rations fries in Japan due to potato shortage (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/22/mcdonalds-rations-fries-in-japan-due-to-potato-shortage?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1)
Covid-19 and floods in Canada force fast-food company to sell only small-sized fries

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/c19211f6ca1d249adfb8a452f9ccbe296c4cb929/1949_1201_2787_1673/master/2787.jpg
McDonald's fries will be rationed in Japan from Friday Photograph: Alexander Shcherbak/TASS
Guardian staff and agencies
Tue 21 Dec 2021 22.29 EST

A new kind of chip shortage has hit Japanese supply chains, with McDonald’s forced to ration fries as Covid-19 and floods in Canada squeeze potato imports.

McDonald’s Japan said it would only sell small-sized french fries for a week from Friday to avoid shortages. “Due to large-scale flooding near the Port of Vancouver … and the global supply chain crunch caused by the coronavirus pandemic, there are delays in the supply of potatoes.”

A McDonald’s sign.
McDonald’s runs out of milkshakes amid ‘supply chain issues’
Read more
The company said it had taken the measure to ensure that customers could still order fries, even though the “stable procurement of resource materials” was proving difficult.

The chain suffered a similar issue in December 2014, due to a labour dispute taking place on the other side of the Pacific.

Advertisement
Why some of your favorite podcasts are filled with oil company ads
More than 3,000 McDonald’s restaurants in Japan – the biggest Asian market for US frozen potato products – said they would sell only small-sized portions of fries for the foreseeable future amid a protracted dispute between 20,000 dockworkers and terminal operators and shipping lines at 29 ports on the US west coast.

In response McDonald’s Japan took the emergency step of importing 1,000 tonnes of frozen fries by air.

The most recent restriction comes during the busy year-end period with schools and offices beginning to close for the holidays.

It will also be in place on Christmas Day – commonly celebrated in Japan with a hearty serving of another US fast-food, KFC, which is heavily marketed around the festive period.

Meanwhile, a pandemic-fuelled global microchip shortage continues to plague carmakers including Japan’s Toyota, which has announced production cuts due to the crisis and supply chain problems in south-east Asia.

With Agence France-Presse KFC for xmas? WTF?

[GeneChing]

https://www.mcdonalds.com/is/image/content/dam/uk/nfl/hero/desktopnfl/good-to-know-one.jpg?$Publication_One_Column_Desktop$
McDONALD’S UK&I IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE NEW McPLANT IS OFFICIALLY…EVERYWHERE! (https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/newsroom/article/the_new_mcplant.html)🍔 🌱

Following a successful trial, McDonald’s will be rolling out its first ever plant-based burger to EVERY restaurant across the UK and Ireland from Wednesday 5th January

McPlant, which features a patty co-developed with Beyond Meat®, is McDonald’s first plant-based burger option

To celebrate its release, famous faces including Rosie Ramsey, Simon Gregson and Lawrence Okolie gave McPlant their seal of approval with tastings all across the UK
McDonald’s is proud to announce the national roll-out of its plant-based offering, the McPlant, to all restaurants across the UK and Ireland from Wednesday 5th January 2022, following a successful trial at over 250 restaurants last year.
The impressive McPlant, which took over three years to develop, features a patty co-developed with Beyond Meat® and has already proved hugely successful with McDonald’s customers.

From today, it will be available from Inverness to Liverpool and Penzance to Grimsby, meaning the McPlant is officially everywhere for burgers lovers to get their hands-on. Whether they’re plant-based, taking part in Veganuary or a true meat lover – McDonald’s is confident it’s a burger for everyone.
To celebrate the fact #McPlantIsEverywhere, McDonald’s took celebrities to all corners of the country to sample the latest addition to the menu. From Rosie Ramsey celebrating its arrival in the North East on the remote Northumberland shoreline to Corrie legend Simon Gregson swapping the Bushtucker Trials for a McPlant in Manchester city centre.
Michelle Graham-Clare, Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald’s UK and Ireland said: “We’re so pleased that our McPlant is now officially ‘everywhere’ and available for more of our customers to taste and enjoy. We saw a remarkable response to the trial period back in October and now McPlant is on the high-street, in retail parks and service stations all over the UK and Ireland so all of our customers will be able to try it. We’re proud to once again be offering our customers more great-tasting options from McDonald’s. Its our same iconic taste – but plant-based.”
McDonald’s UK&I spent three years on research and development to bring a delicious plant-based offering to British and Irish customers, and every element of the McPlant was designed with taste and quality top-of-mind. From the plant-based patty co-developed with Beyond Meat, to innovative vegan cheese based on pea protein that tastes just like McDonald’s iconic cheese slices, and a new vegan sandwich sauce.
The impressive McPlant features a Vegan Sesame Bun, Mustard, Ketchup, Vegan Sauce, Fresh Onion, Pickles, Lettuce, Tomato and Vegan Cheese. It is cooked separately from other McDonald’s burgers and sandwiches using dedicated utensils.
For more information please visit McDonalds.co.uk/McPlant

About Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat, Inc. (NASDAQ:BYND), a leader in plant-based meat, offers a portfolio of revolutionary plant-based meats. Founded in 2009, Beyond Meat products are designed to have the same taste and texture as animal-based meat while offering certain environmental benefits. Beyond Meat’s brand commitment, Eat What You Love™, represents a strong belief that there is a better way to feed our future and that the positive choices we all make, no matter how small, can help us move towards the kind of future we want. By shifting from animal-based meat to plant-based meat, we can help address concerns related to resource conservation and animal welfare. As of September 2021, Beyond Meat had products available at approximately 128,000 retail and foodservice outlets in over 85 countries worldwide. Visit www.BeyondMeat.com and follow @BeyondMeatEU on Instagram, @BeyondMeat on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.

THREADS
Vegetarian (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?19996-Vegetarian)
Fast Food Nastiness (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)

[GeneChing]

Burger King trolls McDonald's for losing Big Mac trademark in the EU (https://www.marketingdive.com/news/burger-king-trolls-mcdonalds-for-losing-big-mac-trademark-in-the-eu/547364/)
Published Feb. 1, 2019
By Erica Sweeney

https://www.marketingdive.com/user_media/cache/ed/92/ed92b2180e967522202ca9760008ec93.jpg

Burger King unveiled a new line of fast-food menu items called "Not Big Macs" for a limited time at locations in Sweden, according to a press release shared with Marketing Dive. The campaign is in response to rival McDonald's losing its Big Mac trademark in the EU.
The burgers are regular Burger King products, simply with temporary name changes. The items include "Big Mac-ish but flame-grilled of course," "Like a Big Mac but actually big," "The burger Big Mac wished it was," "Kind of like a Big Mac but juicier and tastier" and "Anything but a Big Mac."
Burger King released a video on YouTube showing customers ordering from the limited-run menu, which was created by Ingo Stockholm.
Dive Insight:

With "Not Big Macs," Burger King is taking direct jabs at its competitor amid its recent legal defeat against Irish fast food chain Supermac. The EU Intellectual Property Office found in the case that McDonald's had not proven genuine use of the phrase "Big Mac," which the company trademarked in 1996, in the five years leading up to Supermac's filing in 2017, despite McDonald's submitted menus and promotional materials featuring the Big Mac. The ruling opened the doors for copycats to use the Big Mac name in Europe, which Burger King Sweden jumped on for its latest marketing stunt.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSiIv-J0mpo

Trolling McDonald's seems to be one of Burger King's favorite pastimes of late. The stunt comes on the heels of another recent Burger King campaign, in which the fast-food chain hacked a previous McDonald's marketing effort. To promote its new Big King XL sandwich, Burger King pointed out that the burger has 175% more beef than a Big Mac. Burger King also gave consumers the chance to swap their expired MacCoins for a free Big King XL. McDonald's distributed collectible MacCoin tokens last year for the Big Mac's 50th anniversary, but they caused some confusion with consumers and were no longer redeemable after Dec. 31, 2018.

Burger King also rolled out a "Whopper Detour" stunt in December that used mobile geofencing to direct people away from McDonald's locations. When smartphone users went within 600 feet of most McDonald's brick-and-mortar locations, they were sent a mobile offer for ordering a Burger King Whopper for a penny from the chain's revamped BK App, which then navigated them to the nearest Burger King to pick up their food.

"Hackvertising" — when a brand hijacks another brand's marketing efforts — is becoming a hallmark of Burger King's strategy. The stunts often get media attention and heighten engagement on social media, which help the brand stand out in the competitive fast-food space.

Gotta hand it to BK. This is funny.

[GeneChing]

In contrast to BK's previous euro marketing (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness&p=1322920#post1322920)...


Burger King franchise 'refuses' to close 800 Russian restaurants (https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/18/business-food/burger-king-russia-joint-venture/index.html)
CNN Digital Expansion 2016
By Jordan Valinsky, CNN Business
Updated 8:15 AM ET, Fri March 18, 2022

New York (CNN Business)Burger King is trying to suspend its operations in Russia, but that's proving difficult. A business partner controlling 800 restaurants has "refused" to close them, the company said.

The burger chain, owned by Restaurant Brands International (QSR), has a joint venture partnership with businessman Alexander Kolobov in Russia. RBI controls just 15% of its Russian Burger King business, and Kolobov is responsible for the "day-to-day operations and oversight" of its locations in the country.
That means Burger King can't just snap its fingers and close up shop.
"We started the process to dispose [of] our ownership stake in the business," said David Shear, president of RBI's international operations, in an open letter. "While we would like to do this immediately, it is clear that it will take some time to do so based on the terms of our existing joint venture agreement."
https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/220318070157-russia-burger-king-031222-restricted-exlarge-169.jpg
A Burger King restaurant at a St. Petersburg shopping center.
McDonald's (MCD), by contrast, owns more than 80% of its restaurants in Russia outright. That made exiting the country significantly easier.
Shear said that RBI has "demanded" that the joint venture immediately close the Burger Kings, but Kolobov has "refused to do so."
Burger King entered Russia about a decade ago, operating the joint venture with Kolobov, Investment Capital Ukraine and VTB Capital, a Russian bank that has been hit with sanctions.
Shear explained that a "complicated legal process" is preventing it from shutting down the partnership and businesses.
"There are no legal clauses that allow us to unilaterally change the contract or allow any one of the partners to simply walk away or overturn the entire agreement," Shear said. "No serious investor in any industry in the world would agree to a long-term business relationship with flimsy termination clauses."
Last week, Burger King pulled corporate support from its businesses in Russia, including suspending operations, marketing and supply chain assistance.
This issue highlights the problems some Western companies and banks face in pulling out of Russia, complicated by joint ventures or partnerships that they don't have complete control over. For example, a Papa Johns (PZZA) franchisee in Russia refused to close about 200 locations even after the pizza chain suspended corporate support for it.

threads
Fast-Food-Nastiness (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)
Ukraine (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72272-Ukraine)

[GeneChing]

McDonald's Brings Back Szechuan Sauce for a Limited Time This Month (https://people.com/food/mcdonalds-brings-back-szechuan-sauce-for-a-limited-time-this-month/)
The fan-favorite sauce will be available exclusively on the McDonald’s App on March 31
By Stephanie Wenger
March 21, 2022 12:01 AM
https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F20%2F2022%2F03%2F18%2F Szechuan-Sauce-McDonalds.jpg
CREDIT: MCDONALD'S
Mark your calendars, Szechuan sauce is returning to McDonald's!

The fan-favorite condiment — with a savory and slightly sweet taste profile with hints of soy, garlic, ginger, and mild vinegar — will be back in restaurants for a limited time starting March 31.

The Szechuan sauce will be available exclusively through the McDonald's app. Fans will be able to select it to accompany their Chicken McNuggets or purchase up to five containers a la carte.

https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F20%2F2022%2F03%2F18%2F Szechuan-Newsroom-Post-2000.jpg
CREDIT: MCDONALD'S

The fast food giant teased the news in a press release, writing, "Szechuan. Sauce. Is. Coming. Back. In. Just. Ten. Days…i repeat we're dropping Szechuan Sauce nationwide exclusively on the McDonald's Apps next week!!"

McDonald's first released the sauce in 1998 and it returned briefly twice more before Sunday's announcement.

In June 1998, Disney's Mulan premiered in theaters and McDonald's announced the limited time Szechuan sauce to accompany the film. It came with a Chicken McNuggets happy meal and a set of Mulan toys.

The condiment gained fans after it was referenced on Adult Swim's Rick and Morty in April 2017. The first episode of the third season featured Rick going to McDonald's to taste the sauce in a dream sequence.

Viewers then began to petition McDonald's to bring back the sauce on social media.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.

The creator of Rick and Morty, Justin Roiland, posted that he received a 4-lbs. bottle of sauce following the episode on Twitter.

McDonald's confirmed on social media that the Szechuan Sauce would be returning for one day on Oct. 1, 2017.

However, after long lines and shortages, McDonald's issued an apology for the limited availability.

The company announced on Twitter that it would bring Szechuan Sauce for a longer period of time and in bigger quantities on Feb. 26, 2018.

When it first came out, I was upset that Szechuan sauce went with Teriyaki McNuggets. I'm over that now...

[GeneChing]

McDonald's is leaving Russia, after more than 30 years (https://www.npr.org/2022/05/16/1099079032/mcdonalds-leaving-russia)

May 16, 20228:43 AM ET
BILL CHAPPELL
https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2022/05/16/gettyimages-1239070707_wide-f59537d87283bf1a1832c874c970963328be6c4e-s800-c85.webp
McDonald's arrived in Moscow when Russia was still part of the Soviet Union. Tens of thousands of customers stood in line when its first restaurant opened on Jan. 31, 1990, at Moscow's Pushkin Square.
Vitaly Armand/AFP via Getty Images
McDonald's is exiting Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, pulling out of a market it's been a part of for 32 years. The fast-food giant had previously paused its operations in Russia less than two weeks into the brutal conflict being waged over Ukraine's future.

McDonald's wants to sell its entire slate of restaurants in the country to a Russian buyer. To prepare for that sale, it will start "de-arching" its restaurants — stripping them of its trademark signs, menus and branding.

The company cites ethics and business reasons

McDonald's emphasized the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and its corporate values while announcing its move on Monday, but it also described it as a business decision, citing the "unpredictable operating environment" in Russia, which has become an economic pariah due to international sanctions.

"The humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, and the precipitating unpredictable operating environment, have led McDonald's to conclude that continued ownership of the business in Russia is no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald's values," the company said.

Tens of thousands of employees will be affected

The decision will directly affect some 62,000 employees, along with hundreds of suppliers and distributers. While it's looking for a buyer, McDonald's says, it will aim to ensure that all of the employees will continue to be paid. The corporation has been paying their salaries since March 8, when it paused the operations of its restaurants in Russia.

"We have a long history of establishing deep, local roots wherever the Arches shine," Chris Kempczinski, McDonald's president and chief executive officer, said in a news release. He praised the company's employees in Russia — but, he added, "we have a commitment to our global community and must remain steadfast in our values. And our commitment to our values means that we can no longer keep the Arches shining there."

McDonald's arrival helped start a new era in Russia

The hamburger chain's departure will end an era that began in January of 1990, when, after much anticipation and fanfare, McDonald's opened its first store in Moscow's Pushkin Square.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79W54Lk4Apg
YouTube
It was seen as a concrete sign of the thawing of the Cold War, of Russia's progress at a time when it was part of the communist Soviet Union, and of the arrival of a new gateway to the West.

That first restaurant's opening was wildly successful, serving more than 30,000 customers who braved massive lines to grab a Big Mac and other sandwiches on that unprecedented first day.

"I felt like I was eating America itself," a customer named Andrey was quoted as saying.

But the U.S. and Russia are now in a new era, one that has seen a number of Western businesses pull out of a country they once entered with great fanfare.

Describing the financial logistics of leaving Russia, McDonald's says it will record a charge of around $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion "to write off its net investment in the market."

Fast-Food-Nastiness/ (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness/)
Ukraine (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72272-Ukraine)

[GeneChing]

'Time capsule' Burger King found fully intact behind a wall at a Delaware mall (https://www.today.com/food/restaurants/burger-king-80s-found-fully-intact-wall-delaware-mall-rcna36175)
The internet enjoys a nostalgic fast-food relic.

https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-1240w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2022-06/found-burger-king-2x1-bn-220630-a69378.jpg
This "vintage" Burger King will transport you right back to the '80s.Getty Images / Jonathan Pruitt
June 30, 2022, 2:57 PM PDT
By Joseph Lamour

Who needs a time machine when you have the internet?

The web has been abuzz with photos of a fully intact Burger King that looks transported straight from the '80s yet is still standing today, untouched by time or renovation. This vintage BK, located in the Concord Mall in Wilmington, Delaware, has been closed since 2009, and the space appears unchanged since it first opened in the late '80s.

https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-1120w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2022-06/found-burger-king-bn-220630-ca6c04.jpg
The interior of the shuttered Burger King at the Concord Mall in Wilmington, Delaware.Courtesy Jonathan Pruitt
Trash cans still ask long-gone patrons to "get your trash in here some way" in the fast food giant’s signature font and the space still appears to have its original parquet flooring, patterned wallpaper and '80s-style wall décor. The shuttered restaurant is truly a liminal space on overdrive.

As to what brought the internet’s attention to this piece of culinary history, a snapshot of the space originally taken by local Jonathan Pruitt on April 11 was posted on a local Delaware-area Facebook page where, according to Pruitt, it was mildly appreciated on a local level before it went big time.

“I didn’t think anything of it,” said Jonathan Pruitt in a phone call with TODAY Food. “But then, Tuesday morning, people started telling me it was circulating on the internet and now? I don’t know!”

Pruitt, who works in commercial and industrial HVAC systems at the mall and elsewhere, said he’s completely shocked by the attention his photograph has gotten across the internet and now, the world. He said he started receiving texts and phone calls about the image making its way around the internet starting on Tuesday, June 28, when his photo was posted on Reddit, where it received more than 52,000 upvotes, and also on Twitter, where the picture quickly went viral, garnering 23,698 retweets and over 185,000 likes.

“My Twitter account is all about retro gaming and nostalgic 80s and 90s content,” user @RealJezebelley told TODAY via Twitter direct message regarding their viral tweet, adding that photo clearly resonated with an aging millennial base on Twitter. “Many of us elder millennials are turning or have just turned 40. Seeing things from our childhood sparks joy particularly as we move on in years.”

Clearly, the image has sparked feelings of nostalgia in viewers both states away and even within state lines. Later in the Twitter thread, a former employee of the mall posted a video they took of the space, remarking that it was used as a storage space.

"Lmao that was literally my storage room back in 2019," they tweeted.

“I was working at a food service kiosk,” user @loserskwaddd told TODAY via Twitter direct message. “It felt pretty eerie. Just kinda stuck in time. Very quiet compared to out in the mall.”

Because of all of the attention Pruitt’s photographs have received, a local Delaware politician provided a deeper look into the space on Facebook Live along with the general manager of the mall.

“Many people in our county and in our state have extraordinary childhood memories from that mall. That mall is in a very different place now than it was then,” New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer told TODAY.

Viewers of the clip will see Meyer pick up a bag of fries sitting on one of the tables. He said he and his staff munched on them as they walked through the space — but don’t worry, it was picked up from an open Burger King on the way to this particular space. Potentially decades-old fast food discoveries aside, Meyer appreciates the interest that this restaurant relic is getting.

“I think one reason it's so attractive to so many people is that it’s a memory,” Meyer said. “The design might be outdated, and many people might not think that it’s beautiful, but it represents a time when retail was a little more human. People gathered together without fear.”

“I would love to see it turned into a retro space. I’m sure people would eat it up,” added the mall’s general manager, Tom Dahlke, who also told TODAY that the store opened in 1987, which means parts of that space are as old as “Dirty Dancing” and “The Princess Bride.”

As for what may happen to the space now that it has gotten so much attention, the empty-bellied burger joint’s future remains unclear. Dahlke said there are no serious offers for the space yet, even with all the attention, so anyone whose dream it is to open a vintage-style burger joint seemingly pulled from an episode of “Stranger Things” should pick up the phone posthaste.

“I just thought it looked really neat,” said Pruitt, mentioning that his first job was at a Burger King in the '90s, though not at this particular location. “I knew it was there. But the door was never opened.”

Well, to end on quite an understatement: Now it has been.
I was goiing to make some comment about the fries still being good but they beat me to the punch there.

[GeneChing]

Having seen the screener for Wakanda Forever, carrots are the most prominent foods.



McDonald's Debuts Limited-Edition 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' -Inspired Happy Meal (https://people.com/food/mcdonalds-debuts-black-panther-wakanda-forever-inspired-happy-meal/)
Each Happy Meal will include one of ten Wakanda Forever superhero toys
By Ingrid Vasquez Published on November 2, 2022 09:15 PM

https://people.com/thmb/TpGFJjNnXY8dx1SioPPg3iM5aoI=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc() :focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/Wakanda-Happy-Meal-04-02112022-55624f41c678492998ed9bf70aa219a1.jpg
Wakanda Happy Meal

McDonald's is giving moviegoers something to smile about this month.

The fast-food chain debuted a limited-edition Happy Meal in anticipation of Marvel Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, hitting theaters Nov. 11. Each Happy Meal will include one of ten Wakanda Forever superhero toys based on characters from the movie, from fan favorites like Shuri and Okoye to newcomers like Namor and Ironheart.

According to Jennifer Healan, VP of U.S. Marketing, Brand Content and Engagement at McDonald's, the first Black Panther movie inspired the fast-food giant to create the new meal.

She shared in a statement: "It set a whole new standard for representation on the big screen. And now, we're excited to bring that experience to our restaurants and help fans see and celebrate their inner hero with this new Happy Meal – because seeing is believing."

https://people.com/thmb/_jju7gvD1ulk5mJIbFXcK_EIUpk=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc() :focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/Wakanda-Happy-Meal-03-02112022-36ca0d561afa4bfa924765b28cd825c1.jpg

The new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Happy Meal will "help fans see and celebrate their inner hero," she added.

The new movie comes two years after Chadwick Boseman's death in 2020 and incorporates the franchise star's loss into the sequel.

An official synopsis from Marvel states that Wakanda Forever follows Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M'Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) as they "fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Those who got an early viewing of the film are speaking highly of it ahead of its theatrical release.

Critic Tessa Smith wrote on Twitter that Wakanda Forever "feels like a war movie," commending Tenoch Huerta's performance as the villain Namor.

"It's emotional, heavy, intense & phenomenal. Namor is an incredible & powerful villain," Smith wrote. "#WakandaForever focuses on grief, loss, & vengeance. You aren't ready for the Marvel logo & mid credit. It honors Chadwick perfectly."

"Coogler delivers a soulful, wondrous sequel that packs an emotional punch & effectively explores relevant world themes," film critic Fico Cangiano wrote. "A beautiful tribute to Boseman's legacy. Letitia & Tenoch are great, & the mid-credits scene is really moving."

Black-Panther-Wakanda-Forever (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71012-Black-Panther-Wakanda-Forever)
Fast-Food-Nastiness (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzTFdfCMfZc

When I was in France, I wouldn't eat at any of these places. It was all about sidewalk cafes...

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=34KeBnSwvmc

2023-Year-of-the-Rabbit (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72390-2023-Year-of-the-Rabbit)
Fast-Food-Nastiness (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)

[GeneChing]

https://japantoday-asset.scdn3.secure.raxcdn.com/img/store/79/0b/cedda50bf1cf6fb45c1897e51a5ccadb41dc/McDonalds-Japan-Creates-Sexy-Drink-Cups--1024x640/_w850.jpg
Food
McDonald’s Japan mistakenly creates sexually suggestive drink cups (https://japantoday.com/category/features/food/mcdonald’s-japan-mistakenly-creates-sexually-suggestive-drink-cups)
Aug. 6, 2019 06:15 am JST
By Lucy Dayman
TOKYO
Last month McDonald’s Japan released a new range of summer loving-themed McFizz soft drinks. The drinks come in three refreshing flavors Lemon Ginger, Blue Hawaii, and Blood Orange, and they’re all bubbly and brightly colored.

But that’s not what’s exciting about them.

The designers over at McDonald’s HQ seemed to think the launch of the McFizz was an excellent opportunity to pay homage to the romantic potential of long summer evenings.

They’ve created a range of clear cups decorated with various images of a boy on one side, and a girl on the other. When the cup is empty, the boy and the girl line up, and they share an innocent intimate moment. Rotate the cup and you’ll get a kiss on the cheek or peck on the lips, depending on the design.

https://asset.japantoday.com/img/store/67/b5/48fd951eb18bd2e28c1b35f7696cc3123778/Screen%20Shot%202019-08-05%20at%208.16.49.png
But thanks to some creative thinking and clever angles on behalf of McDonald’s customers, this innocent summer romance story gets a lot hotter and heavier than the fast-food chain intended.

Users have noticed that if you turn the angle just so, the peck on the cheek becomes a multitude of other intimate moments.

And let’s just say that they cover all the bases.

Twitter user @mao_killa shared her discovery on Twitter last week.

https://asset.japantoday.com/img/store/46/b9/79ab4edfaac85d306f80b7e085e3c6ee0a1b/Screen%20Shot%202019-08-05%20at%208.17.46.png
This post really lives up to the title of this thread...:rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

https://vegnews.com/media/W1siZiIsIjM2MDM2L1ZlZ05ld3MuQmV5b25kTnVnZ2V0cy5NY0 RvbmFsZHNHZXJtYW55LmpwZyJdLFsicCIsImNyb3BfcmVzaXpl ZCIsIjE2NzZ4OTkxKzErNjciLCIxNjAweDk0Nl4iLHsiZm9ybW F0Ijoid2VicCJ9XV0/VegNews.BeyondNuggets.McDonaldsGermany.jpg?sha=f85 aac4527373acd
What’s Next for McDonald’s and Beyond Meat? Plant-Based Chicken McNuggets (https://vegnews.com/2023/2/mcdonalds-beyond-meat-plant-based-chicken-mcnuggets)
McDonald’s and Beyond Meat unveil their second collaboration: plant-based McNuggets. Germany’s 1,400 McDonald’s locations will be the first to try them.

by ANNA STAROSTINETSKAYA
FEBRUARY 21, 2023

Plant-based McNuggets are now hitting the menu at 1,400 locations of McDonald’s across Germany. This launch is the second product to come out of the fast-food giant’s three-year development deal with vegan company Beyond Meat.

The new nuggets are made with pea protein, corn, and wheat, and surrounded by a crispy tempura batter. The nationwide launch in Germany follows a successful test-run at locations in Stuttgart (Germany’s sixth largest city) last August.

The country is the first to offer the plant-based McNuggets, which could expand to other markets should the item garner customer interest and demand like the McPlant, the first plant-based item developed under the three-year partnership.

The McPlant grows roots in Europe

In addition to the McNuggets, McDonald’s Germany will also launch the McPlant burger—which features a specially developed Beyond Meat patty served together with items that vary by location.

https://vegnews.com/media/32450/VegNews.McPlantBurger.McDonalds.jpeg

The McPlant first made its debut in 2021 in several European countries, including Denmark, Austria, and Sweden. Later that year, McDonald’s tested the McPlant in its domestic market, initially at eight US locations.

The Chicago-based fast-food chain expanded the test to 600 locations in February 2022 but has since ended the test without announcing further plans for the plant-based burger—which was served with dairy cheese and egg-based mayonnaise.

Over in the Netherlands, the McPlant gained permanent placement on the McDonald’s menu in October 2022 after a short test run in 2021.

“We are pleased with the permanent place of the McPlant on the menu,” Stijn Mentrop, McDonald’s Netherlands Marketing Director, said in a statement at the time. “During the temporary introduction last year, we received many positive comments from our guests about the taste of the McPlant.”
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, McDonald’s has been serving a vegan McPlant burger—with dairy-free cheese and all—since October 2022.

https://vegnews.com/media/34761/VegNews.DoubleMcPlant2.McDonaldsUK.jpg

For Veganuary this year, McDonald’s upped the ante with a double McPlant which featured two Beyond Meat patties with ketchup, mustard, vegan special sauce, onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and dairy-free cheese on a sesame-seed bun.

In the UK, McDonald’s hopes that the plant-based burger will help it to become a category leader in the plant-based. However, Burger King might beat McDonald’s to the plant-based punch.

Burger King’s plant-based options reign supreme

Burger King has been exploring plant-based options since 2019 when it first launched the Impossible Whopper in the US. Burger King has gone on to test many plant-based concepts since, including fully vegan pop-ups around the globe.

As a result, the chain’s locations in the United Kingdom have since seen an explosion of vegan options such as plant-based Whoppers, meatless chicken sandwiches, and more. For Veganuary last year, Burger King became the first fast-food chain in the UK to add vegan chicken nuggets to its menu—which it “dirtied up” for World Vegan Day by offering them topped with smoky barbecue sauce and topped with crispy onions.

All of these options in the UK—where Burger King aims to serve a 50 percent meat-free menu by 2030—are made together with its European plant-based supplier, The Vegetarian Butcher.

https://vegnews.com/media/34867/VegNews.BurgerKing.Vegan.header.jpg
For Veganuary 2023 and beyond, Burger King took its plant-based exploration a step further with new partners. Its new plant-based bacon cheeseburgers feature vegan bacon made by Parisian company La Vie and vegan cheese by Greek brand Violife.

While the plant-based McNuggets are just making their way to McDonald’s Germany, Burger King added a similar item—plant-based chicken nuggets made by The Vegetarian Butcher—to its locations across Germany back in 2020.

“Burger King is the first to offer its guests the chance to try meat-free chicken,” Klaus Schmäing, Director of Marketing for Burger King Germany, said in a statement at the time. “Of course, nobody has to [forgo] the taste experience of the original: ‘Without meat’ in this case means ‘with maximum taste.’”
And Burger King has made much more plant-based progress in its domestic market than McDonald’s. In 2021, Burger King test-launched plant-based Impossible Nuggets at select locations in Iowa, Massachusetts, and Florida.

https://vegnews.com/media/31291/VegNews.ImpossibleChicken.BurgerKing.jpg

Last year, Burger King also tested its first-ever meatless chicken sandwich. The Original Chick’n Sandwich—made together with Impossible Foods—was available for a limited time at Burger King locations in Cincinnati, OH for a limited time.


AnnaStarostinetskaya
Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.

Fast-Food-Nastiness (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)
Vegetarian (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?19996-Vegetarian)

[GeneChing]

McDonald's Temporarily Shuts US Offices, Prepares Layoff Notices: Report (https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/mcdonald-temporarily-shuts-us-offices-to-announce-layoffs-report-3915192)
McDonald's employees have been asked to cancel all in-person meetings scheduled this week.

World News Edited by Abhimanyu Kulkarni Updated: April 03, 2023 12:20 pm IST

McDonald's has asked corporate employees to work from home till Wednesday.

New Delhi: McDonald's, one of the world's largest fast-food chains, has temporarily closed all its offices in the US this week as it prepares to inform its corporate employees about a fresh round of layoffs, the Wall Street Journal reported today.
The company sent a mail to its US employees last week to start working from home from Monday to Wednesday. McDonald's took the decision so that it can deliver news about the layoffs virtually, the report stated. It is unclear how many employees will be fired.

"During the week of April 3, we will communicate key decisions related to roles and staffing levels across the organization," McDonald's reportedly wrote in the mail.

Employees have also been asked to cancel all in-person meetings scheduled this week.

The fast-food chain said in January that it would review corporate staffing levels as part of an updated business strategy, which could lead to layoffs in some areas and expansion in others.

The layoffs are expected to be announced by Wednesday.

Job cuts are rising as companies try to counter a global economic slowdown and soaring inflation. Several tech giants -- including Google, Amazon, and Facebook -- have drastically scaled down their operations recently.

Indians are among those who have been hit the hardest by the mass layoffs in US tech companies. Hundreds of workers, living in the US on temporary visas, have been left jobless with very little time to find a new one.

H-1B visa holders who become unemployed can remain in the US legally for only 60 days without finding new employers to sponsor them. This is all over the Indian news today. Not sure why.

[GeneChing]

Burger King Franchisee to Close 26 Restaurants (https://www.qsrmagazine.com/fast-food/burger-king-franchisee-close-26-restaurants)

The company accused the operator of breaking it franchise agreement by not paying royalties and other fees.
FAST FOOD | MARCH 29, 2023 | BEN COLEY
https://www.qsrmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020-06/BurgerKing.jpg?itok=Bg9m6Qhk
RESTAURANT BRANDS INTERNATIONAL
In total, 424 employees will be laid off.
A Burger King franchisee is closing 26 locations across Michigan after a dispute with the fast-food giant.

In a WARN notice, EYM King of Michigan said it will stop operating in the state because of the "unforeseen business circumstance" of not reaching an agreement with Burger King. Restaurants began shutting down March 17 and closures will continue through April 15. In total, 424 employees will be laid off.

Earlier this year, Burger King sued EYM King over breaking franchise agreements related to "failure to timely pay amounts due to BKC in relation to the operation of Burger King Restaurants located in Michigan." The brand is looking to claw back royalties, advertising, and other fees. The amount owed exceeds $75,000, according to court documents. Fourteen of the 26 restaurants were listed in the filing.

The news is another sign of Burger King's struggles. So far this year, two franchisees have declared bankruptcy. Both 90-unit TOMS King and 120-unit Meridian Restaurants Unlimited entered court proceedings, blaming COVID, increased costs, labor issues, and unrelenting liabilities.

Burger King has faced troubled sales in recent years. In a recent earnings call, the chain revealed it earned $140,000 in average four-wall EBITDA in 2022, which is lower than pre-COVID. In response, the chain implemented a $400 million "Reclaim the Flame" comeback plan, including a $200 million remodel program, $50 million refresh, and $150 million in advertising and digital investments.

In November, it was announced that Patrick Doyle, a former Domino's CEO, would take over as RBI's executive chairman. As part of the move, the industry veteran is investing $30 million in the company. A month ago, Doyle said Burger King's best way to compete with the likes of McDonald's is the Whopper. The chairman believes the burger may be a bigger brand than Burger King itself. But there's a wide gap to make up. McDonald's U.S. comps grew 19.7 percent in 2022 on a two-year basis while Burger King's same-store sales lifted 6.9 percent over two years. First McD and now BK? Is something happening in the fast food world that I'm not hip to?

[GeneChing]

TikToker makes $3,500 in a day talking about her McDonald’s job (https://nextshark.com/tiktoker-earnings-talking-about-mcdonalds-job)

The TikTok user's lighthearted video taken during her lunch break amassed over 3 million views within 24 hours
Ryan General
AUGUST 8, 2023

https://nextshark.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/tiktoker.jpg?width=640&auto_optimize=medium
A MCDONALD’S EMPLOYEE-TURNED-CONTENT creator shared
In a post on July 28, Kai, known on the platform as @kaisbubbletea, discusses how her profits soared while performing her nighttime skincare routine. She reveals that she earned over $3,500 in just a day after her lighthearted video amassed over 3 million views within 24 hours.
The Grimace incident: In the viral clip, a customer can be heard playfully asking Kai where Grimace was and other random questions about the Grimace meal, a recent promotion celebrating the mascot’s birthday. A woman can also be heard complaining about her “cold fries” to workers in the background.
Money matters: Kai, who earns $13.50 per hour at McDonald’s, shares that she previously owned 20 other accounts before finally striking gold with her 21st TikTok account.
She reveals that she only started earning money on the platform after signing under its Beta Creativity Program, which is open to creators with over 10,000 followers and 100,000 authentic video views accumulated in 30 days. Sharing a snapshot of her remarkable $3,595.09 in earnings, Kai notes the amount is nearly equivalent to her earnings from working an entire summer at the fast-food chain.
Paycheck disparity: Kai acknowledged that since such trends are often fleeting, she still works hard to support herself. According to Kai, the realization that a lot of
“These influencers … they’re out here making so much money and they’re not putting in as nearly as much effort as like your day to normal f*cking person,” she muses.


Ryan General
is a Senior Reporter for NextShark

There are links to her TikTok in the original article.

[GeneChing]

The Burger King Whopper Is Headed to Court (https://thetakeout.com/burger-king-whopper-lawsuit-2023-misleading-size-in-ads-1850791151)
When you name your best burger the Whopper, you must stand behind the claim.
By Marnie Shure
Published Thursday 9:00AM
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/c_fit,f_auto,g_center,q_60,w_1315/278eefe385fa01b09681dfa59e4c260f.jpg
Photo: Justin Sullivan (Getty Images)

Back in early 2022, Burger King laid out an ambitious plan to reestablish the Whopper as the greatest burger in fast food. Remarkably, its efforts seem to be working: a new slogan and jingle that no one can get out of their heads have helped bring Whopper sales way up. But now, just when the burger has been restored to its former glory, Burger King is being slapped with a lawsuit that claims the Whopper is not as mighty as it appears.

Reuters reports that a Miami judge has allowed a lawsuit against Burger King to proceed, rejecting BK’s request for dismissal. The lawsuit alleges that in-store menu boards advertising the Whopper make the burger appear larger than it actually is, deceiving customers who purchase it. This, the lawsuit says, amounts to a breach of contract.

“Customers in the proposed class action accused Burger King of portraying burgers with ingredients that ‘overflow over the bun,’ making it appear the burgers are 35% larger and contain more than double the meat than the chain serves,” Reuters reports.

Burger King’s parent company, Restaurant Brands International, claimed in court that it’s not a requirement for a restaurant to make food that perfectly matches what’s featured on the menu boards. There’s some precedent for that. While it’s true that food photography must depict the real menu item and not a replica, there are all sorts of industry tricks used in food marketing materials to maintain a look of “freshness” (spritzing water on lettuce, brushing canola oil on a bun) that aren’t applied to the product customers receive. However, the judge said that jurors will ultimately determine what’s “reasonable” for a customer to expect when they see the Whopper pictured above the register—and whether the burger they receive is a reasonable fulfillment of that promise.

Burger King continues to deny that its marketing is at all misleading. “The flame-grilled beef patties portrayed in our advertising are the same patties used in the millions of Whopper sandwiches we serve to guests nationwide,” the brand said in a statement.

The case is similar to this summer’s class action lawsuit against Taco Bell, in which the plaintiff claims the Tex-Mex chain misrepresented the amount of meat and beans in its menu items like the Crunchwrap Supreme and the Mexican Pizza. Whereas the Whopper is being called out for being 35% overstated in size, the Taco Bell complaint alleges that the filling in these menu items is being overstated “by at least double the amount.”

Ultimately, customers want to know they’re getting what they paid for, a priority that becomes even more important as fast food menu prices creep upward; U.S. district judges nationwide apparently agree. Although if Burger King is being sued for anything, we’re honestly a little surprised that it’s not for bringing this thing (https://thetakeout.com/burger-king-new-real-cheese-burger-thailand-20-slices-1850626739?_ga=2.33074814.1141053563.1693232624-2079097470.1691685105)into the world. It's one of those 'objects may be larger than they appear' things? :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

srsly McDonald's Taiwan?


McDonald's Taiwan launches lobster roll (https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4989789)
It has 'delightfully Q texture and sweet flavor': Foody TW
5692
By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2023/09/05 17:11
https://image.taiwannews.com.tw/photos/2023/09/05/1693904942-64f6f02e40994.png
McDonald's Taiwan Lobster Roll. (McDonald's Taiwan)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — McDonald's Taiwan has launched a new lobster roll for a limited time.

On Aug. 30, McDonald's Taiwan started offering its lobster roll made with 100% American lobster. The item is limited to 300,000 servings in Taiwan and costs NT$385 (US$12) for the sandwich and NT$450 for a set meal.

Amid the popularity of the McDonald's lobster roll in Boston and the large number of Taiwanese seafood lovers, the fast food chain has decided to offer the sandwich in Taiwan. According to Foody TW, each serving of the roll is "packed with rich lobster meat, which has a delightfully Q texture and sweet flavor."

https://image.taiwannews.com.tw/photos/2023/09/05/1693902542-64f6e6ce7e6c5.jpg
(McDonald's Taiwan photo)

The roll is paired with tangy and rich lemon mayonnaise, which "uses acidity to reduce any sense of heaviness and further enhances the overall flavor." It is sandwiched between a toasted brioche bun brushed with unsalted butter, "hitting the senses with the aroma of sweet caramel and butter."

https://image.taiwannews.com.tw/photos/2023/09/05/1693901856-64f6e420e1ed8.jpg
(McDonald's Taiwan photo)

It will be available until Sept. 19, or until supplies run out. Some restaurants do not offer the lobster roll.

https://image.taiwannews.com.tw/photos/2023/09/05/1693902574-64f6e6ee744e4.jpg
(McDonald's Taiwan photo)

[GeneChing]

McDonald’s Japan goes beyond chicken by adding shrimp nuggets to menu (https://soranews24.com/2023/09/14/mcdonalds-japan-goes-beyond-chicken-by-adding-shrimp-nuggets-to-menu/)
Casey Baseel 5 days ago

https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/SN-1.jpg?resize=640,480
Puripuri Ebi Purio combines strange-sounding name and delicious-sounding concept.

At some point, we all just sort of stopped saying the “chicken” part when talking about McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. Even with other fast food brands, “nuggets” has largely come to be understood to mean that you’re referring to breaded bite-sized chicken morsels.

But if you can make nuggets with chicken, surely you can make them with other things too, right? As proof, McDonald’s Japan has just unveiled the newest planned addition to its menu: shrimp nuggets.

Technically, McDonald’s Japan isn’t trotting out the “McNugget” name for these, as their official name is Puripuri Ebi Purio, which…kind of makes sense. Puripuri is a unique Japanese word that describes a plump and firm-giving-way-to-tender consistency, pretty much the ideal mouthfeel for cooked shrimp, and ebi is “shrimp” in Japanese. “Purio” is the headscratcher here, but it seems to be a play on words from fireo, the Japanese pronunciation of the “Filet-O” part of McDonald’s flagship fish sandwich, the Filet-O-Fish, perhaps with a substitute P to emphasize the shrimp’s puripuri property.

Linguistic vagaries aside, it seems pretty certain that these are going to be delicious. Shrimp cutlet sandwiches have long been a favorite among in-the-know Japanese fast food foodies, and with five shrimp nuggets to an order, the Puripuri Ebi Purio looks poised to steal the show of customers’ McDonald’s meals even as the company itself is pitching them as a side order.

▼ McDonald’s is also promoting the Puripuri Ebi Purio with a commercial featuring actress Sairi Ito, a werewolf, a mummy, and Frankenstein’s monster, because Japanese advertising is never afraid of getting a little weird.

video unavailable


In addition to the five-piece Puripuri Ebi Purio side order (which is priced starting from 260 yen [US$1.80]), as part of its after-5 p.m. Yoru Mac menu McDonald’s will be offering the shrimp nuggets as part of a Tabekurabe (“eating comparison”) Set with five Puripuri Ebi Purio, five Chicken McNuggets, and an order of French fries for 620 yen.

▼ French fries are sort of a separate thing from nuggets, so they don’t really fit with the “comparison” aspect, but hey, it’s always important to eat your vegetables.

unavailable

The Puripuri Ebi Purio go on sale September 20 and will be available for a limited time.

Source: McDonald’s Japan via IT Media
Top image: McDonald’s Japan
Insert images: McDonald’s Japan I'd try these if I was in Japan.

[GeneChing]

There's a Secret McDonald's Sandwich You Can Only Get at Exactly 10:35am (https://www.foodandwine.com/mcdonalds-mcbrunch-burger-7974189#:~:text=The%20McBrunch%20burger%20involves %20two,it%27s%20starting%20its%20lunch%20rotation. )
You need to get *really* specific for this one.

By Jelisa Castrodale Updated on September 25, 2023

Last fall, superstar Dutch DJ Tiësto collaborated with Canadian singer Tate McRae on “10:35,” a dance banger apparently inspired by an ultra-luxe resort in Dubai. In an interview with Hypebeast, Tiësto said that the song is meant to evoke “that changing point in time when it switches from day to night,” adding that “as soon as you hear ‘10:35,’ everything changes from day to night.”

That may be the case if you’re a superstar DJ who drops collabs with the kind of resort that has a Michelin star restaurant and a $100,000-per-night Royal Mansion suite, but when the rest of us hear 10:35, we usually think, “Dang, it’s too late to get breakfast at McDonald’s right now.” But apparently, when you see those four magical digits on your phone display, what you can get is the McBrunch Burger, which is only available for a few short minutes every day.

https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/MeEEjTS8IzYRoOVCt16IZglKOt0=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Theres-a-Secret-McDonalds-Meal-You-Can-Only-Order-At-Brunch-FT-BLOG0923-1e59aa0191a04396bbb4cb35667a87e7.jpg
JAKUB PORZYCKI / NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES

According to in-the-know TikTokers, the “McBrunch Burger” is a glorious combination of McDonald’s breakfast menu — which its U.S. restaurants stop serving at 10:30 a.m.— and its rest-of-the-day staples. The McBrunch burger involves two cheeseburger patties, bacon, eggs, and a hash brown on top of a sesame seed bun, and you can only get this meal-straddling menu item in the sweet spot between when McDonald’s is wrapping up its breakfast service, and it’s starting its lunch rotation. And if you want to get ultra-specific, the eggs are preferably scrambled, not the round eggs used on McMuffins and other breakfast sandwiches.

In a wildly popular TikTok about the McBrunch Burger, Tommy Winkler posted himself ordering the burger — which did take a bit of finesse with the McStaffers on duty. (Some other TikTokers have had to order both a breakfast item and a Double Cheeseburger and then built their own McBrunch Burger.)

This isn’t the first time a “secret” 10:35 McDonald’s order has made its way around the internet. In September 2010, a post in Reddit’s r/food described a burger called the “Mc 10:35,” which involved stacking an Egg McMuffin – or at least the egg and meat from the McMuffin — on top of a Double Cheeseburger.

About the same time, the now-defunct Consumerist website also covered the Mc 10:35. At the time, a San Francisco McDonald's worker told the outlet that the sandwich was "getting kind of a cult following" in the Bay Area.

On another Reddit thread about the Mc 10:35 three years later, a McD's team member just grumbled about the idea that McDonald's had a "secret menu" at all. "There's no such thing," they wrote. "We can make any combination of food we have. It's not a secret that we use our condiments and meats in weird ways when you ASK."

We're gonna guess that a lot of people have been asking for a McBrunch burger in the past few weeks. We also seriously hope that one of them is Tiësto.
A secret McD sammy with a cult following? Cults are weird. :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqAF6_PXGds

[GeneChing]

Burger King Taiwan launches bunless burgers for Mid-Autumn Festival (https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5009625)
Eatery calls on consumers to 'shed the starch burden and go all-in with meat'
2734
By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2023/09/28 13:29

https://tnimage.s3.hicloud.net.tw/photos/2023/09/28/1695876102-65150406378d2.jpg
Burger King's bunless burgers. (Burger King Taiwan image)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — To coincide with Mid-Autumn Festival feasts, Burger King Taiwan has unveiled four bunless burgers for a limited time.

To cash in on Taiwan's Mid-Autumn Festival barbecue craze, Burger King Taiwan on Sept. 20 said that from Sept. 21 to Oct. 10 it would feature four new bunless burgers. The sandwiches include the Bunless Double Beef, Bunless Quad Beef, Bunless Double Chicken, and Bunless Chicken Crisp.

In its advertisement for the new burgers, it used slogans such as "Mid-Autumn meat beatdown," "Going without bread is the craze," and "No meat, no fun" and called on consumers to "shed the starch burden and go all-in with meat."

The eatery said, "Whether it's a fire-grilled beef patty sandwich or a crispy fried chicken patty sandwich, paired with seasonal vegetables and cheese, it's so satisfying and delicious, and you can eat to your heart's content!"

Traditionally, Taiwanese celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival by eating moon cakes and pomelos. However, in recent decades barbecuing on sidewalks and in parks has become widely popular across the country.

Reports of Taiwanese grilling meat in scenic areas began to surface in the late 1970s, but in 1986 Wan Ja Shan Brewery added fuel to the fire with TV commercials for its barbecue sauce, reported the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan. The campaign is well known for its slogan, "When one family grills meats, 10,000 families enjoy the aroma."

The burgers are availabe at most of the fastfood chain's restaurants from 10:30 a.m. until 30 minutes before closing. However, some branches do not offer the burgers and availability at each store will depend on supply.

https://image.taiwannews.com.tw/photos/2023/09/28/1695878295-65150c971bf2d.png
Burger King advertisment for its bunless burgers. (Burger King Taiwan image) Didn't know about the BBQ trend...

Happy-mid-autumn-festival (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?48173-Happy-mid-autumn-festival)
Fast-Food-Nastiness (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)

[GeneChing]

A woman is suing McDonald's after being burned by hot coffee. It's not the first time (https://www.npr.org/2023/09/28/1201421914/a-woman-is-suing-mcdonalds-after-being-burned-by-hot-coffee-its-not-the-first-ti)

September 28, 20235:00 AM ET
By Joe Hernandez

https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2023/09/24/gettyimages-1479484709_custom-e94539d759a042a650125ee166f6824d148f93f4-s800-c85.webp
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Early on a Tuesday morning in June, Mable Childress ordered a cup of coffee from a McDonald's drive-thru in San Francisco.

The 85-year-old put the coffee in her vehicle's cup holder, drove to her foot doctor's office for an appointment and parked.

"As soon as she picked up the cup of coffee to drink it, since the lid wasn't put on correctly, all of the coffee spilled on her," her attorney, Dylan Hackett, said in an interview.

The coffee burned Childress on her stomach, groin and leg area and left scarring on her groin. When she returned to McDonald's to make a complaint, none of the three employees she spoke with filled out an incident report, Hackett said.

Now, Childress is suing the fast-food giant and one of its San Francisco franchises in California Superior Court, according to Hackett. They say workers were negligent for improperly securing Childress' coffee cup lid and that she continues to suffer from pain and emotional distress as a result of the incident.

McDonald's owner/operator Peter Ou said in a statement that he was reviewing the lawsuit and that his employees have to abide by safety rules.

"My restaurants have strict food safety protocols in place, including training crew to ensure lids on hot beverages are secure," Ou said. "We take every customer complaint seriously — and when Ms. Childress reported her experience to us later that day, our employees and management team spoke to her within a few minutes and offered assistance."

If any of this sounds familiar, it's because McDonald's faced a similar lawsuit in 1994 from an elderly woman who was burned by the company's hot coffee.

That case captured the national interest but was widely misunderstood, becoming the poster child for critics of frivolous lawsuits.

Liebeck v. McDonald's

In 1992, while sitting in a car in Albuquerque, N.M., 79-year-old Stella Liebeck was also burned by hot McDonald's coffee. She had placed the cup between her legs and removed the lid to add cream and sugar when the spill occurred, scalding her and causing third-degree burns.

Hoping to have her medical bills reimbursed, Liebeck reportedly offered to settle the lawsuit she filed against McDonald's for $20,000. But when the company only offered $800, the case went to court.

Attorneys showed graphic images of Liebeck's burns, and experts testified that McDonald's kept its coffee between 180 and 190 degrees — 30 to 40 degrees hotter than other companies — according to the American Museum of Tort Law. Testimony revealed that 700 other McDonald's customers also had been burned.

Ultimately the jury awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages, which was reduced to $160,000 because she was found to be partially responsible for the spill. They also suggested that McDonald's pay $2.7 million in punitive damages, a sum that was based on the revenue from two days of coffee sales.

The case immediately drew global attention. "Several days after the verdict, I had news crews from France, Japan, Germany, in my driveway, wanting to interview me. I mean, I was stunned," attorney Ken Wagner told the documentary company Retro Report.

The case was also widely misunderstood and, at worst, had its facts twisted. For example, Liebeck was not driving with a hot cup of coffee between her legs, as some said, but rather the car was parked.

Liebeck also did not walk away from the case with $3 million. The trial judge reduced the punitive damages to $480,000, and Liebeck and McDonald's ultimately reached an undisclosed settlement.

Still, critics cast Liebeck as a greedy opportunist and used the suit to push for so-called tort reform, a national effort to cap damages in personal injury lawsuits. The case also became a cultural punchline, popping up everywhere from an episode of Seinfeld to a song by country star Toby Keith.

Liebeck died in 2004.

What's different about this case?

While there are similarities between the two cases, Hackett, the attorney in the current lawsuit, said here are also some key differences.

Childress did not suffer third-degree burns and didn't require lengthy treatment in the hospital. Hackett has also not yet asked for a specific sum in damages.

Still, Hackett said the Liebeck case and its aftermath could have an impact on Childress's lawsuit. "Anytime an attorney looks at a case, they'll look at precedence that has been set," he said.

But Liebeck's case wasn't the only one against the fast-food giant, and it's not the first time this year that McDonald's has found itself in court over the temperature of its food.

In May, a South Florida jury found McDonald's and a franchise holder at fault after a hot Chicken McNugget fell on a 4-year-old girl's leg and left her with second-degree burns.

Hackett said Childress is hoping to get her medical bills reimbursed and ensure that this doesn't happen to other customers in the future. Again? WTH?

[GeneChing]

STYLISH
https://www.usmagazine.com/stylish/news/vera-wang-says-vodka-and-mcdonalds-keep-her-looking-young/
By Kira Gunn Barrett October 23, 2023

https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Vera-Wang-Credits-A-Surprising-Mix-of-McDonalds-Vodka-and-Dunkin-Donuts-For-Maintaining-Her-Youth1.jpg?w=1600&quality=86&strip=all
Vera Wang Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic

Fans have long wondered how on earth Vera Wang manages to look so youthful. Well, the secret’s out — and the answer is probably not what you would have guessed.

While attending the DKMS gala on Thursday, October 19, Wang, 74, told Page Six that she doesn’t have many restrictions on her diet. “I do eat McDonald’s, absolutely,” she said, adding, “I order it every day, like two weeks on it, and then I’ll change.”

But Wang doesn’t just limit herself to McDonald’s. She’s also a fan of Dunkin’ Donuts. “I like the cream-filled, sugar-coated donut,” she told the outlet. “It’s like a jelly donut, but it’s cream inside, vanilla cream. I like the pink with sprinkles, too.”

In the same interview with Page Six, Wang said she believes that working hard also helps her to feel young. “Basically, I’ve worked my whole life, so it’s really been about work. I think work keeps you young and stimulated,” she said, continuing, “I work very long hours, I’ve raised two daughters. I think keeping busy is the best antidote [for] good health.”

https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Vera-Wang-Credits-A-Surprising-Mix-of-McDonalds-Vodka-and-Dunkin-Donuts-For-Maintaining-Her-Youth4.jpg?w=1400&quality=86&strip=all
Courtesy of Vera Wang/Instagram

In 2020, Wang shocked fans when she posted an Instagram photo of herself posing in an orange sports bra and white denim shorts. At the time, she was 70 years old, although readers would be forgiven for mistaking the designer for decades younger.

Fans flocked to the comments to express their awe at her youthful appearance. One commenter wrote, “Impossible, it is biologically impossible not to have a single wrinkle and loose skin after seventy. Don’t make fools of us – or are you a Martian?????😂”

https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Vera-Wang-Credits-A-Surprising-Mix-of-McDonalds-Vodka-and-Dunkin-Donuts-For-Maintaining-Her-Youth3.jpg?w=1200&quality=86&strip=all
Courtesy of Vera Wang/Instagram

In an interview with Elle published on March 16, the designer said that she isn’t seeking out approval for her appearance. “I’m very flattered that people think I’ve aged well, but it was never my goal,” Wang said. “I drink vodka, I sleep, I avoid the sun. But I like to work. I don’t want to be pigeonholed.”

Later in the interview, Wang said that she feels that the public’s focus on her looks “brings up the issue of ageism.” She added, “ I was never really obsessed with aging. I can’t speak for younger generations, but things that exist now did not exist 50 or 60 years ago. There was no such thing as Botox.”

She has her own line of vodka (https://chopinvodka.com/vodkas/)...
Fast-Food-Nastiness (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)
my-kung-fu-booze (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?52025-my-kung-fu-booze)

[GeneChing]

Pizza Hut Taiwan unleashes ghastly Halloween chicken feet pizza (https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5027710)
Touted as world's first pizza that tells ghost stories

By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2023/10/26 12:53
https://tnimage.s3.hicloud.net.tw/photos/2023/10/26/1698293088-6539e560d1d45.jpg
Pizza Hut special pizza for Halloween. (Pizza Hut Taiwan photo)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Pizza Hut Taiwan has released a Halloween special that features rice noodle rolls and chicken feet, and is said to be the world's first pizza that tells ghost stories.

Following the launch of "Eyeball Pizza" last year, Pizza Hut Taiwan on Tuesday (Oct. 24) announced the limited-edition "Ghost Rice Noodle Roll and Phoenix Claw Pizza." It transforms Hong Kong-style barbecued pork rice noodle rolls and smoked chicken feet into Halloween elements.

The pizza portrays rice noodle rolls as little Halloween ghosts and pairs them with chicken feet, making them look like ghosts coming out of the ground and reaching with severed hands for candy.

The pizza is based on a thin crispy crust, topped with a Korean-style special spicy sauce and a secret seasoning that creates a multi-layered flavor. It is topped with sprinkles of mozzarella cheese, offering a fusion of international flavors.

In addition to its appearance, the pizza is purported to be the world's first "storytelling pizza." Customers can scan the QR code on the pizza box with their phone and upload a photo of the ghostly noodles on the event page.

This will provide them with access to listen to a podcaster named "Talking Story" sharing ghost stories, enhancing their sensory experience while enjoying the pizza.

From Oct. 24-30, the "Ghost Rice Noodle Roll and Chicken Claw Pizza" will be available to PK APP members for one-week early bird pre-order. The general public will be able to purchase the devilish dish across Taiwan starting Oct. 30.

https://image.taiwannews.com.tw/photos/2023/10/26/1698293216-6539e5e04a71e.jpg
(Pizza Hut Taiwan photo)

https://image.taiwannews.com.tw/photos/2023/10/26/1698293286-6539e62636d7c.jpg
Personal Pan Pizza version. (Pizza Hut Taiwan photo)

Fast Food Nastiness (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)
Happy-Halloween! (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?17340-Happy-Halloween!)

[GeneChing]

Pizza Hut in Hong Kong rolls out snake-meat pizza for limited time (https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2023/11/08/pizza-hut-snake-meat-topping-hong-kong/71511289007/)
Doc Louallen
USA TODAY

Pizza Hut introduced a new and exotic pizza option available only in Hong Kong that's garnering attention around the world. The new pizza is topped with finely shredded snake meat, giving it a distinctive texture and flavor.

Pizza Hut and Ser Wong Fun teamed up to create a 9-inch pizza inspired by traditional snake stew. The pizza features shredded snake meat, black mushrooms, and Chinese dried ham.

The pizza will only be available until November 22nd.

According to CNN, customers who have tried the pizza claim that the texture of the snake is similar to dry chicken.

No strings attached:Krispy Kreme wants to gift you a dozen donuts on World Kindness Day.

https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2023/11/09/USAT/71511408007-microsoft-teamsimage-120.png?width=660&height=390&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp
Pizza Hut pizza with snake meat.
Inspired by popular regional dish

Snake meat is believed to have medicinal properties and Pizza Hut claims that it can boost blood circulation.

“Combined with pizza, it marks a breakthrough from the conventional concept of what maintaining good health means while challenging one’s taste buds,” Pizza Hut Hong Kong said in a statement to CNN.

A popular Hong Kong and southern China snake stew inspired the dish.

Pizza Hut Hong Kong has announced its plans to introduce unconventional menu items, such as a pizza topped with Chinese preserved sausages. This move is part of a trend among Asian franchises of American brands to celebrate local food culture with gastronomical creations, including pizzas featuring durian, pig blood curds, or Tonkotsu ramen.


Fast-Food-Nastiness (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)
snakes (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?50682-snakes)

[GeneChing]

Woman Who Threw Burrito Bowl at Chipotle Worker Sentenced to Work 2 Months in Fast Food Job (https://people.com/woman-who-threw-burrito-bowl-at-chipotle-worker-sentenced-to-work-2-months-in-fast-food-job-8411858#:~:text=An%20Ohio%20woman%20has%20been,Ohi o%20Chipotle%20location%2C%20CNN%20reported.)
Rosemary Hayne was caught on video throwing her burrito bowl at Chipotle employee Emily Russell on Sept. 5

By Julia Moore Updated on December 7, 2023 03:34PM EST

An Ohio woman has been sentenced to a month in jail and must work in fast food for two months after she attacked a Chipotle worker.

Rosemary Hayne was caught on video throwing food in the face of employee Emily Russell on Sept. 5 in a Parma, Ohio Chipotle location, CNN reported.

Hayne, 39, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge, and Parma Municipal Court Judge Timothy Gilligan sentenced her to 180 days in jail at a hearing last week, per the outlet.

Gilligan then gave Hayne the option to instead spend 30 days in jail and work the remainder of her sentencing, 60 days, at a fast food restaurant, local outlet FOX8 News reported. She must work at least 20 hours a week at whichever fast food restaurant she finds a job at.

At the sentencing, the judge asked Hayne if she’d like to “walk in [Russell’s] shoes for two months and learn how people should treat people, or do you want to do your jail time?” CBS reported.

Hayne replied, “I’d like to walk in her shoes,”

CNN reported that she has not yet found a fast food job as of Wednesday, per her attorney.

Gilligan also said during last week’s hearing, per FOX8, “You didn’t get your burrito bowl the way you like it and this is how you respond? This is not Real Housewives of Parma. This behavior is not acceptable.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Russell, 26, had been working at Chipotle for over four years at the time of the incident, she told CBS, but quit a month after the assault due to a lack of support from the chain.

She said she was never contacted by Chipotle after Hayne’s attack, and she shared that she had to work the four remaining hours of her shift on Sept. 5 after Hayne threw food in her face.

She told the outlet she was “relieved” at Hayne’s sentencing, and said of the requirement to work in fast food: "I've been saying she's lucky she's working 20 hours [a] week — I was working 65 hours a week.”

Russell added of the incident, “She said she had a bad day, but that's not the way you react when you have a bad day — to throw food in someone's face.”

In a statement to PEOPLE, Laurie Schalow, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for Chipotle, said: “The health and safety of our employees is our greatest priority, and we’re pleased to see justice served for any individual that does not treat our team members with the respect they deserve.”


Karma in action

[GeneChing]

McDonald’s Is Opening a New Retro-Themed Spinoff Chain: CosMc’s (https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/news/mcdonalds-spinoff-chain-retro-cosmcs)
The restaurant concept will be beverage-focused.

December 08, 2023
By: Amy Reiter

https://food.fnr.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/food/fullset/2023/12/8/FN_CosMcsskyHero-2336x1040_hero-desktop_s4x3.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.616.462.suffix/1702056997691.jpeg
Photo courtesy of McDonald's
The rumors are true: McDonald’s is moving beyond the tried and true and launching a spinoff chain that is (almost) entirely new.

The fast food giant confirmed on December 6 in an investment call that it will open the first location of its new CosMc’s restaurant chain in Bolingbrook, Illinois, this week. The limited test run will expand with the opening of more CosMc’s locations — nine of them in Texas — by the end of 2024. Then, after a year of data analysis, McDonald’s will decide it will expand to still more U.S. locations.

So what else should you know about the new chain?

The Concept: McDonald’s has described CosMc’s as a “new small-format, beverage-led concept” that is “inspired by nostalgia and powered by a menu of bold, refreshing beverages and tasty treats.” It’s basically being positioned as the kind of place you’d swing by for a snack. “At CosMc’s, we’re exploring how we might solve the 3pm slump by lifting humans up with every sip,” the brand says.

The Menu: The menu board the chain has shared ahead of launch features lots of unusual new beverage items and a limited number of quick pick-me-up treats, some new, some familiar to McDonald’s fans. Sweet or savory? You actually have both options. Food items include Spicy Queso Sandwich, Savory Hash Brown Bites and Pretzel Bites with dipping sauces, on the savory side, as well as sweet treats such as a Blueberry Lemon Cookie Sundae and Caramel Fudge Brownies.

“CosMc’s menu is rooted in beverage exploration, with bold and unexpected flavor combinations, vibrant colors and functional boosts,” the brand says. “You’ll see a range of specialty lemonades and teas, indulgent blended beverages and cold coffee – think Sour Cherry Energy Slush, Tropical Spiceade and S’mores Cold Brew.” Drinks will be customizable with options such as boba, syrups and energy and Vitamin C shots.

The Name: It’s actually a throwback to a McDonald’s character in TV and print ads for the chain from the late ’80s and early ’90s. A McDonald’s fan wiki page describes CosMc as a male “alien from outer space who craves for McDonald’s.”

The Experience: CosMc’s will offer a “uniquely seamless digital and Drive Thru experience,” McDonald’s say, featuring dynamic menu boards and cashless payment devices to speed up the ordering process. Once your order is ready, you’ll be assigned a Drive Thru pickup window to make pickup smooth as well.

Where You Can Try It: In addition to the debut Bolingbrook, Illinois, location, by the end of 2024, 10 more CosMc’s pilot locations are anticipated in the Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio, Texas, metro areas.

If the return of Grimace has taught us anything, it’s that McDonald’s fans have an appetite for retro. I don't remember the CosMc character. I do remember Grimace and the Hamburglar.

[GeneChing]

Pizza Hut releases a ramen pizza in Japan, and it took half a year to perfect
(https://soranews24.com/2024/01/22/pizza-hut-releases-a-ramen-pizza-in-japan-and-it-took-half-a-year-to-perfect/)

Oona McGee 14 hours ago

https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/Ramen-Pizza-Hut-Japan-food-new-limited-edition-2.jpg?resize=640,336
Tie-up with the country’s top ramen chain fuses two comfort foods together for a limited time.

When it comes to comfort foods in Japan, pizza and ramen are two foods that come to mind for many, so the opportunity to enjoy both at the same time is the stuff of dreams. Now those dreams are set to come true for a limited time, thanks to Pizza Hut’s newest menu item — the Kotteri-fuu Ramen Pizza.

“Kotteri-fuu” means “thick style”, which is in reference to the thick and rich “kotteri” broth served up at Tenka Ippin, a ramen restaurant with 50 years of history that’s been ranked number one in popularity polls. The chain’s signature thick broth, which is a large part of its appeal with fans, sets this pizza apart from all the others on the market, with a generous amount of it used in the topping.

Tenka Ippin’s creamy broth, made from chicken bones and over a dozen different vegetables, would normally soak through a dough base, so Pizza Hut worked with the ramen chain to make it more viscous, giving it a sauce-like texture without changing the taste or aroma.

Diehard Tenka Ippin fans will no doubt appreciate the option to add more of the irresistible broth flavour to the pizza, and they’ll be happy to know that familiar ramen ingredients like green onions and chashu pork are included in the toppings to further replicate the sensation of eating noodles.

Of course, the highlight of the new pizza is the noodles, and though it was a challenge to preserve their texture while adding them to the topping, by choosing crispy dough they were able to successfully combine the ingredients. Pizza Hut informs us that the mouthwatering image below is for illustrative purposes only, though, as the noodles don’t stretch.

According to Pizza Hut, this new product took half a year to perfect, and it was born from the company’s TikTok video initiative, which aims to blow people’s minds with creations that are in line with their slogan, “Always more than you can imagine“. This is the third pizza created for the project, which began in 2023 as a way to update the chain’s image for its 50th anniversary year in Japan, with the first being the Too Much Coriander Pizza and the second being the Weiner Coffee Pizza.

As the names of these pizzas suggest, this campaign is all about creating a buzz on social media with innovative and surprising ingredient combinations that create debate and garner mixed reviews from the public. The chain’s first two pizzas proved to be very popular, with sales for the coriander-laden pizza extended due to demand, so we have high hopes that the new Ramen Pizza will become just as sought after.

Sold in a medium size, priced at 1,980 yen (US$13.40) for pickup or 2,230 yen for delivery, the Ramen Pizza will be available at Pizza Hut branches around Japan from 22 January to 12 February.

Source: PR Times
Featured image: PR Times
Insert images: Pizza Hut, PR Times

Fast Food Nastiness (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65208-Fast-Food-Nastiness)
Noodles (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?69740-Noodles)

[GeneChing]

China Is Munching Toward a Fast Food Revolution (https://news.yahoo.com/china-munching-toward-fast-food-121634884.html)
Yaling Jiang
Fri, February 16, 2024 at 4:16 AM PST·4 min read

https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/7BFI9.PUsDVOwWQMa.m0bA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIwNDg7aD0xNTM2O2NmPXdlYn A-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/time_72/91191440d8446facdba76dd6a3da67c5

A TASTIEN Chinese Hamburg ancient architecture store in Suqian, Jiangsu Province, China, Nov. 1, 2023. Credit - CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

When I stumbled upon a poster featuring a “Chinese Burger” with a Gen-Z idol dressed in a qipao dress and striking a kung fu pose in Shanghai, I couldn't help but scoff at it. “I've seen this before,” I thought to myself, recalling similar marketing ploys that never seemed to last.

But I would be proven wrong. While there have been countless attempts at adding a Chinese twist on Western goods, none had the appetizing consumer market that local fast food chain Tastien enjoys today. In many ways, it is a small signifier of a larger revolution of Xinzhongshi, or “New Chinese Style,” that has now infiltrated mainland Chinese consumers’ lives.

Costing 30-40% less than the typical KFC fried chicken burger in China, the 12-year-old Tastien replaces burger bread doughs with bread pockets, and its limited-time offers stuffing options of traditional Chinese dishes like Yuxiang shredded pork and Mapo tofu. Chinese consumers, especially those in lower-tier cities, are lapping it up. Tastien last year added a whopping 3,500 stores to reach 6,700, edging closer toward McDonald’s 5,900 and KFC’s 12,000, which added around 900 and 1,200 stores, respectively.

The new Chinese style powering this growth is focused on the culture, presentation, and branding of products that channel traditional Chinese culture. It can be bubble tea in a cup made of bamboo, a modified qipao dress with features better suited for mobility, or even the style of one’s home decor.

Why are people so excited about the new Chinese style? The answer lies in the modern Chinese history of shedding traditional customs and, more recently, the evolution of the guochao trend.

One element of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, which ran from 1966 to 1976, was the demand that the country shed its Four Olds: “Old Ideas, Old Culture, Old Customs, and Old Habits.” Even Chinese New Year customs including setting off firecrackers, and dragon and lion dances, were canceled during that time. That development, along with market reforms starting in 1979 that nudged China toward capitalism, shaped modern mainland China as a receptacle for Western ideas and culture. KFC would go on to open its first store in China in 1987; McDonald’s in 1990.

Some of my happiest memories growing up in the 1990s were relishing in Western fast food chains like KFC. The greasy fried chicken with mayo and thinly sliced lettuce slapped in between white burger buns was seen as an exotic reward when we earned good grades at school. I still remember the anticipation of waiting at the window to see my mom riding a bike carrying KFC.

But in the wake of China’s soaring economy, which created the world’s largest middle class, President Xi Jinping has been advocating for “cultural confidence” since he took office in 2012. The word guochao, which means “China chic” or “national hip,” was coined later in the decade and reflected the growing cultural pride mixed with rising nationalism among consumers.

That pride was noticed by policymakers, who pushed out supporting guidelines and incentives for more brands and e-commerce platforms to follow suit, including the 2017 decision to mark May 10 as China Brand Day every year. Guochao is now used to describe any made-in-China goods, or any products that contain Chinese symbols, techniques, or technologies.

Tastien has capitalized on Guochao but so have other fast food chains like Mr. Rice and Home Original Chicken that serve small stir fry dishes that are closer to China’s traditional foods, as well as beef noodles and Rougamo, a meat sandwich originating from Xi’an.

Even KFC started introducing a new Chinese style brand, Grandpa’s Homely Tea, in my home province Jiangsu, with a logo featuring a cartoon version of the famous Colonel Sanders in a Chinese-style long gown. Its menu and price points look no different than any other new Chinese style tea shops, and it currently has over 20 stores and counting.

If Western fast food brands were the tastemakers in the early days of China’s economic rise, they are now giving away to homegrown upstarts. I’ll always have a soft spot for the KFC greasy fried chicken burger of my youth. But for a new generation of Chinese, they may one day look at milk tea or brands like Tastien with a similar feeling of nostalgia.
2024 marks 20 years since I've set foot in PRC. I don't remember Tastien.

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEKckUd310o

[GeneChing]

Oishii! McDonald's to release new Yakiniku burger, will also be dispensed from a vending machine for only 1 day (https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/oishii-mcdonalds-release-new-yakiniku-burger-will-also-be-dispensed-vending-machine-only)
https://media.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_main_image/public/original_images/Apr2024/20242504%20McDonald%27s%20vending%20machine.jpg?it ok=v4w7uPz2
PHOTO: McDonald’s Singapore
Melissa Teo
PUBLISHED ON
APRIL 23, 2024 7:26 PM
ByMELISSA TEO

Missing Japan? McDonald's can help you with that with their new Yakiniku Burger.

This limited-edition burger comes in two options—chicken or beef—and will be available from Thursday (April 25).

Prices start from $8.90 for an Extra Value Meal.

The Yakiniku Beef Burger consists of 100-per-cent quarter-pounder beef, savoury yakiniku sauce, caramelised onions and shredded white cabbage, while the Yakiniku Crispy Chicken Burger has a crispy chicken patty complemented with caramelised onions and crunchy white cabbage.

But what's more exciting about this launch is the Yakiniku Burger vending machine that'll let some customers try the new burger before everyone else.

The vending machine is available on April 24, one day ahead of the official launch, at Plaza Singapura Level 1 Atrium.

And you can only use it from 12pm to 1pm and 6pm to 7pm on that day.

All customers need to do is press a button to get their hands on the burger.

There are limited stocks available via the vending machine, so fastest finger first!
Japanese McDonalds are playing a completely different ballgame.