McDonalds

[BJJ-Blue]

"McDonald's Corp. went on the offense Tuesday against critics who complain that it's a lousy place to work.

The world's largest hamburger chain held its first National Hiring Day and was awarded with a strong response from job seekers. Thousands showed up at restaurants nationwide to apply for jobs mixing shakes and serving Happy Meals. The company planned to hire 50,000 new workers in one day, boosting its staff by about 7 percent.

McDonald's painted the event as a boon for an economy where more than 13 million Americans are looking for work. But the real purpose, industry experts said, is that McDonald's needs to portray itself as a decent employer.

That will be a challenge for a company whose name is often synonymous with "you-want-fries-with-that" jokes. "McJob" even has a place in The Oxford English Dictionary, defined as "an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects.""

Complete article:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/McDonalds-hiring-day-draws-apf-690235585.html?x=0&.v=7

It looks the Obama economy is rockin now! 50,000 hamburger flipper jobs. That stimulus is really paying off now! And since the community organizer gave McDonald's a waiver, they don't have to provide them health insurance.

[Lucas]

thats because ronald mcdonald is a wombat woarrior for guan yu...dugh..have to recruit the army now

[YouKnowWho]

In McDonalds you may not make much if you sweep the floor. The moment that you started to wash lettuce, that's the time you started to make big money.

I have not worked for McDonalds but I have worked for Kentucky Fry Chichen before. My wage started from $1.50 an hour (back in 1972). A year later I was raised to $1.60 an hour. It help me to finish my college back then.

I don't give money to those beggars on the street corner. I'm sure if they want to work in any fast food place, they can always find a job there.

[David Jamieson]

wtf does Obama have to do with the goofy hiring policies of McDonalds?

Nothing.

McDonalds is creating a crap load of meagre shifts and shortening hours for employees who are already there, effectively lowering pay across the board because hours are lost.

More part time employees = less benefits distributed as well.

I would say this is a republican model for running a business by all the looks of it. the GOP sure is trying to pass some anti-american stuff. It's like they hate america or something and they hate their fellow americans.

drink the kool aid 1 bad, there is no escape. lol

[Brule]

......I have worked for Kentucky Fry Chichen before. My wage started from $1.50 an hour (back in 1972). A year later I was raised to $1.60 an hour. It help me to finish my college back then.

I don't give money to those beggars on the street corner. I'm sure if they want to work in any fast food place, they can always find a job there.

Bawang, you need to read this dude !!

[BJJ-Blue]

wtf does Obama have to do with the goofy hiring policies of McDonalds?

He doesn't. But that wasn't my point. My point was that while good jobs are being lost left and right in his economy, McDonalds is one of the few companies hiring.

FYI, this is what happened under Carter. Upper tax bracket jobs actually decreased, while the lowest tax bracket jobs increased the most of any tax bracket.


McDonalds is creating a crap load of meagre shifts and shortening hours for employees who are already there, effectively lowering pay across the board because hours are lost.

More part time employees = less benefits distributed as well.

So thank the community organizer for that. This didn't happen under Bush.

As to benefits, I already pointed out the community organizer gave McDonalds a healthcare waiver, so what benefits are you talking about?


I would say this is a republican model for running a business by all the looks of it. the GOP sure is trying to pass some anti-american stuff. It's like they hate america or something and they hate their fellow americans.

drink the kool aid 1 bad, there is no escape. lol

Do what?! It's the business model thats happening under YOUR GUY! Keep trying to blame the GOP all you want. This is happening under his watch, and for a year of it he had a supermajority in Congress. The GOP had little to no say in policy during that time, yet you find a way to blame them. That, my friend, is drinking the Kool-Aid.

[MasterKiller]

Do what?! It's the business model thats happening under YOUR GUY! Keep trying to blame the GOP all you want. This is happening under his watch, and for a year of it he had a supermajority in Congress. The GOP had little to no say in policy during that time, yet you find a way to blame them. That, my friend, is drinking the Kool-Aid.

Uh, GOP controls congress. Congress makes laws, not the president. This is happening under GOP watch. Smacks of GOP to me.

[BJJ-Blue]

Uh, GOP controls congress. Congress makes laws, not the president. This is happening under GOP watch. Smacks of GOP to me.

You are incorrect. They only control one Chamber of Congress.

That's a total cop out. So the last 2 years were Bush's fault, but the second the GOP takes over one half of Congress it's their economy and now its their fault after just 3 months? :confused:

Talk about a double-standard.

And it was the Obama Administration that gave McDonalds the healthcare waiver, not Congress. On that line, notice how the companies getting exempted from Obamacare seem to be the ones doing the most hiring. ;)

[TenTigers]

out of the 50,000 how many of them speak English?
I can't stand going to the drive through, and having to repeat my order several times, say,"What?" another several times, only to have my order botched anyway.
When I go to a drive through, and they speak English, I'm actually surprised. I feel as if I want to thank them.
Then, of course, they still botch my order...

[Lucas]

just speak to them in russian...its the same either way.

[Drake]

out of the 50,000 how many of them speak English?
I can't stand going to the drive through, and having to repeat my order several times, say,"What?" another several times, only to have my order botched anyway.
When I go to a drive through, and they speak English, I'm actually surprised. I feel as if I want to thank them.
Then, of course, they still botch my order...

Those burgers are $1 for a reason. You are worried about your order being botched? I'd be more concerned about what they are feeding you. And I'd CERTAINLY be concerned about the dangers of the processed paste instead of whether or not you got something that looks and sort of tastes and smells like meat the way you wanted it.

[Lucas]

are you saying that you have a problem with food flavored edible materials? cuz im fairly certain thats un american

[Syn7]

i think of mcdonalds the same way i think of a crack dealer... yeah you arent forcing anyone to take your product, but you are knowingly putting something out there that is far more negative than it could ever be positive... although i do have a lil more love for crack dealers since they usually dont sell to kids... whereas mcdinks is all about selling to kids...

but whatever, its everyones right to **** themselves over beyond repair... the only issue i have with that is when i have to pay for the health cost in the end when i dont eat that sh1t and do exercise... im all for universal healthcare and i love that i can get almost anything i need for free, but it does p1ss me off a bit that some people eat themselves into the grave and make the rest of us pay for it... its companies like mcdonalds that is bankrupting canadas public healthcare system... well, that and the overwhelming amount of boomers near their end... cant blame it all on mcdinks ;)

[BJJ-Blue]

but whatever, its everyones right to **** themselves over beyond repair... the only issue i have with that is when i have to pay for the health cost in the end when i dont eat that sh1t and do exercise... im all for universal healthcare and i love that i can get almost anything i need for free, but it does p1ss me off a bit that some people eat themselves into the grave and make the rest of us pay for it...

You really put yourself in a tough position there. You obviously can't have both. You either take care of people who don't give a darn, or you tell people to be responsible for their own choices. Take your pick.

And fyi, you are getting nothing for free if you are paying taxes. Only those who pay no taxes get it for free. You're a sharp guy, I'm stunned you haven't figured this one out years (or decades) ago.


its companies like mcdonalds that is bankrupting canadas public healthcare system... well, that and the overwhelming amount of boomers near their end... cant blame it all on mcdinks ;)

No, it's people being irresponsible that are bankrupting the system.

That, and the fact that socialism NEVER works. But some people just can't fathom (or accept) that fact.

[Syn7]

mcjob isnt in reference to the quality of employement... "Mc" anything is equated with the food which has a very low standard of quality... so the term Mcjob, or Mc anything, isnt a diss on Mcdonalds as an employer, its a knock on the food...

[Drake]

mcjob isnt in reference to the quality of employement... "Mc" anything is equated with the food which has a very low standard of quality... so the term Mcjob, or Mc anything, isnt a diss on Mcdonalds as an employer, its a knock on the food...

Then... from where do you think that term is derived?

[curenado]

It's also a knock on thier "everything the same and interchangeable/identical cheap product" hence "McJob" & "McDojo"....

[BJJ-Blue]

mcjob isnt in reference to the quality of employement... "Mc" anything is equated with the food which has a very low standard of quality... so the term Mcjob, or Mc anything, isnt a diss on Mcdonalds as an employer, its a knock on the food...

Mc·Job noun \mək-ˈjäb\: a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement

Source:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mcjob

It doesn't say a word about the quality of food. Actually it doesn't even have the word 'food' in the definition.

[BJJ-Blue]

It's also a knock on thier "everything the same and interchangeable/identical cheap product" hence "McJob...."

You're wrong too. ;)

[David Jamieson]

yeesh, this just spins off into the air doesn't it...lol

ok, here's a drop for ya-

McDonalds = crappy food that you really really shouldn't eat regularly at all and definitely shouldn't let yoru kids grow up on it. It's garbage, treat it the same way your treat chocolate bars, you don't eat those everyday do you?

McDonalds jobs= Ok for a teenager and a sign of a terrible economy and poor governance when it's your second job and you need it to pay for your house and your kids and you're 35 with a bachelors degree in something.

McDonalds exists and thrives because of...get this, a great deal of people, likely, the majority of people are lazy, lack motivation and simply are filled with so much desire that they don't care about themselves really, their health or their general well being.

This is how the business model was built. It looked at just how lazy, just how demotivated and just how stupid we all were collectively and then it provided something that would be serviced by those determining factors.

They are still going strong and they serve as a barometer for huamn stupidity to this day.

So, thanks McDonalds. :)

[MasterKiller]

http://i.imgur.com/tIhxQ4L.jpg

[David Jamieson]

Good thing she wore that Toque. Wouldn't want to catch a cold.

:p

[PalmStriker]

CheezeBurger, CheezeBurger.

[GeneChing]

The McD's killing was horrible.


‘Almighty God’ members jailed (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/national/Almighty-God-members-jailed/shdaily.shtml)
Source: Xinhua | July 27, 2015, Monday

NINE members of the “Almighty God” cult have been jailed by a court in central China’s Hubei Province for between 18 months and three years, local authorities said yesterday.

The cult members were convicted of “undermining the implementation of laws by making use of cult organizations,” according to the people’s procuratorate of Zigui County.

Police found them with 422 books, 1,047 leaflets, 283 video discs and 12 memory cards with more than 101,000 video, photo and text files promoting the cult.

They recruited and brainwashed their followers, according to the procuratorate.

On Saturday, a court in northeast China’s Liaoning Province said five members of the cult had been sentenced to two or three years for spreading propaganda.

“Almighty God,” known in Chinese as Quannengshen, grabbed national headlines last year when a video posted online went viral that showed five of its members beating a woman to death at a McDonald’s fast food outlet in the eastern city of Zhaoyuan, condemning her as an “evil spirit” after she refused to give them her cellphone number.

Quannengshen, which first appearing in the 1990s in central China’s Henan Province, claims that Jesus was resurrected as Yang Xiangbin, wife of the cult’s founder Zhao Weishan.

The couple fled to the United States in September 2000.

[GeneChing]

'McDonald's goddess' the latest in adored Taiwanese food workers
(http://shanghaiist.com/2015/08/14/taiwan_mcdonalds_girl.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/08/mcdonalds-gal4.jpg

Web users have gone and gotten themselves all gaga over another Taiwanese food worker—this time an employee at the world's largest hamburger chain who's been dubbed the "McDonald's goddess".

When thinking of McDonald's workers in the birth land of the fast-food joint, stereotypical images of a pock-faced teenager taking orders in a puberty-strained voice tend to come to mind. But not in Taiwan. No, not there, where female staff members at the establishment show up to work in maids' outfits and cheerleader uniforms.

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/08/mcdonalds-gal.jpg

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/08/mcdonalds-gal2.jpg

RocketNews24 has directed our attention to Wei Han Xu, who's gained legions of fans after a Taiwanese blogger called RainDog uploaded some pictures of her online. Standing behind the counter in her pink uniform, handkerchief and high-heeled shoes, Wei is not your average McDonald's employee, even in Taiwan. That's why she's been called the "cutest McDonald's goddess in Taiwanese history".

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/08/mcdonalds-gal3.jpg

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/08/mcdonalds-gal5.jpg

http://shanghaiist.com/upload/2015/08/mcdonalds-gal6.jpg

Don't be so quick to wave this off as another hyped-up publicity stunt. Wei has reportedly been working part-time at the McDonald's store for five years, and she appeared in another RocketNews24 post from 2013 when the store employees dressed up in frilly maid costumes.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulGznq_S-Po

Wei works as a model on the side, as is documented in her frequently updated Facebook profile.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Katie Nelson in News on Aug 14, 2015 3:00 PM

She looks like she just walked out of an anime...

[GeneChing]

I caught these guys last Sunday while working for Outside Lands (http://www.sfoutsidelands.com/).

They were my second favorite act of the day.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1wkfJY3AZM

[Jimbo]

She looks like she just walked out of an anime...

I was going to say the same thing. In the first five pics, she looks all of maybe 12 years old. So no, I wouldn't consider her a 'goddess'. Though I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes an attraction in Taiwan for Japanese tourists and American anime geeks hoping to meet their 'dream girl'.

[PalmStriker]

:D She would look especially cute on the cover of KungFu Magazine striking a form-pose dressed in Wuxia bandit garb with a pair of butterfly knives.

[GeneChing]

Donald Trump says Xi Jinping should get 'a McDonald's hamburger' instead of state dinner during US visit (http://shanghaiist.com/2015/08/26/donald-trump-xi-jinping-mcdonalds-hamburgers.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/katienelson/trump-xi-mcds.jpg
Just Trump, Xi and Micky D's.

US republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said in a TV interview that if he had his way, Chinese President Xi Jinping wouldn't be getting a state dinner during his visit to Washington in September, but rather a McDonald's Big Mac. Well, a Double Big Mac.

The remarks came amid an exchange between the Trumpster and Bill O'Reilly on a Monday evening airing of "The O'Reilly Factor".

The Daily Caller provides the transcript:

Bill O’Reilly: Two people coming to the United States of note in September, the Pope, okay, and the president of China is coming, a man named Xi Jinping. Do you know him? I have never heard who he is. But he is the president…

Donald Trump: Very smart.

O’Reilly: He is coming over. He is getting a big dinner free at the White House and addressing the U.N. If you were president of would you be throwing him a dinner?

Trump: I would not be throwing him a dinner, we’ve had this conversation. I would get him a McDonald’s hamburger and say ‘You will get down to work because you can’t continue to devalue.’ You know, we will give him a state dinner and what he has done is sucked all of our jobs and he has sucked the money right out of our country.

O’Reilly: Again, he hasn’t done it. U.S. companies do it. They’re doing it.

Trump: No, it’s our system.

O’Reilly: So, you would be confrontational with the Chinese? You are saying look,’I’m not giving you a dinner, here is a Big Mac’? Is that what you are going to do?

Trump: I would give them probably a double sized Big Mac. Look, it’s not so much the companies. It’s our government that allowed China to do that to us.

O’Reilly: I don’t buy that for a second.

Trump: I do 100%, Bill.

But that is not to say that Trump doesn't like Xi. Actually, he said he'd get along with the Chinese leader "very well", after commenting that the biggest imbalance in the "trade wars" between the US and China is that "their leaders are intelligent" and "[America's] aren't".

Of course, Trump's list of grievances with China is long and he's not shy about openly airing them on television. Just the next day, he managed to make headlines for his China-related comments when he attempted to imitate Asian investors using broken English.

"Negotiating with Japan, negotiating with China, when these people walk into the room, they don't say, 'Oh hello, how's the weather, so beautiful outside, isn't it lovely? How are the Yankees doing? Oh they are doing wonderful, great,' " he said while speaking in Iowa.

"They say, 'We want deal.'"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6zk31iNtHs

Deep down Trump loves China, though. He's already explained this during his 2016 presidential announcement using some baffling sports analogies.
Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Katie Nelson in News on Aug 26, 2015 11:57 PM

He should have made '*****' eyes. That would have really sold his point.

[GeneChing]

follow the link for the vid - not really a 'kung fu flying kick' at all. :rolleyes:


Barnet McDonalds assault: CCTV shows sickening flying kung fu kick on couple in north London (http://www.ibtimes.co.in/barnet-mcdonalds-assault-cctv-shows-sickening-flying-kung-fu-kick-on-couple-in-north-london-648089)
September 25, 2015 21:08 PM IST

Met Police detectives have released shocking footage showing a man kung-fu kicking a couple outside a McDonalds in Barnet, north London. The attack happened in the early hours of 20 September after reports of a fight outside the restaurant in the High Road.

A man, believed to be aged in his 30s, shouted across the street to another man and a woman outside the restaurant. He then crossed the street and kicked them both, hitting them after they had fallen. The victims were both taken to a north London hospital. The woman required six stitches for a split lip and was bruised across her head and elbow following her fall to the ground. The man sustained cuts to his face. The suspect is described as 6ft tall, bald and wearing a grey top and shorts.

Police are keen to hear from anyone who may recognise the man or who witnessed the assault. Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 170289 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

[sanjuro_ronin]

LOL!
Didn't they see him coming?

[GeneChing]

luvin it.

;)

[PalmStriker]

:) Crazy Dude needs a 2x4 upside his head, then electro-shock therapy for good measure. Then hooked up to the grid to produce free electricity to subsidize the poor.

[GeneChing]

...given the nutritional value of McD's, the blindspot is obvious.

But this is ridiculous.



Homeless woman found dead at Hong Kong McDonald’s 24 hours after she sat down as unaware customers ate (http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1863953/homeless-woman-found-dead-hong-kong-mcdonalds-24-hours-after-she-sat?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=SCMPSocialNewsfeed)
Social welfare groups have raised concerns about the lack of support for people living on the fringes of society
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 04 October, 2015, 1:57pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 04 October, 2015, 8:22pm
Gloria Chan gloria.chan@scmp.com

http://cdn1.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486x302/public/2015/10/04/hk_macs.jpg?itok=FBH407kV
Workers remove the body of the homeless woman from the Ping Shek Estate McDonald's in Kowloon Bay on Sunday. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Police are trying to confirm the identity of a homeless woman who was found dead in a 24-hour McDonald’s outlet at a public housing estate in Kowloon Bay yesterday morning.

The case has raised concern among social welfare groups about the lack of support for people living on the fringes of society.

The woman, aged around 50 to 60 years, was found slumped over her table in a quiet corner, 24 hours after she entered the restaurant at Ping Shek Estate, while other customers were unaware what had happened.

She was 1.6 metres tall, with short black hair and wearing black-rimmed glasses. She was dressed in a gray long-sleeved overcoat, white t-shirt and black trousers, and wore slippers. Although she had a bag and a wallet on her, she had no identification documents.

It is believed she was a street-sleeper who regularly spent her nights in McDonald’s.

https://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/2015/10/04/macs_black.jpg?itok=Eal4PIr3
Customers go about their meals at the Ping Shek Estate McDonald's in Kowloon Bay on Sunday even as the area where the homeless woman died is cordoned off with a black sheet. Photo: SCMP Pictures

At around 8:30am yesterday, a McDonald’s employee called police after finding the woman unconscious and cold at her table. She was confirmed dead at the scene.

According to police, there was nothing suspicious about her death upon initial investigation.

CCTV footage showed the woman entering the restaurant at 8:39am the previous day – 24 hours before she was found dead – and sitting at a table near the bathroom. At 1:20am yesterday, she suddenly slumped over the table. Nobody paid her any attention and customers ate their late-night meals around her.

It was back to bustling business as usual while police carried out their investigations yesterday morning. The area she had sat in was cordoned off, and customers were navigating around it to find seats.

Her body was taken away to a mortuary through the back door at around 11:30 am, and by 1pm all tables were open to customers.

https://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/2015/10/04/ping_she_mcdonalds.jpg?itok=ysWQbuSk
Customers at the Ping Shek Estate McDonald's in Kowloon Bay came and went for 24 hours before an employee realised the woman was unconscious and called police. Photo: Frankie Tsang

A spokesman for McDonald’s Hong Kong expressed grief over the incident, promising that the fast food chain would cooperate with police in their investigation.The Ping Shek Estate restaurant was cleaned and disinfected immediately after the incident, he said.

McDonald's clarified that the woman had not ordered any food, but staff noticed she was moving, and had asked for water from the counter.

"To complement the modern lifestyle of people in Hong Kong, some McDonald’s restaurants operate 24 hours a day. We welcome everyone to visit out restaurants any time," the spokesman said.

“In order to provide a pleasant dining environment, we would not disturb our customers, but our service will be offered promptly upon request.

[GeneChing]

astounding. you couldn't make this stuff up if you tried...


McDonald's introduces horrifying grey-bunned Modern China Burger (http://shanghaiist.com/2015/10/19/modern_china_burger_is_grey.php)

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/modern_china_burger1.jpg

China is kind of known for some off-color burger buns, but we don't think we've ever seen something so unappetizing as the two pieces of "bread" used for McDonald's latest creation, the Modern China Burger.
It features two pork patties, several pieces of greasy bacon and some lettuce topped with tingly Sichuan pepper ketchup, all squished between two grey buns with black sesame. Mercifully, it is only available in China and only until November 3rd.
The buns are apparently made with fluffy mantou-steamed bread, but diners spent most of their time trying to figure out what exactly the inspiration for the distinctive color of this Modern China Burger was, China's smoggy skies (from smoked bacon) or slates of stone?
Courageous internet users have shared photos of this newest snack online and it somehow manages to look even more unappetizing than in Photoshop form, horrifying the general populace. However, brave writers at Time Out Beijing tried out the Modern China Burger and reviews weren't entirely unfavorable.
“Justin Bieber or Chinese fast food. So much fun to hate…but in my car, alone, and utterly unwatched, you know I’m really enjoying it.”
So, you might as well try it? When are you ever going to get this chance again?

With sliding sales and some recent bad PR, McDonald's has been trying to revitalize its brand in China. In July, they launched a new "Create Your Taste" customized burger concept. Maybe somebody actually asked for this?

Anyway, we certainly know what Xi Jinping is going to offer Donald Trump to eat the next time he comes to China.
Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Alex Linder in News on

There are some instagram pix which I don't have time to cut&paste right now, so if you want to see more grey buns, follow the link.

[David Jamieson]

Grey buns?

Sounds like some kind of septuagenarian porno. No thanks! :p

[GeneChing]

Thanks for that thought, DJ.

In return, I leave you with this.


McDonald's Hamburger University can be harder to get into than Harvard and is even cooler than you'd imagine (http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/McDonald-s-Hamburger-University-can-be-harder-to-6588132.php)
Natalie Walters, provided by
Published 5:05 am, Saturday, October 24, 2015

http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/562a8d829dd7cc02308b903a-537-403/108335336.jpg
Hamburger UniversityBloomberg/Getty Images

McDonald's Hamburger University is no joke.

With a selection rate of 1% at its Shanghai campus, the intense, weeklong training program is more exclusive than Harvard, reports Bloomberg.

Students at the American campus can earn up to 23 credits toward their Hamburgerology degree, according to CNN, or toward an associate or bachelor's degree at 1,600 US colleges and universities, the American Council on Education reports.

The program currently has seven campuses worldwide in Oak Brook, Illinois; Tokyo, London, Sydney, Munich, São Paulo, and Shanghai, with an eighth campus scheduled to open in Moscow later this year.

Founded in 1961, Hamburger University now has more than 275,000 graduates and will celebrate its 55th anniversary next year. Here's a look at how it started and how it's evolved.

Vivian Giang contributed to a previous version of this article.



aflury6 2 months ago
https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xfa1/t51.2885-15/e35/11375408_1464970007160338_642077278_n.jpg
Early morning run through McDonald's campus 🍔🍟🍦#HamburgerU

Almost 55 years ago, McDonald’s became the first restaurant company in the world to develop a global training center.

Today, there are more than 4,000 corporate universities in the world, and Rob Lauber, McDonald’s chief learning officer, tells Business Insider that Hamburger University shares its training practices with other restaurants to help continue to improve the service industry across the board.

http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/562aa119bd86ef1d5d8b9413/today-there-are-more-than-4000-corporate-universities-in-the-world-and-rob-lauber-mcdonalds-chief-learning-officer-tells-business-insider-that-hamburger-university-shares-its-training-practices-with-other-restaurants-to-help-continue-to-improve-the-service-industry-across-the-board.jpg
McDonalds

Source

It was founded in 1961 in the basement of a McDonald’s in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, by Fred Turner, the first grill man for McDonald's and, later, the CEO for 20 years. Over the past 55 years, more than 275,000 people have attended a Hamburger University.

http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4f79e75aeab8ea851000002d/it-was-founded-in-1961-in-the-basement-of-a-mcdonalds-in-elk-grove-village-illinois-by-fred-turner-the-first-grill-man-for-mcdonalds-and-later-the-ceo-for-20-years-over-the-past-55-years-more-than-275000-people-have-attended-a-hamburger-university.jpg
mcdonalscorp via YouTube

Source

[boxerbilly]

astounding. you couldn't make this stuff up if you tried...



There are some instagram pix which I don't have time to cut&paste right now, so if you want to see more grey buns, follow the link.

Looks like stone. I pass. Has anyone eaten the BK black-bun yet? Any good ? I have not. I don't like the way it looks.

[GeneChing]

The verdict is in on this (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65572-McDonalds&p=1285458#post1285458) and more.


China Court Jails Religious 'Cult' Leader for Life (http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/china-court-jails-religious-cult-leader-for-life-1238410)
World | Agence France-Presse | Updated: October 31, 2015 12:07 IST

http://i.ndtvimg.com/i/2015-10/court-generic_650x400_51445160799.jpg
Representational Image.

SHANGHAI: A Chinese court has sentenced the leader of a religious sect labelled a cult by authorities to life in prison on several charges, according to an official statement, with three of his followers also jailed.

A court in the southern city of Zhuhai on Friday also fined Wu Zeheng, head of the "Huazang Zongmen" sect, more than 7.0 million yuan ($1.1 million), it said. The charges included organising a cult, rape, fraud and selling harmful food products.

Wu seduced dozens of women by telling them sex with him could give them "supernatural power", state media has said. He also operated a restaurant which claimed the food was cooked with "precious" ingredients.

A police investigation showed Wu had amassed an illegal fortune of more than 6.9 million yuan through his activities, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

The court also sentenced three of his followers to jail terms of one to four years, but one of those tried escaped punishment, the statement said.

The group, which operates under multiple names, claims links to Buddhism.

Analysts say China has tightened control over religious worship, among other areas, under the administration of President Xi Jinping, who took office in 2013.

Authorities have targeted cults after members of one group beat a woman whom they were trying to recruit to death in a McDonald's restaurant in May last year.

In February, authorities executed a father and daughter, who belonged to the Quannengshen group, for the murder. Another 14 members of the sect, whose name can be translated as Church of Almighty God, were jailed for up to three years in July.

In another case, a celebrity Chinese "qigong master", Wang Lin, who claimed to conjure snakes from thin air and cure the sick, was held by police on suspicion of kidnapping and murder in July, according to media reports.

In a bizarre twist to the case, his ex-wife and mistress offered 2.0 million yuan in bribes to a policeman investigating the matter in exchange for information to help Wang seek a lighter sentence, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday.

Story First Published: October 31, 2015 12:07 IST Copied from the Busted-Qigong-Masters (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?56283-Busted-Qigong-Masters&p=1288466#post1288466) thread.

[GeneChing]

Freakin' hilarious. I wonder what McD would call their version of the Whopper? :p



Burger King Japan giving discounts if you bring a McDonald’s Big Mac into one of its restaurants (http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/11/06/burger-king-japan-gives-discounts-if-you-bring-a-mcdonalds-big-mac-into-one-of-its-restaurants/)
Casey Baseel
2 hours ago

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/bk-1.png?w=580&h=299

For companies in the fast food hamburger business, there’s no way of getting around the fact that they’re in competition with McDonald’s. So instead of trying to tiptoe around the situation, Burger King Japan has decided to try to tackle its rival head-on with the new Big King 4.0 sandwich, which Burger King has just introduced to the Japanese market.

If you’ve got burgers on the brain, the name Big King no doubt reminds you of McDonald’s Big Mac, and that’s fine with Burger King. As a matter of fact, thanks to an unusual promotion going on right now, Burger King will give you a discount on a Big King if you bring in a receipt showing you recently bought a Big Mac, or, even stranger, if you bring in the actual McDonald’s hamburger itself.

The Big King is a two-patty burger with lettuce, cheese, special sauce, and a third central slice of bread. That sounds almost exactly like a Big Mac, and Burger King even admits as much on its website, which has a side-by-side comparison of the Big King and what it coyly calls “The ‘Big’ hamburger everyone knows about from that other chain.”

▼ That mosaic isn’t fooling anybody, BK.

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/bk-6.png?w=580&h=815

Burger King explicitly states that the two sandwiches are “almost identical,” but points out one key difference: the Big King’s patties are cooked over an open flame, unlike the flat-grilled meat of McDonald’s sandwiches. Thanks to this, Burger King says a majority of survey respondents who sampled the Big King prior to its official release called it tastier than the other “Big” burger.

But while beating McDonald’s in the flavor department is one thing, it’s a lot tougher to price your menu items below those of the eminently efficient Golden Arches. The Big King costs 490 yen (US$4.10), 120 yen more than a Big Mac. That’s why until November 29, Burger King is offering what it calls the Big ( ) Discount.

▼ And just in case that’s still too subtle, that’s definitely supposed to be Ronald McDonald’s hand.

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/bk-8.png?w=580&h=895

The Big ( ) Discount knocks 120 yen off the price of the Big King, making it align perfectly with the cost of a Big Mac. There are two ways to take advantage of this offer. The first is to bring a receipt showing you recently purchased the other “Big” burger to Burger King.

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/bk-12.png?w=580&h=217

The second, more dramatic method is to bring the actual sandwich in and show it to the cashier. In other words, Burger King will knock about a buck off the price of your meal if you actually take a Big Mac into one of the chain’s branches.

The implication, of course, is that after you try both sandwiches, Burger King is confident that you’ll like the Big King better, and thus came back for more in the future. We imagine they prefer you not conduct the head-to-head taste test while sitting in one of Burger King’s restaurants, but if you’re especially hungry and don’t mind getting your meal to go, this is essentially an opportunity to get paid for eating fast food, which we have to admit sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

Source: Nikkei Keizai Shimbun via Byokan Sunday, Jin
Top image: Burger King Japan
Insert images: Burger King Japan (1, 2) (edited by RocketNews24)

[highlypotion]

My friend worked in McDonalds before and she resigned because she got gastritis from all the stress there.

[GeneChing]

I'd actually eat at this McDs.


Former KMT leader Chiang Ching-kuo's old lakeside villa in Hangzhou reopens as a McDonald's

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/chiang_old_crib.jpg

As a final act of retribution for the bitter Chinese Civil War, the former Hangzhou residence of former Taiwanese leader Chiang Ching-kuo has been turned into a freaking McDonald's... errr a McCafé.

The two-story western-style brick and wood villa was built in prime real estate near West Lake in 1931. Chiang Ching-kuo, former leader of the Kuomintang, and son of Chiang Kai-shek, lived there until he was forced to find a more permanent residence in Taiwan.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/chiang_old_crib3.jpg

Considering that its former resident would go on to be the president of the Republic of China, the Hangzhou city government had been having a bit of a hard time finding any willing renters for the villa, until McDonald's showed interest back in January.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/chiang_old_crib4.jpg

The proposal initially provoked a storm of controversy with people worrying about the preservation of the historical structure. To ease concerns, McDonald's promised to open a more classy establishment than usual -- a McCafé -- that would specialize in lattes rather than Modern China Burgers, in order to uphold the sanctity of the historical building.

According to NetEase, the cafe can seat 100 guests. Two months earlier a Starbucks cafe opened in the side wing of the same building. The interior structure and exterior walls were not altered during constructions. If visitors want to see Chiang's old living quarters, they'll have to go around the back.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/chiang_old_crib2.jpg

Netizens have mostly met this latest news with varying levels of bemusement:

"When are we going to turn Mao's old house into a KFC?" wondered one netizen from Zhejiang.

"Finally, Chiang can serve the people," joked another netizen from Beijing.

http://shanghaiist.com/attachments/alexlinder/chiang_ching_kuo.jpg

Does this make up for Starbucks getting kicked out of the Forbidden City?

[Images via NetEase]
Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
By Alex Linder in News on Nov 16, 2015 6:33 PM

[GeneChing]

Can a Big Mac be customized to be more healthy? Or would that destroy the essence of Big Mac?


McDonald’s To Open 150 Customized Burger Stores In China In 2016: Report (http://www.ibtimes.com/mcdonalds-open-150-customized-burger-stores-china-2016-report-2285486)
BY ADITYA KONDALAMAHANTY ON 01/29/16 AT 2:41 AM

http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/files/styles/lg/public/2015/05/04/mcdonalds.jpg

McDonald's said it would open 150 new customized burger stores in China in 2016. Pictured: Customers walk into a McDonald's store in Hong Kong, July 25, 2014.
PHOTO: REUTERS/TYRONE SIU

McDonald’s said it would open 150 new stores in China this year where customers would be able to personalize their burgers to their taste, Reuters reported Friday. The world’s largest fast-food restaurant chain that currently has 11 such stores in China beat Wall Street expectations for quarterly sales this week, powered by its all-day breakfast menu and a revival in demand from the Asian country.

McDonald’s would open 150 "Create Your Taste" outlets that would allow customers to build their burgers from ground up, Regina Hui, senior director of communications for McDonald's China, told Reuters in an email.

Hui said that the specialized outlets had received “very positive feedback” from Chinese diners, amid intensifying competition due to a boom in alternative fast-food store chains and greater health awareness. "They like the taste of burgers, the digital experience and the table service," Hui said.

Recovering from a food safety scandal in July 2014, McDonald’s posted a 4 percent rise in same-store sales in China, the second straight quarter of growth after a year of falling sales. Although same-store sales of the U.S. burger chain and rival Yum Brands Inc. remain below pre-scandal levels in China, globally same-store sales of McDonald’s rose 5 percent, above the 3.2 percent reportedly expected by analysts.

However, analysts believe that it will be tough for the two fast-food giants to spur the rapid growth seen before 2012 as more and more Chinese diners look for healthier options.

"It's back to par rather than getting ahead too much, but it's good for them to see stable sales," Ben Cavender, Shanghai-based principal at China Market Research Group, told Reuters.

McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook, who took over from Don Thompson in March, implemented a turnaround plan last year that involved making the menu simpler, improving service times and raising worker wages. Earlier this week, the company announced plans to increase its investment in Russia and open more stores there in 2016.

[GeneChing]

I wonder how many Chinese restaurants there are in the U.S. and how that number compares to the number of U.S. restaurant franchises there are in Asia now.


Thu Mar 31, 2016 9:41am EDT
McDonald's to add more than 1,500 outlets in China, HK, Korea (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mcdonalds-china-idUSKCN0WX16M?utm_source=applenews)

http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160331&t=2&i=1129126907&w=644&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC2U0RP
Birds fly past a sign of 24-hour McDonald's restaurant at sunrise in Hong Kong, China November 11, 2015.
REUTERS/TYRONE SIU

McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) plans to add more than 1,500 restaurants in China, Hong Kong and South Korea over the next five years as it focuses on high-growth markets to boost sales.

The company, known for its Big Mac burgers, said it was seeking franchise partners in those three markets, where it already has more than 2,800 restaurants, most of them company-owned.

China, Hong Kong and South Korea, along with a few other high-growth markets such as Russia, accounted for nearly a quarter of McDonald's total sales in 2015.

McDonald's, which converted about 470 company-owned restaurants to franchises last year, plans to franchise 95 percent of its outlets worldwide in the long-term.

More than 80 percent of its 36,000-plus restaurants are currently operated by franchisees.

Oak Brook, Illinois-based McDonald's said it was looking for partners who would "enable localized decisions on growth initiatives" in China, Hong Kong and South Korea.

McDonald's and rival Yum Brands Inc (YUM.N), the owner of KFC and Pizza Hut, have been facing increasing competition from cheaper local rivals, particularly in China, where they are trying to recover from food safety scares.

China, which is home to the third largest number of McDonald's restaurants, is Yum's biggest market.

Sales took a hit after Chinese regulators launched a probe into a local meat supplier in 2014 for allegedly mixing meat beyond its expiration date with fresh meat.

A Reuters analysis of same-store sales data suggests McDonald's is recovering faster than Yum in China.

Researchers and consumers said there's no simple answer to explain why one is faring better than the other, but the scandals seem to have stuck to KFC much more than McDonald's in consumers' minds.

McDonald's shares rose to a record high of $126.76 in early trading on Thursday. The stock has risen about 29 percent in the last 12 months, outperforming the 18 percent rise in the S&P 500 restaurants Sub index .SPLRCREST.

(Reporting by Subrat Patnaik and Sruthi Ramakrishan in Bengaluru; Editing by Don Sebastian and Anupama Dwivedi)

[GeneChing]

McDonald's Released A Green Burger In China (http://kotaku.com/mcdonalds-released-a-green-burger-in-china-1777516763)
Brian Ashcraft
Thursday 5:00am Filed to: SNACKTAKU

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s----bXcDg6--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/nogvoaibtxfarbbmegl2.jpg
[Image: That’s]

Goodness. Look at those buns! They’re quite green.

To mark the Angry Birds’ movie release, McDonald’s in China is serving up Angry Birds themed food, including this Bad Piggy burger. Well, according to website That’s, it’s actually called a “Naughty Green Pork Burger.”

That’s said the burger “wasn’t half bad,” adding: “It wasn’t as large, or as succulent as the advertisement made it appear, but then again they never are. The burger included a pork patty, an egg, lettuce, a mysterious sauce with a hint of jalapeños, and the notorious green buns.”

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--8TSZcli5--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/opiguxjrjofxbpbu3nuw.jpg
[Image: wxrw123]

China is also getting an Angry Red Burger, which is a double chicken patty with red buns.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--_Lt0SZRJ--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/p51f5khbjxckhcz7cf4t.jpg
[Image: Great Chef]

And a cool box. Below are more photos of China’s Angry Birds themed McDonald’s.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--pXU4gxt6--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/dwjgwmkx5buywkfooo0s.jpg
[Image: zhoumozuosha]

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--5Ee5ukwQ--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/y6lwpxumqnkceeuasgfe.jpg
[Image: zhoumozuosha]

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--lfMEa3Hd--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/uq7oglabubusxihp7tjl.jpg
[Image: cqdst]

Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.
Brian Ashcraftb ashcraft@kotaku.com @Brian_Ashcraft
Originally from Texas, Ashcraft has called Osaka home since 2001. He has authored four books, including most recently, Japanese Tattoos: History * Culture * Design.

This is so wrong. It shoulda been the McNuggets that were angry birds.

[GeneChing]

https://thenanfang.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/mcdonalds-fujian-header.jpg

McDonald’s Employee Fired After Assaulting 6 Year-Old Girl in China (https://thenanfang.com/mcdonalds-worker-molests-6-year-old-girl-toilet/)
27 year-old fired, given 10 days administrative detention

Charles Liu, June 13, 2016 8:07am

A 27 year-old McDonald’s employee was arrested after molesting a six year-old girl he followed into the women’s bathroom at a McDonald’s in Fujian.

Xinxin (a pseudonym) and her parents were dining at the McDonald’s at Sanming City mall when Xinxin went to the bathroom by herself. She said one of the employees tried to follow her in, explaining the worker told her he needed to change the garbage bags.

https://thenanfang.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/mcdonalds-fujian-01.jpg

However, according to Xinxin, after the employee changed the bags, he attacked her. Xinxin said the McDonald’s worker forcibly kissed and hugged her, and licked her face. Xinxin said she tried to fight back, but only after she scratched him did the man stop, allowing Xinxin to get free.

She immediately told her parents who informed the staff what had transpired. News reports say the McDonald’s employee suspected of molesting Xinxin, named Yan, admitted he had assaulted her but said he didn’t do it on

https://thenanfang.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/mcdonalds-fujian-02.jpg

Police arrested Yan, and gave him a ten day administrative detention as punishment. It’s not clear if Yan will face any charges for the incident.

Xinxin’s father, Mr Deng, said McDonald’s was at first not willing to accept responsibility, saying the matter was wholly due to the “personal behavior” of the employee. However McDonald’s has since fired Yan and has apologized to the Deng family. They claim the matter has been settled, implying the family was compensated for the incident.

Last month, a father and son eating at a McDonald’s in Chongqing were poisoned after a McDonald’s employee accidentally added disinfectant to their drinks.

Source: Fujian News, Shanghai Daily, Xinhua,

And I thought McD's in the U.S. was nasty. :mad:

[GeneChing]

Y'all know how much I luv it when an off topic thread goes on topic. If this deal goes through, it'd be a major FTW. :cool:


Chinese giants weighing McDonald’s franchises (http://www.sltrib.com/home/4007123-155/chinese-giants-weighing-mcdonalds-franchises)
By VINICY CHAN, CATHY CHAN AND JONATHAN BROWNING Bloomberg News
First Published Jun 15 2016 01:05AM • Last Updated Jun 15 2016 01:05 am

China National Chemical Corp. and New Hope Group Co. are among companies considering bids for McDonald's Corp. operations in the world's most populous nation, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Buyout firm KKR & Co. is considering teaming up with a Chinese firm to make a joint bid for the mainland China franchise rights, which could fetch about $2 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.

Potential suitors were asked to submit first-round offers by next week, according to the people.

McDonald's is revamping its ownership structure in Asia as it pursues an international turnaround plan put in place after Chief Executive Steve Easterbrook took the reins last year.

The Big Mac purveyor said in March it is seeking franchise partners in mainland China, Hong Kong and South Korea to invest fresh capital and localize decision making.

The U.S. fast-food company hired an adviser to help identify partners, it said in March. It also plans to add 1,500 outlets to the more than 2,800 it has in mainland China, Hong Kong and South Korea over the next five years.

McDonald's shares fell 24 cents to $122.75 in New York trading at 1:41 p.m. The stock has gained 3.9 percent this year.

Unlike in its other major markets -- including the United States -- most of its outlets in North Asia are company-owned. It aims to have 95 percent of its restaurants in the region under local ownership, it said.

Certain terms of the China investment, including 8 percent royalties and a three-year ban on senior management changes, have already deterred some potential buyers, according to two of the people, who have seen deal terms. In developed markets, fees are usually about 4 percent to 6 percent, they said.

"We are making progress as we look for long-term strategic partners with local relevance who have complementary skills and expertise coupled with a strong understanding of McDonald's Brand," Regina Hui, a Shanghai-based spokeswoman for McDonald's, said in an e-mailed response to Bloomberg queries. "As no decisions have been made, it would be premature to speculate further."

ChemChina, the state-owned chemicals powerhouse that agreed to buy Syngenta for about $43 billion in February, has experience in the restaurant industry through Beijing-based Malan Noodle Fast Food Chain Store Co.

ChemChina Chairman Ren Jianxin founded Malan Noodle in 1995, according to the chemical company's website.

New Hope Group, founded in 1982, is a Beijing-based conglomerate with businesses spanning from agriculture to dairy, food and real estate.

Liu Yonghao, its billionaire chairman, said this year the company is interested in buying fish-farming assets in Southeast Asia as part of a 10 billion-yuan ($1.5 billion) push to expand overseas.

KKR last year bought an 18 percent stake in Fujian Sunner Development Co., a Shenzhen-listed chicken producer, for about $400 million. The company supplies meat to McDonald's as well as KFC and Pizza Hut eateries in China, according to its website.

Representatives for ChemChina and KKR declined to comment. "Related departments in New Hope Group don't know about this bid," a spokeswoman for the company said in an e-mail.

About 82 percent of the more than 36,500 McDonald's restaurants worldwide were franchised as of Dec. 31, according to the company's 2015 annual report. The franchise rate was 46 percent in high-growth markets such as mainland China and South Korea, the report said.

[GeneChing]

The Chinese Basketball Team Eats At McDonalds Everyday in Rio Because It’s Free (http://www.foodbeast.com/news/mcd-chinese-olympic-team/)
FOOD NEWS 1 DAY AGO

http://cdn.foodbeast.com/content/uploads/2016/08/mcd-china-olympics.jpg
At this year’s Rio Olympics, athletes from all over the world share at least one love — free Big Macs and fries at McDonald’s.

At the Olympic village, athlete’s have only a couple of choices for food — either eat at the cafeteria, which doesn’t offer the best food is usually packed beyond belief, or hit up the McDonald’s, where the line can build up to 100 meters long but where athletes and coaches can eat as much as they want for free.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CpGp0MGWIAAZ_x4.jpg

talkingbaws (https://twitter.com/talkingbaws/status/761576655643181056/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) @talkingbaws
McDonald’s In The Olympic Village Is Already Packed… With Athletes! http://talkingbaws.com/2016/08/mcdonalds-in-the-olympic-village-is-already-packed-with-athletes/ …
7:56 AM - 5 Aug 2016
Retweets 1 1 like

McDonald’s, while conventionally known to be unhealthy, has been an Olympic sponsor for 40 years. The company employs 200 workers for their stores near the Rio games.

But perhaps one country’s athletes have made a notorious name for themselves by taking advantage of all the free food — China’s basketball team.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cpl8wY1XgAA2sU-.jpg

Daily Mail Online (https://twitter.com/MailOnline/status/763778794763223040/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) ✔@MailOnline
Athletes line up for McDonald's at #Rio2016 http://dailym.ai/2aOppMJ
9:47 AM - 11 Aug 2016
38 38 Retweets 36 36 likes

One McDonald’s employee who wasn’t allowed to share his name revealed:

“The Chinese basketball team, they come all day, every day. The Chinese eat Big Macs at 9 a.m. It’s crazy.”


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CphgprfWIAM0qc-.jpg
Nico Hines (https://twitter.com/NicoHines/status/763466418323161089/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) ✔@NicoHines
Little bit of rain won't put these athletes off the huge snaking McDonald's line. True Olympians
1:05 PM - 10 Aug 2016
28 28 Retweets 73 73 likes

But all athletes, not just the Chinese, are taking advantage of the food situation — the restaurant chain has been bombarded by so many athletes coming by after their events to pig out that they’ve had to put up a 20 item limit this week on the amount of orders each person is allowed to make. Athlete’s can, of course, ask for more, but that lowers the priority of their order and increases the wait.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CpRX_oAWgAQJYhX.jpg
Brian Curtis (https://twitter.com/BrianCurtisNBC5/status/762331026505011200/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) ✔@BrianCurtisNBC5
One of the most popular places in Athletes Village. Line out the door at @McDonalds #Rio2016 @NBCDFW
9:54 AM - 7 Aug 2016
223 223 Retweets 470 470 likes

The overwhelming love for McDonald’s at the games isn;t new either — Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt reportedly ate 100 chicken nuggets a day during the Beijing Olympics, later admitting at the London Olympics to having just “a few nuggets” right before he won gold in the 100-meter sprint.

Written by Nextshark's editorial staff.

100 mcnuggets? Dang Bolt. How many chickens is that? :rolleyes:

[Jimbo]

When I went to Hong Kong on my visa trips from Taiwan every 6 months, I'd stay there maybe 3 days, and ate almost completely at McDonald's. They were easy to find everywhere in HK. I ate there because it was cheap and familiar.

However, once on the morning I was about to leave HK to return to Taiwan, I made the mistake of first going to McD's and ordering the pancake breakfast. At the airport I became nauseous, and ended up barfing twice on the plane, on takeoff and again on landing (luckily into those barf bags you can get from the seat pockets). I'd gotten a bad case of food poisoning, and it was one of the longest days of my life until I finally got back to my place in Taipei that night.

That was in '88. At this point, I haven't eaten at a McDonald's in over 20 years.

[GeneChing]

After the Rio '1st one's free' campaign (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68588-2016-Rio-Olympics&p=1295427#post1295427), you'd think they'd be set. Oh wait, China didn't do so well in Rio (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?68588-2016-Rio-Olympics&p=1295502#post1295502). ;)


McDonald’s seeks buyer for restaurants in China (http://nypost.com/2016/08/22/mcdonalds-seeks-buyers-for-restaurants-in-china/)
By Josh Kosman August 22, 2016 | 9:43pm

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/gettyimages-452579204.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=664&h=441&crop=1
A McDonald's sign in Shanghai. Photo: Getty Images

David Rubenstein may soon be the Big Mac, at least in China.

His firm the Carlyle Group is one of the final bidders in an auction to buy McDonald’s Corp. restaurants in China for a price likely to be more than $2 billion, two sources said.

McDonald’s in March said it wanted to reduce the number of stores it owns in Asia. The Golden Arches said it had more than 2,800 restaurants in China, Hong Kong and Korea and owned most of them.

Private equity firm Carlyle and a multinational group are the final two suitors, a source said.

McDonald’s and other big chains, including Wendy’s, are selling more of their company-owned restaurants to franchisees so they can collect a certain percentage of revenue without any risk.

“When you franchise you eliminate much of the risk in owning restaurants,” the CEO of a national chain told The Post.

“McDonald’s has been doing a lot of franchising. I know they are going to a much higher franchise model in the US as well,” the CEO said. “The markets value it more highly since it is less volatile.”

McDonald’s year to date is down 2.3 percent, closing Monday at $115.42.

Meanwhile, Carlyle was one of several groups that bought Dunkin’ Brands in 2006 and exited through the public markets in 2012 at a nice profit. Part of what the owners did was expand Dunkin’ in China.

The opportunity for Carlyle would be to buy McDonald’s in China on leverage, and then to quickly grow the business in the region increasing earnings, a source said.

Carlyle and McDonald’s did not return calls.

[GeneChing]

Good to know McDs is looking out for the health of our youth :rolleyes:


McDonald's recalls millions of Happy Meals fitness bands (http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/McDonald-s-recalls-millions-of-Happy-Meals-9179153.php)
Updated 7:26 am, Tuesday, August 23, 2016

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/51/20/46/10815931/3/920x920.jpg
Photo: Sean Halliday, AP
This image provided by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission shows a Step-It Happy Meal wristband toy. McDonald’s announced Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016, that the company is recalling the fitness bands that it had put in Happy Meals because they might cause skin irritation or burns to children. (Sean Halliday/McDonald's/U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — McDonald's is recalling millions of fitness bands that had been given away in Happy Meals because they might cause skin irritation or burns to children.
The fast-food chain said last week that it would stop distributing the bands in Happy Meals. Now it's recalling 29 million of them in the U.S., and 3.6 million in Canada.
The company, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, received more than 70 reports of incidents after children wore the bands, including seven reports of blisters, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The Step-It Fitness plastic wristbands, in blue, green, purple, orange and red, look like watches and are supposed to track physical activity.
Customers should return the wristbands to McDonald's for a free replacement toy, and either a yogurt tube or bag of apple slices, the CPSC said. The wristbands, which were made in China and distributed exclusively by McDonald's, were sold between Aug. 9 and Aug. 17.
The promotion had turned heads even before the recall, given the reputation of McDonald's Corp. as a seller of junk food. The company has been trying to change that reputation over the years, in part by including fruit in its Happy Meals.
The company has also been running TV ads saying its Chicken McNuggets are now made without artificial preservatives.

[GeneChing]

Same time as KFC (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22096-the-Kentucky-Fried-Thread&p=1295911#post1295911). WTH?


MONEY | Fri Sep 2, 2016 5:40am EDT
Carlyle, TPG form separate teams to bid for McDonald's North Asia stores: sources
(http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mcdonalds-citic-group-carlyle-group-idUSKCN1180DP)
http://s4.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160902&t=2&i=1152010869&w=780&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC8107Z
A woman walks past a McDonald's outlet in Hong Kong in this July 25, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo

By Denny Thomas and Julie Zhu | HONG KONG
Private equity firms Carlyle Group (CG.O) and TPG Capital have teamed up with two separate Chinese state companies to bid for McDonald's (MCD.N) outlets in China and Hong Kong in a deal worth between $2 billion and $3 billion, four people familiar with the matter said.

The sources said the global buyout firms are pairing up with strategic bidders that more closely fit the profile McDonald's has said it is looking for; long-term partners, rather than private equity firms, which typically cash out after a few years.

Carlyle is working with Chinese state conglomerate CITIC Group, and TPG has joined hands with Beijing Capital Agribusiness Group, to place binding bids ahead of the mid-September deadline, the people added. Beijing Capital Agribusiness is McDonald's current China partner.

Carlyle and TPG would have a large minority stake in their respective consortium, one of the people said.

Reuters previously reported that the Illinois-based fast-food giant, which has been hit by a series of food-supply scandals in China, had hired Morgan Stanley (MS.N) to run the sale of about 2,800 restaurants in China, Hong Kong and South Korea.

The two private equity-backed groups are only bidding for China and Hong Kong outlets and will be pitted against China Cinda Asset Management Co (1359.HK), Beijing Tourism Group and private Chinese technology and real estate firm Sanpower Group, one of the people added.

China and Hong Kong account for more than 85 percent of the total 2,800 outlets up for grabs.

Separately, South Korea's Maeil Dairy Industry Co Ltd (005990.KQ) said it was considering bidding for McDonald's local outlets, which are expected to fetch about $268 million. The company declined to say whether it would seek a partner, but a South Korean media report said Maeil was likely to link up with Carlyle.

CJ Corp and NHN Entertainment Corp were among the other South Korean companies that have previously shown interest in the fast food giant's business in the country.

McDonald's is switching to a less capital-intensive franchise model and is offering a 20-year franchise to buyers, with a 10-year extension option.

Carlyle, TPG, Sanpower and Cinda declined to comment, and CITIC and Beijing Capital Agribusiness Group did not reply to requests for comment.

A McDonald's spokeswoman said no decisions had been made.

"We are making progress as we look for long-term strategic partners with local relevance ... and who share our values and vision with a dedicated focus on accelerating growth initiatives," she said.

(Reporting by Denny Thomas and Julie Zhu, Additional reporting by Elzio Barreto, Carol Zhong in HONG KONG and Joyce Lee in SEOUL; Editing by Will Waterman)

[GeneChing]

...$2 billion on topic...


McDonald’s China Franchise Deal Could Fetch Up to $2 Billion Up Front (http://www.wsj.com/articles/mcdonalds-china-franchise-deal-could-fetch-up-to-2-billion-up-front-1475487030)
U.S. private-equity giants Carlyle Group, TPG, and Bain Capital, among others, have shown interest

https://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-QB879_103mcd_M_20161003004316.jpg
Customers outside a McDonald's outlet in downtown Shanghai in July. PHOTO: REUTERS

By WAYNE MA in Beijing, RICK CAREW and KANE WU in Hong Kong
Updated Oct. 3, 2016 11:57 a.m. ET

McDonald’s Corp. Chief Executive Steve Easterbrook, aiming to slim down the Golden Arches and boost profits, has turned to the market where he can do something big, fast—China.

The Oak Brook, Ill., chain is looking to cut a deal to turn its 2,200-store empire in China—65% of which it owns and operates—into a cash machine. The franchising of its China operations, for which a partner could be determined before the end of the year, is expected to fetch between $1.5 billion and $2 billion up front from investors, people familiar with the matter said.

https://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OJ-AP548_CMCDON_16U_20161003015705.jpg

McDonald’s would also rake in an estimated 5% to 7% of sales for the 20-year life of the deal. It would keep a minority stake in these far-flung stores, while slashing its operational costs and preserving precious capital.

The timing of the initiative also reflects the maturing of the fast-food business in China, where McDonald’s and YUM Brands Inc.—owner of Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut—have operated for a quarter-century.

As big consumer chains move from the familiar streets of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and other metropolises to smaller cities, they need Chinese partners with knowledge of the country’s real estate and market demographics to know where to put stores and how to supply them.

“In the lower-tier cities, we want to accelerate, and a local partner would have more local wisdom and more local resources,” Phyllis Cheung, chief executive of McDonald’s China, said in an interview. “The whole idea of franchising is that you have more flexibility and speed to market—and are more able to answer to consumer needs.”

There appears to be a healthy appetite for the deal. A clutch of at least six bidders has shown interest in McDonald’s China franchise, including U.S. private-equity giants Carlyle Group LP, TPG and Bain Capital LLC, according to people familiar with the situation.

The three private-equity firms have teamed up with local Chinese partners, such as Citic Ltd. and Wumart Stores Inc., who know local market conditions. McDonald’s is also looking to cut a similar deal with outside investors for its South Korea stores.

In China and Hong Kong, McDonald’s is asking its potential partner to take over its more than 1,400 company-owned restaurants and build 1,300 new stores. It still has room to grow in China, the only major market where the number of Kentucky Fried Chicken stores (5,000 and counting) outstrip those of McDonald’s.

The winner will operate in a country where the novelty of burgers, fries and shakes has long since faded. It will need to find new ways to satisfy Chinese consumers demanding healthier, more upscale and personalized alternatives.

Bessie Wang, 33, began eating at McDonald’s in grade school soon after the fast-food chain entered China 26 years ago, becoming a big fan of its fried-chicken sandwiches.

On a recent weekday, Ms. Wang was dining on a spicy chicken sandwich at the McDonalds on Beijing’s Wangfujing shopping street. But her visits have declined.

“Taste isn’t the issue; it’s health reasons,” said Ms. Wang, an office administrator. “I don’t need to go as often anymore because other restaurants offer fried-chicken dishes.”

Sales from established stores in China have bounced back from a supplier issue that led to shortages of hamburgers and chicken at some restaurants in 2014. The country’s same-store sales shrank for four consecutive quarters before they began recovering in the middle of last year, according to figures provided on its earnings calls.

And competition is rising. Dicos, a Taiwanese-owned chain, for example, offers chicken sandwiches at over 2,000 restaurants in China, matching McDonald’s scale. Another growing Chinese fast-food chain called Real Kung Fu sports a Bruce Lee logo, offering bowls of Chinese noodles with beef and pork.

The growing competition, Ms. Cheung said, is one reason McDonald’s is looking for a Chinese partner with a “deep understanding” of China’s market rather than one that can simply bankroll new stores.

Yum announced a similar move last year to spin off its KFC and Pizza Hut operations in China and maintain a foothold in the country through royalty payments.

For companies like McDonald’s and Yum, moving toward a franchise-only model in China makes sense now because the market has matured to the point where there are more people with experience running fast-food chains and fast-casual restaurants, according to Ben Cavender, director at China Market Research Group.

“There’s a stronger talent pool, and they have the capability to operate a franchise and operate it well,” he said. “Brands are also clamoring to try to grow into new markets, and they might not be able to do it quickly by themselves, and they need help.”

Write to Wayne Ma at wayne.ma@wsj.com, Rick Carew at rick.carew@wsj.com and Kane Wu at Kane.Wu@wsj.com

[GeneChing]

McDonald's: Ronald McDonald clown mascot keeping a lower profile (http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/McDonald-s-Ronald-McDonald-keepinig-a-lower-9962565.php)
Associated Press Updated 12:19 pm, Tuesday, October 11, 2016

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/53/40/51/11405951/3/920x920.jpg
A child poses for a photo next to a Ronald McDonald statue outside of a large McDonald's restaurant.. (Photo by Peter Charlesworth/LightRocket via Getty Images) Photo: Peter Charlesworth

NEW YORK — McDonald's says Ronald McDonald is keeping a low profile with reports of creepy clown sightings on the rise.
McDonald's Corp. said Tuesday that it is being "thoughtful in respect to Ronald McDonald's participation in community events" as a result of the "current climate around clown sightings in communities." The company did not provide any other details about how often its red-haired mascot makes appearances, and how that will change.
The burger chain's decision comes after a rash of pranks around the country that have involved eerie clown sightings. The reports have forced police in some areas to respond.

I've never liked the idea of fast food chains with clown mascots. Why does that even work? Who wants clown food?

[GeneChing]

The clown just cashed in for the PRC.



Mon Jan 9, 2017 | 11:44am EST

McDonald's sells most of China, HK business to CITIC, Carlyle for $2.1 billion (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mcdonalds-china-citic-idUSKBN14T0FH)

By Elzio Barreto | HONG KONG

McDonald's Corp (MCD.N) has agreed to sell the bulk of its China and Hong Kong business to state-backed conglomerate CITIC Ltd (0267.HK) and Carlyle Group LP (CG.O) for up to $2.1 billion, seeking to expand rapidly without using much of its own capital.

The 20-year deal caps months of negotiations between the fast-food chain, private equity firms including Carlyle and TPG Capital Management LP [TPG.UL] as well as several Chinese suitors.

The U.S. fast food chain said local partners will help speed up growth in the world's No. 2 economy through new restaurant openings, particularly in smaller cities that are expected to benefit from increased urbanization and income growth.

"McDonald's globally overall is struggling and didn't have the money or intellectual resources to focus on China," said Shaun Rein, managing director at China Market Research Group.

The company has more than 2,400 restaurants in mainland China and roughly 240 in Hong Kong. The new partnership plans to add 1,500 in the two areas over the next five years.

http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20170109&t=2&i=1168073993&w=&fh=&fw=&ll=780&pl=468&sq=&r=LYNXMPED080TP
Customers eat dinner at a McDonald's store in Beijing, China January 9, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Under the deal, Hong Kong-listed CITIC Ltd will own about 32 percent of the business, with CITIC Capital, an affiliate company that manages private equity funds and other alternative assets, holding another 20 percent.

Carlyle will control 28 percent of the business, while McDonald's will retain a 20 percent stake, the companies said in a statement. The deal will be settled in cash and in shares in the new company that will act as the master franchisee for the 20-year period.

McDonald's originally wanted to raise up to $3 billion from the sale of the business, but later decided to keep a minority stake to benefit from exposure to future growth in China, a person with direct knowledge of the plans previously told Reuters.

The partnership will also aim to boost sales at existing restaurants, with menu innovation a key focus. Fast-food firms including McDonald's and Yum Brands Inc (YUM.N) are recovering from a series of food-supply scandals in China that have undermined their performance.

"I'm not sure how much more you can do with McDonald's in China. They're a well-run company, so I'm not sure that CITIC and Carlyle are able to add that much more aside from capital," Rein said.

McDonald's said in March it was reorganizing operations in the region, looking for strategic partners in China, Hong Kong and South Korea. The company later decided to keep its South Korea business.

Other companies that had bid for the China and Hong Kong assets included TPG, which teamed up with mini-market operator Wumart Stores Inc, and real estate firm Sanpower Group Co Ltd [SPGCL.UL], which owns British department store House of Fraser Ltd [HFPLC.UL], sources have said.

JPMorgan Securities is advising the buyer group, while CITIC Ltd also said it hired CITIC CLSA Capital Markets as its financial adviser and CITIC Securities as financial adviser in China. McDonald's hired Morgan Stanley (MS.N) to run the sale.

(Reporting by Elzio Barreto; Additional reporting by Jessica Yu and Donny Kwok in Hong Kong and Rushil Dutta in Bengaluru; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

[GeneChing]

Luvin it bigly?


Donald Trump playing cards exist in Japan thanks to McDonald’s (http://en.rocketnews24.com/2017/01/18/donald-trump-playing-cards-exist-in-japan-thanks-to-mcdonalds/)
Oona McGee yesterday

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/donald-trump.png

The words “Donald Trump” are even printed in katakana at the top of the packet.

McDonald’s Japan is known for producing limited-edition exclusive products that can’t be found anywhere else. Nowadays, these items usually come in the form of Happy Meal toys, featuring characters like Mario and Luigi and Pikachu, but many years ago, there were other types of McDonald’s trinkets in Japan featuring characters created by the fast food chain itself.

Twitter user @mickey_kudo came across one of these unusual products while cleaning out a desk at home. This green pack of Ronald McDonald playing cards was actually given to his mother decades ago when she was in elementary school, and while it was a cute find, the thing that caught @mickey_kudo‘s eye were the words written in Japanese katakana syllabary on the front and top of the packet: ドナルド トランプ, which reads as “Donald Trump” in Japanese.

▼ It’s Donald Trump!

https://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/screen-shot-2017-01-17-at-15-20-23.png?w=580&h=433

So how did the name of America’s President-elect come to be printed on a pack of McDonald’s playing cards from decades ago? Well, it’s all thanks to the intricacies of the Japanese language.

While McDonald’s characters are well-known around the world, in Japan the famous red-haired clown is known as “Donald” instead of “Ronald”. Many speculate that the reason for the slight name change has to do with the fact that English words containing the letter “r” are harder to pronounce in Japanese, so the letter “d” was used instead.

Check out these Japanese commercials featuring Donald McDonald below:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9HULx5_-cA

The word for western-style playing cards in Japanese is “trump”, which means this pack of Ronald playing cards is called “Donald Trump”. While this would’ve been taken on face value back when they were created, today there’s a different connotation attached to these two words, and Twitter users were keen to comment on the unusual find when @mickey_kudo posted these pictures on Twitter.



Follow
ミッキー (https://twitter.com/mickey_kudo/status/818086474725793793/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)@mickey_kudo

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C1ptTfuUQAElhth.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C1ptTftUoAAtZ8y.jpg

机の掃除してたらこんなの出てきたww
お母さんが小学生の時もらったらしいから数十年の時を経て脚光あびてるわ
5:26 AM - 8 Jan 2017
16,698 16,698 Retweets 16,013 16,013 likes

“What a timely discovery!”
“Does this look like a young version of Trump?”
“I bet you could sell these for a high price on an online auction site!”
“It’s like this was predicting something all those decades ago.”
“I wonder if the joker in the pack looks like Donald Trump?”

With Donald McDonald not looking to change his name in Japan anytime soon, there’s a possibility that “trump” cards like these could make a return to the golden arches here in coming years. Given McDonald’s Japan’s love of unique campaigns and promotions, which have seen prizes like gold fries and a gold chicken nugget offered in the past, who knows what lengths the red-headed Donald will go to now in order to make McDonald’s great again.

Source: Net Lab
Featured image: Twitter/@mickey_kudo (edited by RocketNews24)
Insert images: Twitter/@mickey_kudo

[GeneChing]

McD employs 120K workers in China. Impressive.


Thu Feb 16, 2017 | 6:01am EST
Chinese firm files complaints with Chinese government over McDonald's China sale (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-mcdonalds-antitrust-idUSKBN15V0Y6?utm_source=applenews)

http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20170216&t=2&i=1172918299&w=&fh=&fw=&ll=780&pl=468&sq=&r=LYNXMPED1F0QM
Customers eat dinner at a McDonald's store in Beijing, China January 9, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo

By Michelle Price and Julie Zhu | HONG KONG

A Chinese consultancy that has previously helped to win antitrust battles against Coca-Cola and Apple has taken aim at McDonald's Corp, arguing in a complaint to regulators that the American fast food giant's China sale may hurt workers and consumers.

McDonald's said last month it had agreed to sell the bulk of its China and Hong Kong business to state-backed conglomerate CITIC Ltd and U.S. private equity firm Carlyle Group LP for up to $2.1 billion, in a deal that will see the consortium act as the master franchisee for a 20-year period.

The complaint, which follows allegations from a U.S. labour union that the transaction will likely lead to poorer pay and conditions for McDonald's 120,000 workers in China, could delay regulatory approval for the deal.

Beijing-based Hejun Vanguard Group, a Chinese management consultancy that has a track-record of representing domestic companies against foreign firms, filed two separate complaints against McDonald's with the Ministry of Commerce's (MOFCOM) antimonopoly bureau and its franchise office, Hejun Vanguard told Reuters.

While Hejun has stopped short of asking MOFCOM to block the deal, it has called on the regulator to closely scrutinize the transaction and take measures to prevent McDonald’s “abusing” what it claims is the company’s dominant position in the fast-food burger market in China.

It has also called for MOFCOM to investigate alleged violations of China’s franchise law by McDonald’s, which it claims has failed to properly register all of its outlets in mainland China.

MOFCOM had yet to respond to a request for comment at the time of publication. CITIC, CITIC Capital and Carlyle declined to comment.

McDonald's said it had filed its franchise business with MOFCOM in accordance with franchise regulations, and disputes Hejun's analysis of its market share in China. It added that its franchise model globally is based on mutually beneficial partnerships.

ROYALTIES QUESTIONED

Hejun said it was not acting for any specific companies in the case and generally seeks to protect domestic brands from overly aggressive foreign companies.

The Service Employees International Union, a U.S. labour organization, last year warned potential buyers of roughly 3,000 McDonald's restaurants in Asia that such deals could saddle them with operational risks, including significant costs and liabilities..

In January, it raised concerns over McDonald’s China deal, saying previous such transactions in markets - including Brazil and Puerto Rico - had put enormous pressure on franchisees, making it harder for them to provide adequate pay and conditions for their workers.

CITIC and CITIC Capital, an affiliate company that manages private equity funds, will hold 52 percent of the China business following the deal. Carlyle will control 28 percent, while McDonald's will retain a 20 percent stake.

McDonald's currently owns and operates most of its outlets on the mainland but the deal will see the fast-foot giant move to a franchise model that should allow it to continue to profit from sales while cutting costs.

"The deal will put enormous downward pressure on McDonald's master franchisees, existing franchisees that operate individual stores, and the workers and customers of those stores," said Li Su, CEO of Hejun Vanguard Group in a statement.

"Regulators should investigate the transaction and impose restrictions to prevent McDonald’s from abusing its dominant market position."

Hejun's submission, excerpts of which were reviewed by Reuters, says its analysis shows McDonald's has 53 percent of the fast-food burger market in China and that the company has abused its dominant position to extract higher than average royalties. McDonald's will charge royalties of 6 percent of sales in China under the deal, compared with 3 percent globally, says Hejun, citing The Wall Street Journal.

"As McDonald’s extracts excessively high royalties and its partners see a deteriorating bottom line, corner-cutting can result in lower quality products and even health concerns," the complaint claims.

"MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL"

McDonald's does not disclose its royalties and regards itself as a player in the "informal eating out" market, a company spokeswoman said, confirming that McDonald's had filed the transaction for approval by MOFCOM.

The company also pointed to awards recognising it as a top employer in China.

"Franchising is a key factor underlying McDonald’s success across the world based on mutually beneficial partnership. Our local franchisees have also received a wide range of awards in recognition of their local people brand," she added.

Hejun has had success with such complaints in the past, opposing Coca-Cola’s acquisition of Huiyuan Juice, the first deal ever blocked by MOFCOM, and was part of the team that fought a claim to make Apple pay $60 million in 2012 to use the iPad trademark in China.

MOFCOM has the discretion to take into account third-party complaints against companies and Hejun expects any review to take at least two months, said Shaun Wu, a China disputes lawyer at law firm Kobre & Kim which is acting for Hejun.

Companies in China have increasingly used antitrust complaints to try to hamper rivals.

(Reporting by Michelle Price; Edited by Martin Howell)

[GeneChing]

When it comes to influencing other nations, Russia may have their bots, but we have McD.


AUGUST 7, 2017 / 9:30 PM / 5 HOURS AGO
McDonald's bumps up estimate for stores in China by 2022 (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mcdonalds-china-idUSKBN1AO0DD)
2 MIN READ

http://s3.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20170808&t=2&i=1196184925&r=LYNXMPED770GN&w=1280
FILE PHOTO - Customers eat dinner at a McDonald's store in Beijing, China January 9, 2017.
Jason Lee/File Photo

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - McDonald's Corp said it would almost double the number of stores in mainland China by 2022, slightly more than was expected, as part of its strategic partnership with state-backed conglomerate CITIC Ltd and Carlyle Group.

Earlier in the year, the U.S fast food chain agreed to sell most of its China and Hong Kong business to CITIC and Carlyle for up to $2.1 billion. The new partnership had planned to add 1,500 restaurants in the two areas over the next five years.

But McDonald's, which is betting the partnership will help it expand in the world's No. 2 economy without using much of its own capital, said it expects to increase the number of stores in mainland China to 4,500 by the end of 2022, from 2,500 now.

The company said it was targeting a double-digit annual sales growth in mainland China over the period, and was aiming to add 500 stores annually by 2022 versus 250 stores this year.

"China will soon become our largest market outside of the United States. We are excited to join forces with CITIC and Carlyle for better localized decision-making to meet changing customer demands in this dynamic market," Steve Easterbrook, McDonald's chief executive, said on Tuesday.

Under the deal, which got regulatory approval last week, CITIC has 52 percent and Carlyle 28 percent of McDonald's China and Hong Kong business.

The fast-food chain said it would aim to open more restaurants in lower-tier Chinese cities, boost delivery capacity and introduce a "digitalised and personalized" dining experience to more Chinese customers.

Menu innovation will be a key focus for the partnership. Fast-food firms including McDonald's and Yum Brands Inc are recovering from a series of food-supply scandals in China that have undermined their performance.

Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Himani Sarkar

[GeneChing]

Does this count towards making this off topic thread on topic?

Is this a Moon Fest (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?58432-Happy-Autumn-Moon-!!!) thing? :confused:


https://buttermilkcrispytenders.com/_img/header.jpg

GET OBSAUCED (https://buttermilkcrispytenders.com/)
You're going to love our new Buttermilk Crispy Tenders. Expertly crafted by the McDonald’s culinary team, and made with 100% white meat chicken and no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, Buttermilk Crispy Tenders are seasoned, battered and breaded to perfection.

But, let’s really talk tender… we know they’re even better with sauce. We’re introducing an all-new Signature Sauce to perfectly pair with them.

Ready to celebrate? We're giving away 1,000 limited-edition, hand numbered, screen-printed posters for all 10 sauces in our legendary lineup—including Szechuan Sauce. That's right, collectible art, worthy of the pop-culture status fans have given their favorite sauces.

In addition, after nearly 20 years (and perhaps a bit of time travel) we’re even doing the impossible…

On Oct 7, together with the collectible sauce-themed posters, we’re also giving away a one-time only, limited-edition, run of Szechuan Sauce in select restaurants. And when we say limited, we mean really, really limited! Click below to find out which restaurants will be giving away* the posters, and the select few of those that will also have the Szechuan Sauce on Oct 7.

So mark your calendars. It's time to show your flavor. Your passion. Show… you’re Obsauced.

*Available at participating restaurants, DINE IN ONLY, NO drive thru, McDelivery or Mobile Order Pay. Available on a first come, first served basis with purchase of a 4, 6 or 10 piece BCT beginning at 2:00pm local time on October 7, 2017 while supplies last. Limit one BCT collectible giveaway per customer. Quantities are limited and may vary by restaurant.


https://buttermilkcrispytenders.com/_img/posters/szechuan-main.jpg

SZECHUAN SAUCE
Complex, Impulsive, Determined

"Whatever it takes."

Szechuan Sauce fans are typically incredibly motivated, born winners that combine a sweet disposition with a slow burning heat. When these people set goals (or make outright demands), they tend to achieve them. Sometimes, their impulsivity can get them into all sorts of hijinks, but their mad genius is their portal out of trouble. They truly put the “I WANT THAT SZECHUAN SAUCE” in “Buttermilk Crispy Tenders.”

[GeneChing]

'Rick and Morty' fans turn on McDonald's on Twitter after sauce debacle (http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Rick-and-Morty-fans-come-for-McDonald-s-on-12261144.php)
By Filipa Ioannou Updated 12:13 pm, Sunday, October 8, 2017

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/63/33/63/13483210/6/920x920.png
An episode of "Rick and Morty" ended with a plea for McDonald's to bring back its Szechuan McNugget sauce, and the company obliged, but many locations only stocked a few dozen packets of sauce, fans complained on Twitter. Photo: Adult Swim
Photo: Adult Swim

When McDonald's announced it was bringing back the Szechuan McNugget dipping sauce after the sauce was hyped in an episode of "Rick and Morty" on Adult Swim, fans rejoiced.
But on Saturday, the day of the release, joy quickly turned to despair when those same fans discovered that stores had received extremely limited quantities of the sauce.
The sauce originally had a limited run in the late 1990s when it was released as a promotion for the movie "Mulan," and fans rallied for its return when Rick, the eccentric genius scientist from "Rick and Morty," sang its praises in the season premiere of the show back in April.
The sauce was said to be available at McDonald's locations at 1998 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley, 1691 Monument Blvd. in Concord, 2191 Monterey Road in San Jose, and 255 Winston Drive in San Francisco starting at 2 p.m Saturday. A longer list of stores gave away "Rick and Morty" promotional posters and stickers, but no sauce, according to McDonald's.
McDonald's had warned that the release would be limited —"And when we say limited, we mean really, really limited," the company wrote in an announcement — but many sauce enthusiasts were not prepared for the reality that awaited them.
People on Twitter reported that in several locations, including a McDonald's in Los Angeles, police needed to be called to deal with the mayhem. In Palm Beach County, Florida sheriff's deputies were summoned for crowd control, the Palm Beach Post reported.
"The best fans in the multiverse showed us what they got today," McDonald's wrote on Twitter. "We hear you & we're sorry not everyone could get some super-limited Szechuan."
The replies were not kind.
"Thanks for wasting a full tank of fuel going to multiple McD's for a f— sauce I couldn't get at ANY of them. You've lost a customer," one disgruntled person wrote.
Others accused the company of lying to the public and making children cry.
Packets of sauce are already selling for as much as $700 on eBay.
Click through the gallery above for reactions from furious sauce-hopefuls whose dreams were crushed on Saturday.

Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and follow her on Twitter
Hold the phone...$700 for a packet? WTH?!?!

[GeneChing]

Design Sifu is a R&M fan. I should get him to explain this fiasco.


'Rick and Morty' Fans Dispersed by LAPD Over McDonald's Szechuan Sauce Fiasco (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rick-morty-fans-dispersed-by-lapd-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce-fiasco-1047214)
3:06 PM PDT 10/9/2017 by Patrick Shanley

http://cdn3.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/landscape_928x523/2017/10/screen_shot_2017-10-09_at_3.00.46_pm_-_h_2017.jpg

A crowd of over 500 fans of the Adult Swim hit showed up at a Los Angeles location and were told that the restaurant had only 20 packets of the sauce to disperse.
Rick and Morty fans were not happy this weekend after they showed up in droves at a local Los Angeles McDonald's location for a promotional event by the fast food chain promising a return of their Szechuan sauce.

The sauce, originally created as part of a marketing campaign for the 1998 Disney animated film Mulan, was referenced in the third-season opener of Adult Swim's sci-fi comedy, "The Rickshank Rickdemption," when the character Rick mentioned the sauce in a fabricated memory and later claimed that getting his hands on the defunct dipping sauce was his "series arc." Despite that claim, the sauce was never again referenced in the show.

Following the premiere of the episode on April 1, McDonald's sent Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland a large container of the sauce, and public interest in attaining some of the long-lost condiment for themselves continued to increase over the subsequent weeks.

The sauce quickly became a meme that swept across social media. After the season finale of the show's third season earlier this month, McDonald's promised they would bring back the McNuggets dipping sauce for one day only, on Oct. 7. However, the restaurant did not foresee the overwhelming demand from Rick and Morty fans for the sauce. Fans arrived in huge numbers, lining up around the block at many locations, only to find that McDonald's had just 20 sauce packets and was awarding them based on a lottery system.

In Los Angeles, fans numbering in the hundreds dressed in Rick and Morty apparel lined up around the block at a La Brea McDonald's location, hoping to get a packet of the sauce. Some die-hard Rick and Morty enthusiasts even camped out the night before to assure a prime location in line.

Unrest quickly spread among the crowd at the La Brea McDonald's, however, as those in line began chanting, “Szechuan sauce!” and, “When I say Szechuan, you say sauce!” When it was announced that the store was not going to be able to accommodate the overwhelming requests for the sauce, the crowd got physical.

Video from the location shows fans shoving and jockeying for position at the front door entrance to gain a coveted ticket to redeem the sauce.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=7_HboVYEkWw

It did not take long for physical altercations to begin taking place. "Police responded to a call at the location," detective Ross Nemeroff told The Hollywood Reporter. Among the incidents on the call were "four males and females fist-fighting over tickets," said Nemeroff.

While no official arrests were made, the large crowd of 500 was dispersed by the unit responding to the call.

THR reached out to Roiland and Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon, as well as Adult Swim, for comment on the incident.

"This was not a promotion from Adult Swim or anyone officially connected to Rick and Morty," a spokesperson for the network told THR.

Roiland tweeted he was "not happy" with how McDonald's handled the situation on Sunday.


Follow (https://twitter.com/JustinRoiland/status/917145891852623873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hollywoodreporter.com%2Fn ews%2Frick-morty-fans-dispersed-by-lapd-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce-fiasco-1047214)
Justin Roiland ✔@JustinRoiland
FYI: We had nothing to do with this McDonald's stuff. Not happy w/how this was handled. Please be cool to the employees it's not their fault
2:53 PM - Oct 8, 2017
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Los Angeles was not the only city to garner such passionate and unruly responses, as McDonald's locations in Florida and the Bay Area experienced some civil unrest, as well.

McDonald's responded to the incidents on their Twitter account on Sunday, apologizing for the lack of supply and promising "lots more" sauce and participating locations in the future.


View image on Twitter
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Follow (https://twitter.com/McDonalds/status/917169818725384192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hollywoodreporter.com%2Fn ews%2Frick-morty-fans-dispersed-by-lapd-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce-fiasco-1047214)
McDonald's ✔@McDonalds
You spoke. We’ve listened. Lots more #SzechuanSauce and locations. Details soon. And that’s the wayyy the news goes!
4:28 PM - Oct 8, 2017
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[@PLUGO]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=203OAQYDKNw

A neat write-up on polygon.com (https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/9/16447460/rick-and-morty-szechuan-sauce-mcdonalds-fans-anger)

The Szechuan sauce fiasco proves Rick and Morty fans don’t understand Rick and Morty
The ‘smart’ fans are the problem
by Ben Kuchera Oct 9, 2017, 12:00pm EDT

The third season of Rick and Morty began with a convoluted story in which series villain Rick breaks out of prison before breaking up his daughter’s marriage. There’s also a huge battle that includes many Ricks from other dimensions as the story folds back over itself and past seasons, and the whole thing ends with a wonderfully nonsensical speech about how this all happened so Rick can get more of a promotional dipping sauce from McDonald’s.

The joke, which plays with the show’s theme that Rick is empty, alone and despondent despite having everything he could ever ask for, is that all that work was done for a silly, arbitrary reason. There is no plan, and there is no meaning. It may as well be a dipping sauce.

This flew right over the heads of some of the show’s biggest fans, and McDonald’s stepped right up to take advantage of this fact.

What started as a silly joke about Rick’s hollow soul became a marketing opportunity, and the best part was that McDonald’s didn’t have to pay Adult Swim anything to cash in. The promotion was never officially tied into Rick and Morty in any way, although McDonald’s did everything it could within the bounds of the law to connect the two brands.

“Look at that art, look at the font,” Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon told Polygon. “Look I’m not being sarcastic when I talk about this. If anyone from McDonald’s is reading this, I don’t see anything wrong with what they’re doing and clearly neither does their legal department.”

It’s funny because McDonald’s is attempting to reference how Rick talks without paying the creators of Rick anything while making both brands look bad while also highlighting how quickly online fandom can turn into angry mobs in real life. OK, maybe this isn’t funny at all. Maybe the whole situation is sick, and you’re right to feel a little sick when you read about it.

Because the fans don’t understand any level of what’s going on. If they understood Rick, they wouldn’t care about the sauce because no one in the show really cares about the sauce. It was never referenced in the show again. Dan Harmon himself explained to us that the line was put there just to rip on co-creator Justin Roiland’s love for the sauce. If they understood Morty, they would be kinder to the McDonald’s workers who didn’t ask for any of this.

And if they understood the point of the show so far — that living only for yourself is destructive and selfish no matter how smart you are — they would be ashamed at how they’re acting.



I'm not too sure about the shame bit . . .

[@PLUGO]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=-GC5rAX0xHg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=-GC5rAX0xHg
at this point, I'm not sure who's trolling whom.

continuing with that write-up . . .

But these Rick and Morty fans don’t understand anything about this situation. Not the way commercialism stepped in to cash in on nihilism, nor the irony of how they’ve given something intense meaning and value after being told by a fictional character that it had meaning as a way of illustrating that nothing has meaning.

They’ve turned into Fight Club fans who start their own fight clubs, not understanding that the point of the movie is how easily white male anger is co-opted for violence and mindless support of empty and hateful causes.

And they’ve done this due to their love of a show they think makes them look smart or that they feel justifies their loneliness. Maybe they’re not alone because they’re so intelligent, maybe the problem is that they’re the kind of people who would get mad at a fast food place for not having enough sauce. The problems in their life most likely begin and end at that fact.



Does this tie into some over arching (pardon the pun) to belong to something, anything? Is this the millennial version of disaffect youth?

Seems to me a true Rick & Morty fan wouldn't give any F#¢£s about a stupid fast food promotion.
But hey, in the latest episode Rick kicks the president in the nuts . . . maybe all these fans will go out and try that next.

[GeneChing]

Pigging out: Internet mocks McDonald's new China name (http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/pigging-out-internet-mocks-mcdonald-s-new-china-name-1.3649629)

https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.3649632.1509018603!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/image.jpg
People stand outside a McDonald's restaurant in Beijing. (© GREG BAKER / AFP)

Published Thursday, October 26, 2017 7:52AM EDT

McDonald's in China provoked snorts of laughter Thursday, as internet users mocked a ham-fisted new company name that sounds a lot like the Chinese word for a pig eating.
Earlier this month, the company quietly changed its official name from a transliteration of "McDonald's" to a new moniker meaning "Golden Arches" -- a reference to the business's famous logo.
It was an under-the-radar decision only intended for official use, not for restaurants, the company said in a statement.
But the move threatened to turn into something of a PR nightmare after an enterprising Internet user uncovered the change in corporate filings.
Social media wags quickly pointed out the word -- gong -- sounds similar to one that describes a pig snorting and digging in the dirt for food, or "rooting" in English.
It was an unfortunate association for a restaurant that has long sought to dissociate itself from unhealthy eating habits.
By early Thursday afternoon, the hashtag "Golden Arches" had been viewed 2 million times, with many commenters hamming up its porcine associations.
"Thank you for 'snorting'," one user named "bundled meat" wrote on Weibo, a play on the words McDonald's servers often use to welcome customers.
"Pig snort snort, golden snort snort, if it's tasty come snort again," wrote another user.
Picking a Chinese name can be difficult for foreign corporations. Airbnb's Chinese name "Aibiying" meaning "welcome each other with love" has not gone over well with Chinese for its phonetic clunkiness.
Max Factor, the cosmetics company, chose a name that to some Chinese sounds like "a buddha wrapped in honey."
Coca-cola is one company that got it right, transliterating its English name to "kekou kele" meaning "Happiness you can taste."
A McDonald's China spokeswoman said in a statement Thursday that the company's new name is purely a formality.
"The company's name is only for registration purposes," the statement said.
"It will have no effect on normal business operations."

Coca Cola did NOT get it right - the initial translation was 'bite the wax tadpole' (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?39543-what-s-your-chinese-name&p=647222#post647222)

[GeneChing]

Olympic Athletes Will Still Get Free McDonald's Food (http://www.foodandwine.com/news/olympic-athletes-free-mcdonalds-food)

https://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/mm/image?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn-image.foodandwine.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F styles%2Fmedium_2x%2Fpublic%2Fmcdonalds-olympics-2018-ft-blog0218.jpg%3Fitok%3DZ64pnW7N&w=800&q=85
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Getty Images

Despite McDonald's ending its partnership with the Olympics, McDonald's Korea will continue to indulge the appetites of PyeongChang's athletes.

ELISABETH SHERMAN February 09, 2018
There are many perks to being an Olympic athlete: The medals, the world travels, the adoring fans whom they inspire and encourage. Also, there’s the free fast food. For the past 41 years, McDonald’s has been an official sponsor of the Olympic games, but last year that partnership abruptly came to an end. Will that stop the South Korean arm of the chain from giving out free food to athletes? No, not at all.

Last summer, McDonald’s decided to end its three-year contract with the Olympics early—the company had originally intended to continue sponsoring the games up until the 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo. In recent years the IOC has faced criticism that sponsors like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola conflict with the healthy lifestyle that most athletes promote and embody.

McDonald’s will still be allowed to have a presence in Pyeongchang this year, however, and it’s capitalizing on the opportunity by opening two locations in Gangneung—one of which is shaped like a burger and fries. Those locations will still offer free meals to the competing athletes. Demand for those Big Macs is so high, in fact, that during the 2016 Olympic Games, McDonald’s actually had to put a cap on the number of items an athlete is allowed to order at one time at 20.

For the average person, 20 McDonald’s menu items at once might seem like a lot of food, but remember that these athletes are training into the early hours of the morning, making demands of their bodies us non-Olympians probably can’t even imagine. As Michael Phelps recently told Food & Wine, at the height of his career he was eating as many as 10,000 calories per day—and a few cheeseburgers and boxes of chicken nuggets goes a long way in contributing to that lofty number.

While Phelps explains that he tried to be as healthy as possibly during the games, only indulging after he checked out of the Olympic village, his attitude at least seems as though it’s unique: McDonald’s is so popular among the athletes, the company literally had to tell them to stop ordering so much food. Maybe that will put things in perspective next time you’re feeling guilty about stopping by McDonald’s for a Big Mac (or two).


Thread: Winter Olympics (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70589-Winter-Olympics)
Thread: McDonalds (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65572-McDonalds)

[GeneChing]

I can't imagine the water squirting was accidental, but that's way too extreme of a response.


Cleveland McDonald's manager accused of shooting at customers in drive-thru line (http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2018/02/cleveland_mcdonalds_manager_ac.html)
Updated Feb 26, 4:20 AM; Posted Feb 23

http://image.cleveland.com/home/cleve-media/width600/img/plain_dealer_metro/photo/mark-fort-srjpg-656fc640a5300464.jpg
Mark Fort(Cuyahoga County jail)

By Courtney Astolfi, cleveland.com castolfi@cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A manager at a Cleveland McDonald's is accused of shooting at customers who were buying a smoothie in the drive-thru.

A warrant was issued Thursday for the arrest of 52-year-old Mark Fort. He is not in custody, jail and court records show.

Fort was identified in a Cleveland police report as the manager on duty at the McDonald's at the intersection of St. Clair Avenue and East 152nd Street in South Collinwood.

Three women went through the restaurant's drive-thru at about 2:20 a.m. Wednesday. They ordered a smoothie and the man they believed to be the manager handed it to them, a Cleveland police report says.

As they began to pull away, a woman in the backseat opened her water bottle, the report says. The woman said it caused some water to squirt inside and outside their car, and also toward the drive-thru window, the report says.

The women said they heard the employee call them a name, followed by two gunshots, the report says. The group drove off and called police.

Officers found a bullet hole near one of the car's tail lights. Police interviewed the manager and another employee, who said they had no issues with any customers that night, the report says. Both denied knowing anything about a shooting as well, the report says.

Fort told police he did not have access to the restaurant's surveillance footage, including video captured by two cameras that were pointed at the drive-thru line, the report says.

Fort has eight prior convictions in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court between 1984 and 2009, including carrying a concealed weapon, heaving a weapon as a felon, unlawful restraint, drug possession, attempted trespassing and forgery, court records show.

[GeneChing]

Might as well start an International Women's Day (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70717-International-Women-s-Day) thread here, even though I'm not sure there are any active women actually posting here anymore. Maybe we still have women lurkers. I hope so.

I'm also copying this to McDonalds (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65572-McDonalds) thread to because, well, McFeminism. :rolleyes:


McDonald's Women's Day tribute labelled 'McFeminism' (http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-43330398)
By Tom Gerken
BBC UGC & Social News
3 hours ago

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/B29B/production/_100332754_md.jpg
MCDONALD'S
McDonald's turned its M logo upside down online and in Lynwood, California

A positive way to mark International Women's Day, an act of "corporate feminism" in the face of calls for staff to be paid a living wage, or a tribute to East Asian cartoons?

McDonald's have flipped their logo upside-down "in celebration of women everywhere," according to a statement from Wendy Lewis, the fast food chain's chief diversity officer.

The inverted golden arches can be seen on McDonald's United States social media channels, and on a signpost outside one restaurant in Lynwood, California, USA.

But the act has been branded "McFeminism" by some people who have criticised "corporate-friendly" feminism, with others calling for McDonald's to focus on pay rather than "symbolic gestures".


Skip Twitter post by @KyleKulinski (https://twitter.com/KyleKulinski/status/971462356780929038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fblogs-trending-43330398)
Secular Talk
✔
@KyleKulinski
This is hilarious. Keep your symbolic gesture about women's rights and pay your female (and male) workers a living wage. #McFeminism https://twitter.com/businessinsider/status/971458435383549952 …

11:07 AM - Mar 7, 2018
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For some people this alone would not be enough. American Muslim lawyer and writer Qasim Rashid tweeted about the need for more women and minorities to be hired in leadership positions, while another suggested the franchise could try to offer "a career path forward in the face of automation".


Skip Twitter post by @truebe (https://twitter.com/truebe/status/971450954053697536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fblogs-trending-43330398)

bogwolf
@truebe
McDonalds: In celebration of women we are flipping the arches upside down.

Or you could give your employees better benefits.

McD: Look it's a W!

Maybe a living wage? Better family leave? A career path forward in the face of automation?

McD: The W stands for women.

10:22 AM - Mar 7, 2018
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End of Twitter post by @truebe

However, one reply pointed out their local franchise "pays $11.50 and full benefits".

And not everyone was critical of McDonald's move, with Antonio J Lucio, Chief Marketing Officer of computer manufacturer HP calling it an "iconic statement".

But others disagreed, with a Twitter user joking that the move was a way to avoid paying staff more.


Skip Twitter post by @themariosantana (https://twitter.com/themariosantana/status/971465132550209537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fblogs-trending-43330398)

mario santana
@themariosantana
Replying to @businessinsider
Cost-Benefit Analyst: it's cheaper to change all our signs than pay our women (and men) employees a living wage.

McDonalds: done!#McFeminism

11:18 AM - Mar 7, 2018
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End of Twitter post by @themariosantana

And Leon Martins, a YouTuber with over seven million subscribers, suggested that because the Portugese for woman is mulher, "McDonald's in Brazil are honouring Women's Day all year round".

Meanwhile, for some people the upside-down logo had a different meaning entirely as online references were posted to "WcDonald's" - a brand name which often appears in anime series to get around copyright laws.

This prompted one person to jokingly praise McDonald's "unprecedented show of support for anime", while another shared a still from the show InuYasha featuring characters in a restaurant with a now-familiar W on the window.


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the hrt locker
@cambrian_era
Anime nerds have been going to WcDonalds for ages.

8:36 PM - Mar 7, 2018
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[GeneChing]

Chinamite. How awesome is that? :rolleyes:


The Tasteless History of 'Mulan' and McDonald's Szechuan Sauce Tie-In (https://www.moviefone.com/2018/06/19/mulan-disney-mcdonalds-szechuan-sauce/)
Posted June 19th, 2018 by Drew Taylor

https://dz7u9q3vpd4eo.cloudfront.net/wp-content/legacy/posts/7cab0702-0c81-4ed6-935d-e1f392516e17.jpg

This past weekend, "Incredibles 2" arrived in theaters 14 years after the original film, and with it came a tidal wave of merchandise and licensed tie-ins (do you have your branded paper towels yet?). Maybe the most important of these promotional activations was with McDonald's, the fast food chain that Disney hadn't been aligned with for more than a decade. For the first time since 2006, there would be Disney toys in everyone's Happy Meal boxes.

But it wasn't always like this.

Back in 1998, before the shocking rise in childhood obesity rates left Disney wondering if a class action lawsuit was just around the corner, there was a strategic alliance between Disney and McDonald's that was truly staggering. This was the year that McDonald's sponsored an entire land at the newly opened Disney's Animal Kingdom, a union that would ultimately lead to the creation of the McRib (but that is an entirely different story). There was another Disney/McDonald's team-up that would give rise to another coveted item: Szechuan Sauce.

Let's back up for a moment: "Mulan" was the latest in a series of Disney animated features that pretty much everyone hoped would be a huge blockbuster in the Summer of 1998. This was released toward the end of the Disney Renaissance, a period for the studio that began in the late 1980s with movies like "The Great Mouse Detective" and "The Little Mermaid." It would continue with hit after hit ("Aladdin!" "The Lion King!") until the end of the 1990s ("Tarzan," most would agree, was the conclusion of this period of time).

Accompanying each release were truly grandiose promotional stunts; "Pocahontas" got a world premiere in Central Park and "Hercules" brought the Main Street Electrical Parade through midtown Manhattan. And then, there were, of course, the tie-ins, and "Mulan" had a particularly aggressive campaign courtesy of McDonald's.

Again, 1998 was the height of the Disney/McDonald's partnership. Earlier in the year, they had sponsored that land at Disney's Animal Kingdom and, indeed, in addition to the Happy Meal toys, there were McDonald's kiosks in many of the domestic theme parks where you could grab fries or a Big Mac on your walk to Space Mountain. (Seriously, these were glorious times.)

Looking back on the "Mulan" campaign though, well, things could have certainly played out differently.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=Rldf5iJYFvI

Watching television commercials from the period, all touting the magical szechuan sauce -- seen as a promotional dipping sauce for the fast food chain's chicken McNuggets -- you can feel that something is off. There's the commercial, for instance, where a small Caucasian girl greets her family with a polite bow, before making her family sit on the floor and, finally, using her martial arts skills to chop down the normally-sized table so that her family, now on the floor, can eat properly. (Yes, there is a traditional/stereotypical "oriental" gong.) Another ad had McDonald's spokes-clown Ronald McDonald karate chopping the restaurant chain's logo. And when you got your nuggets, the box said things like "Run, don't wok ..." and "McDonalds is Chinamite!" I was 15 at the time and even I remember thinking they were a little off.

According to Entertainment Weekly, an "email campaign" (ah, 1998) was started by a Chinese-American student at Cornell University. At the time, Disney claimed that they had screened the campaign for Asian-American employees and didn't find anything offensive. McDonald's said the same. But the damage had been done.

The campaign had been rolled out on June 17, 1998 (two days before the movie was released) and by July 2, everything -- including the offensive McNuggets and the covered Szechuan sauce -- was gone. In its place was a promotion for "Armageddon," another Disney blockbuster for the summer of 1998. If you ordered a "super-sized" fries, you could win one of a million tickets to the movie.

End of story, right?

Wrong.

A 2017 episode of "Rick and Morty," the ultra-hip [adult swim] animated series, heavily referenced the delicious sauce, with Rick traveling to a simulated version of 1998 just so he could get his hands on that sauce again. (The episode aired on April Fool's Day.) In response, McDonald's, hoping for some of that sweet, sweet social engagement (perhaps just as delicious as the sauce itself), released a limited batch of the sauce in the fall of 2017. Things ... did not go as planned.

Overzealous fans of the show, unhappy with just how limited the limited batch really was, caused a scene at several locations and even staged a full-scale riot. Afterwards, they would sell the coveted sauce online for untold sums of money. In response, McDonald's rolled out a more democratic stunt earlier this year. You can get a packet online -- right now! -- for less than $10.

While it wasn't quite as bad, PR-wise, as those commercials that were -- at the very least offensive and, at the very worst, all-out racist -- the "Rick and Morty"-adjacent rollout last year was just as much a fiasco. While undeniably delectable, the Szechuan sauce is irrevocably linked to bad taste.

THREADS:
McDonalds (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?65572-McDonalds)
Mulan (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?53202-Mulan)

[David Jamieson]

I like Rick and Morty too.
It's got some funny stuff for sure.

But, I have to ask myself what is up with some of you Americans acting out like this over sauce packets.
It's weird. It's not funny after the 1st time (like the 100 thousand hide behind a blanket to fool your dog videos).
Anyway, we need better entertainment value from the shenanigans of the general public in my opinion. :D

[GeneChing]

But, I have to ask myself what is up with some of you Americans acting out like this over sauce packets.
It's weird. It's not funny after the 1st time (like the 100 thousand hide behind a blanket to fool your dog videos).

Lawd, I wish I knew. Murica has become really weird, like the Mirror Universe. Somehow, we became a huge reality TV show. Case and point, the new McD promo below. Really? WTH? :confused:



https://cms.qz.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BigMac.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1600
AP/GENE J. PUSKAR
That’ll be $5, 20 yuan, or one MacCoin.

HA-PPP-Y MEAL
For the Big Mac’s 50th anniversary, McDonald’s is celebrating the economic concept of purchasing power parity (https://qz.com/1344948/mcdonalds-maccoin-promotion-provides-an-important-lesson-in-economics/)
By Dan Kopf 6 hours ago

It is the big 5-0 for the Big Mac, and McDonald’s is doing something special to celebrate the bestselling burger. Since this is 2018, what better way to mark the occasion than by launching a gimmicky pseudo-cryptocurrency?

Starting tomorrow (Aug. 2), McDonald’s will distribute more than 6 million “MacCoins” in thousands of restaurants in 50 countries. Buy a Big Mac, get a MacCoin, and then use that coin to get another Big Mac at any participating McDonald’s outlet, anywhere in the world. The coins—actual, physical coins unlinked to any blockchain or other form of distributed ledger—have five different designs highlighting each decade of the Big Mac: flower power for the 1970s, pop art for the 1980s, abstract shapes for the 1990s (such an abstract time, the nineties), technology for the 2000s, and communication for the 2010s. Bitcoin wishes it were so snazzy.

It’s a marketing ploy, to be sure, but the MacCoin promotion draws its inspiration, strangely enough, from a geeky index created by the The Economist to explain the concept of purchasing power parity.

Created in 1986, the Big Mac Index compares the cost of Big Macs across countries to examine whether currencies are over or undervalued. The index is crude but useful, and has spawned variety of imitators, including the latte index and iPod index. These indexes illustrate the economic theory that exchange rates should reflect the value of goods that you can buy in different countries. The theory that currencies should have “purchasing power parity” was first developed by the Swedish economist Gustav Kassel in the early 1920s.

The argument for purchasing power parity is that if exchange rates allow you to buy a lot more of the same stuff in one country than another, people would just by products in one country and sell them in the other and make off like bandits. This isn’t often the case, for a variety of reasons, the main ones being that goods cannot be cheaply transported across borders and many others can’t be traded at all, like labor costs. Taxes, tariffs, market competition, and other factors also play a role.

Using the ubiquitous Big Mac as a proxy for a good that people can buy pretty much anywhere in the world, The Economist’s index compares what it costs to buy a burger in different countries with the exchange rate of those countries’ currencies. If a Big Mac costs 20 yuan in China and $5 in the US, that implies an exchange rate of 4 yuan to the dollar. The actual exchange rate, however, is closer to 7 yuan to the dollar, implying that the Chinese currency is undervalued by some 40% versus the dollar. The same goes for the yuan versus the yen, although the Chinese currency is only around 10% undervalued versus the yen, according to the latest data.

Since it’s much easier to transport a MacCoin from China to the US than it is to ship an actual Big Mac—assuming that there isn’t an untapped market for cold, soggy sandwiches—the promotion allows enterprising burger lovers to experience purchasing power parity in a real way. MacCoins acquired in China could, in theory, be traded for cash in the US and both parties end up better off. By selling a coin at a small discount to the price of a Big Mac in the US, the Chinese seller gets more money than it takes to buy a Big Mac back home (factoring in the cost of mailing a coin abroad), thanks to the overvalued dollar. The American buyer, meanwhile, gets a token for a Big Mac below cost, thanks to the undervalued yuan.

The margins on this trade are thin and making money at scale off this scheme would be difficult—for the record, McDonald’s says that MacCoins “may not be auctioned, sold, or duplicated in any way”—but stranger things have happened.

[GeneChing]

I confess that I totally fell for that “Poo found on every McDonald’s touch screen tested” headline in the UK Metro (https://metro.co.uk/2018/11/28/poo-found-on-every-mcdonalds-touchscreen-tested-8178486/). It went so viral. So I was going to post it here but a tiny bit of web fact checking brought up this WaPo article. Must FACT CHECK every single time.


No, McDonald’s touch screens are not contaminated with poop (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2018/11/29/no-mcdonalds-touch-screens-are-not-contaminated-with-poop/?utm_term=.1a4ff7c07258)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/resizer/KbLgF7vRsRBeQtQaY1gZd8LUpvY=/1484x0/arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazonaws.com/public/T4XEW5HT5YI6RGOCZ7FG7T3BBQ.jpg
A woman walks past a McDonald's restaurant in central London on Sept. 4, 2017. (Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images) (TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images)

By Kristine Phillips November 29 at 3:04 PM

“Poo found on every McDonald’s touch screen tested.”

So says a tabloid headline that conjures an image of stool smeared on McDonald’s self-order touch screens ― you know, those giant screens that people touch just before they eat their cheeseburgers.

But the reality is far more mundane, not the public health pandemonium this headline suggests.

No, there is no poop on McDonald’s touch screens. There are, however, bacteria — a lot of them. These are the same bacteria that live in people’s gut, intestines, nose, skin, mouth, throat and, yes, stool. Some live in soil and water. The article with the aforementioned headline lists the harmful bacteria that were found on the touch screens of several McDonald’s restaurants in the London area. It notes the infections and diseases people could get from them.

What it doesn’t mention is that: (1) Humans, with the trillions of bacterial cells we carry inside and outside our bodies, leave and acquire bacteria everywhere ― on doorknobs, elevator buttons, shopping carts, trains, anywhere inside a New York City subway station and, of course, McDonald’s self-order touch screens. (2) These bacteria are very unlikely to harm a healthy person. (3) There have been no public health reports about infections caused by filthy touch screens at these McDonald’s or any other locations.

[The shocking reason that this man’s legs and hands were amputated: A dog’s saliva]

“These kinds of stories are irritating,” said David Coil, a microbiologist at the University of California at Davis. “It’s always something: kids' toys, doorknobs, touch screens. These are all the same objects touched by people. Of course there will be human-associated bacteria on them. Washing your hands more or less does the trick.”

Unless one can determine who exactly touched those McDonald’s screens, it’s impossible to determine how dangerous these surfaces are ― or if they’re even dangerous at all, Coil said.

The story by Metro, a tabloid newspaper in Britain, was based on research done by Paul Matewele, a senior lecturer at London Metropolitan University. His researchers went to 11 McDonald’s restaurants in London and Birmingham and took swab samples from the touch screens.

After three weeks of tests, Matewele found 10 types of bacteria, three of which are harmless, he said. Among the ones that raised concerns are coliforms, usually found in the gut; Enterococcus faecalis and enterobacter, which can be found in intestines; staphylococcus, normally found in the nose; klebsiella, found in the mouth or throat; and micrococcus, found in the skin.

These bacteria can cause urinary tract infection, pneumonia and septicemia, among others, to people with weak immune systems. They are also known to cause the infections that people acquire when they go to a hospital, Matewele said.

[The most germ-infested places you encounter every day — and how to avoid getting sick]

His goal in conducting the tests is not to cause panic, said Matewele, who specializes in microbiology and immunology. A lot of bacteria are not harmful. Some are helpful and are part of our immune system.

“I’m trying very hard not to sound alarmist,” he said. “These are microorganisms that you find in humans anyway.”

But the Metro story makes neither of these points.

Coil does agree with Matewele that bacteria found on the touch screens have health risks, but he said it’s unfair to focus on specific objects used by a specific business establishment. The touch screens inside a McDonald’s are no more concerning than a doorknob, or the toilet inside the International Space Station, which is inhabited by people. Enterobacter, the same antibiotic-resistant bacteria found on some of the touch screens, is also present in the toilet of the space station, according to a study published by the journal BMC Microbiology.

These strains of bacteria are not “an active threat to human health but something to be monitored,” one of the study’s authors said in a statement.

Matewele said he did not intend to place any blame on the fast-food giant and only wanted to raise awareness, especially among people who consume food at restaurants or other public places.

“If people know about it, they can do something. … They can probably take something like an anti-bacterial cleanser,” Matewele said.

In a statement, McDonald’s said: “Our self-order screens are cleaned frequently throughout the day with a sanitizer solution. All of our restaurants also provide facilities for customers to wash their hands before eating.”

[GeneChing]

McDonald's apologizes after people said an ad supported Taiwan independence from China (https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/mcdonalds-apologizes-after-people-said-an-ad-supported-taiwan-independence-from-china/ar-BBSxh0Q)
Lucy Handley 3 hrs ago

https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BBSxh0O.img?h=419&w=799&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=1608&y=701
© Provided by CNBC LLC A McDonald's outlet in Taiwan

An ad from McDonald's Taiwan that sparked a row about whether it showed support for the country's independence from China has been withdrawn.

The commercial, broadcast on YouTube, showed a student's exam admission ticket stating her nationality as Taiwanese. She drops the ticket on the street and it's run over by a truck, before being washed clean by a water sprayer. The ad then rewinds and the student is shown eating an Egg McMuffin, known as a Man Fu Bao — which reportedly has a similar pronunciation in Mandarin to "full of good luck."

People in China protested against the ad online, accusing the company of supporting an independent Taiwan, according to a report on the Focus Taiwan website on Saturday.

McDonald's Taiwan said the ad promoted its Egg McMuffin and aimed to boost students' morale, while McDonald's China said it supported the "One China" principle. "We regret about the ad which had stirred up such an unnecessary misunderstanding," McDonald's in China said on its Weibo page, according to Focus Taiwan. "We always hold a solid 'One China' stance and we are determined to continue to support China's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The ad was posted on YouTube on December 6 and withdrawn on December 18 after the online backlash, but McDonald's Taiwan did not say whether it removed the ad because of the protests.

Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged against "foreign interference" in China's relationship with Taiwan. Beijing views Taiwan as a province that has no right to international recognition as a separate political entity and has increased pressure on multinational companies to refer to Taiwan as part of China.

"Deviating from the 'One China' principle will make the situation of cross (strait) relations tense and chaotic. That's harming the interests of our Taiwan compatriots," Xi said, according to an official English-language translation of a speech broadcast on state media on January 1.

Last week, Alex Huang, the spokesperson for Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, said it would not bow to pressure from China.

McDonald's China and McDonald's Taiwan had not responded to CNBC's requests for comment at the time of publication.

- CNBC's Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.

Man Fu Bao not so lucky for Mc's PRC PR... :o