Fast Food Nastiness

[GeneChing]

Burger King trolls McDonald's for losing Big Mac trademark in the EU
Published Feb. 1, 2019
By Erica Sweeney



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

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



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

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

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

Gotta hand it to BK. This is funny.

[GeneChing]

In contrast to BK's previous euro marketing...

Burger King franchise 'refuses' to close 800 Russian restaurants
CNN Digital Expansion 2016
By Jordan Valinsky, CNN Business
Updated 8:15 AM ET, Fri March 18, 2022

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

The burger chain, owned by Restaurant Brands International (QSR), has a joint venture partnership with businessman Alexander Kolobov in Russia. RBI controls just 15% of its Russian Burger King business, and Kolobov is responsible for the "day-to-day operations and oversight" of its locations in the country.
That means Burger King can't just snap its fingers and close up shop.
"We started the process to dispose [of] our ownership stake in the business," said David Shear, president of RBI's international operations, in an open letter. "While we would like to do this immediately, it is clear that it will take some time to do so based on the terms of our existing joint venture agreement."

A Burger King restaurant at a St. Petersburg shopping center.
McDonald's (MCD), by contrast, owns more than 80% of its restaurants in Russia outright. That made exiting the country significantly easier.
Shear said that RBI has "demanded" that the joint venture immediately close the Burger Kings, but Kolobov has "refused to do so."
Burger King entered Russia about a decade ago, operating the joint venture with Kolobov, Investment Capital Ukraine and VTB Capital, a Russian bank that has been hit with sanctions.
Shear explained that a "complicated legal process" is preventing it from shutting down the partnership and businesses.
"There are no legal clauses that allow us to unilaterally change the contract or allow any one of the partners to simply walk away or overturn the entire agreement," Shear said. "No serious investor in any industry in the world would agree to a long-term business relationship with flimsy termination clauses."
Last week, Burger King pulled corporate support from its businesses in Russia, including suspending operations, marketing and supply chain assistance.
This issue highlights the problems some Western companies and banks face in pulling out of Russia, complicated by joint ventures or partnerships that they don't have complete control over. For example, a Papa Johns (PZZA) franchisee in Russia refused to close about 200 locations even after the pizza chain suspended corporate support for it.

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Fast-Food-Nastiness
Ukraine

[GeneChing]

McDonald's Brings Back Szechuan Sauce for a Limited Time This Month
The fan-favorite sauce will be available exclusively on the McDonald’s App on March 31
By Stephanie Wenger
March 21, 2022 12:01 AM

CREDIT: MCDONALD'S
Mark your calendars, Szechuan sauce is returning to McDonald's!

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

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


CREDIT: MCDONALD'S

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[GeneChing]

McDonald's is leaving Russia, after more than 30 years

May 16, 20228:43 AM ET
BILL CHAPPELL

McDonald's arrived in Moscow when Russia was still part of the Soviet Union. Tens of thousands of customers stood in line when its first restaurant opened on Jan. 31, 1990, at Moscow's Pushkin Square.
Vitaly Armand/AFP via Getty Images
McDonald's is exiting Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, pulling out of a market it's been a part of for 32 years. The fast-food giant had previously paused its operations in Russia less than two weeks into the brutal conflict being waged over Ukraine's future.

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

The company cites ethics and business reasons

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

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

Tens of thousands of employees will be affected

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

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

McDonald's arrival helped start a new era in Russia

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


YouTube
It was seen as a concrete sign of the thawing of the Cold War, of Russia's progress at a time when it was part of the communist Soviet Union, and of the arrival of a new gateway to the West.

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

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

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

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

Fast-Food-Nastiness/
Ukraine

[GeneChing]

'Time capsule' Burger King found fully intact behind a wall at a Delaware mall
The internet enjoys a nostalgic fast-food relic.


This "vintage" Burger King will transport you right back to the '80s.Getty Images / Jonathan Pruitt
June 30, 2022, 2:57 PM PDT
By Joseph Lamour

Who needs a time machine when you have the internet?

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


The interior of the shuttered Burger King at the Concord Mall in Wilmington, Delaware.Courtesy Jonathan Pruitt
Trash cans still ask long-gone patrons to "get your trash in here some way" in the fast food giant’s signature font and the space still appears to have its original parquet flooring, patterned wallpaper and '80s-style wall décor. The shuttered restaurant is truly a liminal space on overdrive.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well, to end on quite an understatement: Now it has been.

I was goiing to make some comment about the fries still being good but they beat me to the punch there.

[GeneChing]

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

McDonald's Debuts Limited-Edition 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' -Inspired Happy Meal
Each Happy Meal will include one of ten Wakanda Forever superhero toys
By Ingrid Vasquez Published on November 2, 2022 09:15 PM


Wakanda Happy Meal

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Black-Panther-Wakanda-Forever
Fast-Food-Nastiness

[GeneChing]

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

[GeneChing]

2023-Year-of-the-Rabbit
Fast-Food-Nastiness

[GeneChing]

Food
McDonald’s Japan mistakenly creates sexually suggestive drink cups
Aug. 6, 2019 06:15 am JST
By Lucy Dayman
TOKYO
Last month McDonald’s Japan released a new range of summer loving-themed McFizz soft drinks. The drinks come in three refreshing flavors Lemon Ginger, Blue Hawaii, and Blood Orange, and they’re all bubbly and brightly colored.

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

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

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


But thanks to some creative thinking and clever angles on behalf of McDonald’s customers, this innocent summer romance story gets a lot hotter and heavier than the fast-food chain intended.

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

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

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

This post really lives up to the title of this thread...

[GeneChing]

What’s Next for McDonald’s and Beyond Meat? Plant-Based Chicken McNuggets
McDonald’s and Beyond Meat unveil their second collaboration: plant-based McNuggets. Germany’s 1,400 McDonald’s locations will be the first to try them.

by ANNA STAROSTINETSKAYA
FEBRUARY 21, 2023

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

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

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

The McPlant grows roots in Europe

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



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

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

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

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



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

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

Burger King’s plant-based options reign supreme

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

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

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


For Veganuary 2023 and beyond, Burger King took its plant-based exploration a step further with new partners. Its new plant-based bacon cheeseburgers feature vegan bacon made by Parisian company La Vie and vegan cheese by Greek brand Violife.

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

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



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


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

Fast-Food-Nastiness
Vegetarian