McDonald's International Media Days 2008 (Day 2, Part 2)

Next up on Day 2 of McDonald's International Media Days 2008 was Senior Director, U.S. Restaurant Design, Max Carmona who outlined the company's Green Building Strategy. And, if you think this is just about the building, you will be surprised.

But, speaking of buildings ... did you know?:

• there are 14,000 McDonald's restaurants in the U.S.
• there are 31,000 McDonald's restaurants in the world.
• the concept of a "Green Restaurant" has been under development for years and is now already rolled out in the south side of Chicago.
• Green Restaurants are under construction in France, Brazil, and Canada.

The bottom line of Max's assignment is to create a functional and environmentally progressive facility that "satisfies both the customers' perception and the crew's satisfaction".

Max outlined critical elements of his program, grouping them into four major categories:

• water reduction
• energy reduction
• materials of construction
• social equity

Then, Max delivered The McChronicles to the actual Green Restaurant, on the corner of 42nd and Ashland on Chicago's South Side (a community known as "Back Of The Yards"). There we were met by Doug Kimball (pictured) who provided an extremely detailed tour of this living laboratory. The tour started with two drawings of the facility, a site overview and a building detail.

The site and building exterior feature innovations including: LED signage that consumes tons less energy,permeable paving that allows rainwater to soak into the water table versus swamping the public drainage system, a cistern that collects storm water used to water the native vegetation - both on the ground and on the roof, skylights, and a heat recovery system. Trust The McChronicles - there is lots more.

Doug then headed indoors where he handed The McChronicles over to John Rockwell who pointed out features such as: low-flow plumbing features saving water per flush, LED lighting and a computerized system that measures natural light and adjusts artificial lighting accordingly, multiple recycling stations, and building materials (tables, chairs, divider walls, decorations, etc.) made from recycled materials such as milk and detergent containers, ceramic floor tile made from 40% pre-consumer waste material, and decor made using low-emitting materials.

Honestly, it was difficult to take it all in on the first pass.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.

Images: The McChronicles.

McDonald's International Media Days 2008 (Day 1, Part 2)

The second part of our first day of McDonald's International Media Days (see part of McDonald's International Media Days 2008) was much less formal and a lot more hands-on. And since it was getting to be about that time, The McChronicles is talking about hands on LUNCH!

Today's lunch was served in McDonald's ultra-top secret "Innovation Center". Seriously, this place has such limited access that many of ther McDonald's staff that accompanied The McChronicles into the facility expressed excitement that THEY were able to get inside. A tour of this detail, with the degree of openness that we experienced was said to be "unprecedented".

Now, while The McChronicles WAS hungry, it was still all about, "Chronicling the McDonald's Brand Experience From The Customers' Point Of View." Here's what we learned (in between bites and while touring the facility):

1. There are some very tasty new foods in the pipeline.


2. There are some very tasty foods in existence around the world that aren't in your region.


3. There are some very sophisticated processes (and equipment) in place - and being put into place - to keep our meals tasty, consistent, and safe.


4. There are some very cool ideas as to how to make our total experience faster and more accurate/rewarding.


5. There are some very dedicated professionals working hard behind the scenes to make this all happen for us.

PIPELINE:

A discussion and demonstration and video of experimental equipment led up to the cool new products that were under consideration. While we didn't get to sample any of the "concepts" The McChronicles can report that all sorts of food products are being evaluated, from vegetables, to beverages, to traditional sandwiches made in new ways.

INTERNATIONAL MENU:
The McChronicles dove into a table full of food that can only be found in McDonald's around the world. As loyal readers know, The McChronicles travels extensively, but having such a variety of meals in one room at one time was special, even for this experienced traveller. We enjoyed the (sort of) previously-reported on Shaka Shaka Chicken (it was potato in our report from 2006). This version of the Japanese Shaka Shaka concept is a real winner. The concept is to receive an already tasty piece of chicken in a semi-sealed bag, insert your personal favorite selection of spices, shake it up (shaka shaka) and enjoy it. The McChronicles tried the lemon pepper spice and LOVED it, a lot.

Another of the several awesome regional products is THE CBO. CBO, from France, stands for Chicken, Bacon, Onions. With the proper garnishment, a slice of cheese, and sauce, this sandwich is awesome.

The McChronicles' favorite was the Canadian Angus Burger. All we can say is, Wow! The garlic mayonnaise is just right and adds the perfect flair to the basic large burger. Loyal readers will recognize, by studying the 3 photos of the Angus Burger, that McDonald's is using the "McPamper" concept suggested by The McChronicles in 2005. See the three photos at the top of this post. This sandwich, and others, can be silghtly unwieldy and juicy, and the extra support from the included piece of tissue paper really helps. Thanks, McDonald's.

There were others, but these were our highlights.

PROCESSES:
Fry lovers - occasionally disappointed by fries that are: undersalted, oversalted, undercooked, overcooked, too cold, cooked in less-than-perfect oil? Sure you are. The McChronicles witnessed a new machine called the LOV Fryer (low oil volume) that uses less oil and less energy while frequently filtering the oil (keeping it cleaner), using less oil so the oil can be changed more frequently, while automatically salting the fries with the proper distribution and volume. We sampled the machine's output - best McDonald's fries we ever tasted!

BETTER EXPERIENCE:
McDonald's demonstrated some new software the allows us, the customer, to place our own order (like we do when checking in at an airpoirt, for example) from a very intuitive, simple to use touch-screen menu. It not only is easy to find what you are looking for, change it, go back in mid-order and delete things, etc., but it also presents more choices than the traditional wall-mounted menu has space for. Curmudgeons and traditionalists may not like it, but anyone under 40 has been yearning for such control (and speed) for a long time now. Yeah!

DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS:
The concept of a "McDonald's Engineer" is probably not in most of our heads, but such people do exist - and they are working hard to make our McDonald's experience better. The McChronicles had the opportunity to chat briefly with a few. Truth be told, they are almost geekily into automation, process excellence, pareto charting, focus grouping, video monitoring, and the like. Hey, we don't need them at our parties, we just appreciate the fact that they make our lunches more consistent, safer, and faster. The last photo is one we snapped while in the top secret Innovation Center. Stand down McChronicles legal counsel - we were granted permission for this long-distance shot.

That's it for today. More tomorrow.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Images: The McChronicles.

Double Cheeseburger Issue (part 3)

The McChronicles enjoyed yesterday's double cheeseburger so much that ... well ... you know.

Today The McChronicles and a friend stopped back in for more. And, we got to thinking. We wondered about the differences between what we were "sold" and what we actually received.

So, we ordered two sandwiches (Big Mac, double cheeseburger), snapped their pictures (as received), then went online to see what McDonald's are telling us they SHOULD look like (sold).

We're not going to tell you which is which.

What do you think?

Images:
McDonald's double cheeseburger, McDonald's Big Mac: McDonalds.com.
Other images: The McChronicles.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.

Double Cheeseburger Issue (part 2)

Fans of The McChronicles will recall vividly how The McChronicles discussed the "goings-on" related to the double cheeseburger. Here is more info.

Background:
McDonald's is reportedly experimenting with either removing the double cheeseburger from the dollar menu or cheapening it up by removing cheese, or discontinuing it. Prices (for some version of the above) are said to be ranging from $1.00 to $1.09 to $1.19.


Today:
Being in a "need to know" mode, The McChronicles drove to our home McDonald's, took a look at the menu and - BAM! There it was, double cheeseburger, $1. Just like always. Apparently, The McChronicles was not in a test zone.

LOCATION: New Hartford, NY (Route 5)
STORE #: 825
ORDER: Double cheeseburger, small fries, bottled water

Result:
The McChronicles purchased a double cheeseburger, a small order of fries, and enjoyed it - a lot.


The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: The McChronicles.

Double Cheeseburger Issue (part 1)

According to a comment posted at Netflix's MOVIE FANS site, and pointed to by a McChronicles commentor:

"you have to ask for a dbl hamburger with cheese to get the one for $1! If you ask for a dbl cheeseburger they charge you $1.19..."

Well, according to an article on consumerist.com:
"In an interview, Don Thompson, president of McDonald's U.S. business, said the company has tested ways to make the burger less expensive to make. Some restaurants are selling it with one slice of cheese instead of two, and billing it as a "double hamburger with cheese." Others are offering a double hamburger without cheese. Some are selling the traditional double cheeseburger at prices ranging from $1.09 to $1.19."

Does anyone have a definitive comment or statement on this?

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: Nancy Luna's excellent Fast Food Maven. She covered this story months ahead of The McChronicles.

A Consistently Excellent McDonald's

Kudos to the Johnstown, NY McDonald's. It seems that every time the McChronicles drops by, things are in great shape.

LOCATION: Johnstown, NY (Route 30A, Pyramid Mall)
STORE #: 4858
ORDER: Quarter Pounder w/o cheese, bottled water

Previously they received accolades for their awesome presentation. Today they are going to receive praise for their cleanliness. The first impression, upon driving up to the store on a fine fall afternoon, was that the exterior was bright, clean, tidy, and very inviting. The building is in fine repair, and the landscaping is impeccable.

Once inside the restaurant ... just as expected: very clean. The McChronicles asked a crew member why the place was so clean. Her answer seemed perfect. Paraphrasing, she said something to the effect of: People like to know that their food is prepared in a clean place. This IS a clean place, the food is carefully prepared, and our cleanliness tells our customers all this as soon as they walk in.

Actually, The McChronicles could tell from across the parking lot. This place is very clean.

Congratulations, and thanks to the Johnstown, NY McDonald's team.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Images: The McChronicles.

Will McDonald's Adopt Coca Cola's "Beverage Dispeners of the Future"?

Coca Cola has introduced what some are calling the "beverage dispenser of the future".

According to an article on QSRmagazine.com:

“We believe this will do for beverages what mp3 did for music,” says Ray Crockett, director of communications for Coca-Cola North America.

"Customers can choose their beverages—among more than 100 varieties—via a touch screen located on the front of the machine"

"Second-generation versions of the dispensers will begin testing in the first half of 2009"


Wow! Imagine choosing from a selection of over 100 beverages! No more need to mix Coke & orange.

Will we see these in McDonald's soon? It sure sounds like it. If you spot one in action, check it out and report to us via COMMENT. Thanks!

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: QSRmagazine.com

McDonald's Gold Card (Revisited)

The McChronicles has mused about the McDonald's Gold Card previously. At the time it was called The McDonald's McGold Card. A recent comment on the posting has us reopening the topic.

The McChronicles has to admit that we are intrigued by this item, and that we have no personal experience with it. So, we did what any responsible netizen would do and Googled McDonald's Gold Card. We were quickly delivered to the McD Gold Card home page - there is a complete program!

We attempted to register, only to find that, "Only McDonald's employees are authorized to use this site. " So, it is an employee-only thing.

Apparently the card is a way to help employees get discounts at various retail stores. One page that you CAN access on the site offers a depiction of how the card can save the user over $500. According to the example, the McDonald's Gold Card can be used at places like: Apple, Foot Locker, Jiffy Lube, LensCrafters, T-Mobile, and more.

This seems great for the employees.

The McChronicles wonders if McDonald's has ever considered offering an affinity, discount, membership card for customers to use. We think that this could be kind of cool, if done properly. What do you think?

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: McDGoldCard website.

Taiwan's Chung Ho City (Sheng Nan Rd.) McDonald's

The McChronicles dropped in to Taiwan's Chung Ho City (near Taipei) and headed for Sheng Nan Road. That's where this McDonald's is located.

This store is interesting since it combines several funky features all into one restaurant. First, it is a McCafe and a regular store all in one. Next, instead of a drive-thru it offers a walk-up. But it's not an ordinary walk-up, it's sort of a "scooter-up" (you don't actually drive thru in your scooter, you drive up , get off, order, then drive off or eat on the sidewalk). It's a big, urban-type store (small ground floor presence with a multi-(3)story dining area). Add it all up and the experience is pretty cool. Interestingly, this store offers no deivery and no bottled water.

The first-floor order area feels very small and tight. No problem when the crowd is small (it could be a mess if a ton of people show up). The stairs are steep as they lead to the second and third floors. Since the building occupies a corner space there are windows (and tons of natural light) everywhere. This, and the Taipei suburb's teeming masses, make for some extremely interesting people watching while dining.

It's a relief to ascend to the dining area and relax since the street is throbbing with energy. Cars, trucks, scooters, people, smells, sounds, and more add up to almost numb the senses. Behind the glass, and one or more stories above the fray, is a bit of solitude, providing time to unwind and relax - even if it just for a few minutes.

If you're in the neighborhood and in need of a break - consider this option.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Images: The McChronicles.

McDonald's Girl Delivers

It may be news to some (not to regular readers of The McChronicles) that McDonald's delivers. Maybe not in your town, but there are places in this world where your meal can be brought right to your home, office, party, event, or ... ?

We've explored the concept of McDelivery before. But, today, while sitting in a Shanghai, China McDonald's, after observing several delivery people returning to the roost, grabbing their next order, and heading out into the streets, it hit us. Who are these people? Why do they do it? What's it like McDelivering? Sadly, we didn't get to ask the questions, yet.

The McChronicles did build up a healthy dose of curiosity and interest. We also snapped these shots of "McDonald's Girl" as she prepared to battle the dangerous streets of Shanghai. 

As she disappeared into the drizzling summer haze we found ourselves saying out loud, "Go, McDonald's girl, go."

We'll try for an interview and report back if we get one.

Comment if you've got a cool McDelivery or McDonald's Girl story.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.

Images: The McChronicles.