BusinessWeek McDonald's Cover Story

Check out the very interesting video on the BusinessWeek.com website.

The magazine article is refreshingly positive (heck - you WOULD expect the people at BusinessWeek to recognize a good business, right?), and provides some pretty interesting insights. For example:

• Over the course of an average day, 1,500 people—the equivalent of 1 out of every 16 people in the middle-class suburb of 24,095—drive in to the Garner (North Carolina) McDonald's.
• The $21.6 billion company now feeds a record 27 million people every day, 1 million more every year since 2003.
• McDonald's dominates mornings. It owns a quarter of the $25 billion market for fast-food breakfast.

Then check out the accompanying slide show.

And there's even a podcast available (these BusinessWeek people have really got the communications thing sewn up!).

The video and article promote a fun, online quiz, too.

All in all, BusinessWeek has provided a very insightful glimpse into McDonald's.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: The McChronicles (thanks to McChronicles fan, Tim, for sharing his copy of BusinessWeek).

Beijing's 1st McDonald's Drive-Thru

Big excitement in China last week!

McDonald's opened Beijing's first drive-thru restaurant on Friday, 19 January 2007 to great fanfare.

McDonald's has experimented with drive-thrus in China in the recent past. The McChronicles has been fortunate to experience some of the activities - more than once. Given the burgeoning middle class (replete with new cars and places to go) and the drive-thru is a guaranteed success in China.

But hang on. While this is McDonald's first drive-thru in Beijing, the company already has "15 other drive-throughs in China, in Shanghai and the southern cities of Guangdong and Shenzhen" according to an article published in US NEWS & WORLD REPORTS website.

The article goes on to say, "McDonald's speeded up its plan to open drive-throughs (sic) in China after seeing strong demand at the first, which opened in December 2005 in the southern city of Dongguan near Hong Kong. 'We thought we were two to three years early, and once we opened it, we thought we might be two to three years late, because of how successful it was,' Schwartz said." (McDonald's China CEO Jeffrey Schwartz).

The McChronicles' experience with China McDonald's drive-thrus reveals that the local element includes some "extra help" for customers who may have never experienced a drive-thru before. An extra crew person mans a window, ready to answer any questions. Excellent!.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: AP Photo/NG HAN GUAN

Mega Mac

According to an article in Japan Today, McDonald's is launching the Mega Mac. The article is dated 12 February and it says the promotion (availability) will run to 04 February. It reportedly sells for 350 yen.

In a 17 January follow-on article Japan Today tells us, "... that sales of the new Mega Mac for the first four days since its debut have far exceeded the expected amount of 1.68 million burgers with 3.32 million sold."

"Mega Mac, a hamburger with four patties, was originally to be a limited time offer, but the fast food chain announced that it will extend the period in order to meet the demand."

800,000 Mega Macs per day. Wow!

The Mega Mac has a history in Japan, Canada (called Double Big Mac there), and in the UK (among other places). The McChronicles closes this Mega Mac report with two YouTube videos that clearly indicate that people find this sandwich both amusing and difficult to eat.





The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: Japan Today.
Videos: YouTube.

Woodbury Common (not so common) McDonald's

There is a very high-end outlet mall just north of New York City called Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. The McChronicles enjoyed perusing the Wikipedia entry for this facility. The aerial photography gives a good sense of the size of the place.

McDonald's fans will be pleased to hear what is common about Woodbury Common: it has a pretty typical McDonald's in the food court. This restaurant boasts multiple plaques for Outstanding Manager - Mr. Manuel Medina (2001, 2002, 2004) , has a photo display of their Employee of the Month (strangely only 8 months are listed), and offers a seemingly clean & happy crew. The McChronicles noted an abundance of smiles and camaraderie during our visit. The order area seemed oversized (perhaps it is designed to handle the huge crowds that occasionally deluge the place) - and the interior only seats 22 people. There is an outer McDonald's seating area that accommodates 40 more diners. And then there is the common food court area, too.

So, we shopped on, enjoying all that this huge, upscale mall had to offer, when we were confronted with something we'd never seen before. Something we call Woodbury UNCommon. We encountered a McSnacks!

This tiny "shop" reminded us of the small kiosk McDonald's we frequent while in China, Singapore, etc. This particular store occupies a tiny sliver of a building (approximately 100 square feet). Service was outdoor counter only.

And, most UNCommon, is the fact that their very limited menu includes NON-McDonald's products. The 2 items that we've never seen sold at a McDonald's are: Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs, and Klondike bars.

Googling "mcsnacks" we learned that there is at least one in Baltimore, MD, USA, one in Bergen, Netherlands, and a bunch of uses of the term to describe generic, fast-food snacks.

What a fruitful trip!

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

QSCV WATCH

McDonald's subscribes to the QSCV motto: Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value. In fact, that's what we, as consumers, have been sold for years. So why do we rarely ever receive the entire package?

Right before New Years The McChronicles dropped into a local McDonald's that was offering Egg Nog shakes on their sign.

Problem #1: The reason we were doing this is that a friend was complaining that, in spite of the promotions for the Egg Nog shake, he had received a slew of excuses from various McDonald's in the region as to why they didn't have them. He actually began dropping into every McDonald's he passed, trying to get this product. On our travels we noticed a store-specific sign, so we took our friend there for the shake. This store had them - and they were awesome! Excuses instead of product is bad service.

Problem #2: We arrived in the evening. The drive-thru was slow, and there was one other small group eating at a table. The place was empty. The dining room was just short of a shambles. Dirty floor, newspapers and debris on tables, the condiment area all messy, garbage overflowing. This is poor cleanliness.

Sadly, this seems to be getting more and more common.

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

Presentation Counts

If it happened only once it would be easy to overlook.

When it happens repeatedly it is perceived to be OK with McDonald's. In fact, after enough repetition, it IS the product.

In this case The McChronicles has received another sandwich (Filet-O-Fish this time) packaged in a greasy, smeared cardboard clamshell. The fingerprints are particularly appetizing.

Assuming that presentation matters, we'd like to see this completely eliminated. It's so wrong, and it conjures up bad images. In fact, it kind of falls into place with the constant drumbeat of (often unfair) attacks on McDonald's. Kind of like throwing grease on the fire. It reminds us of:

• trans fats issues
• cancer-causing acrylamide issues
  
• unhealthy eating/obesity issues
• poor sanitation issues
• uninspired crew issues

Hey, WE didn't start this. The people who handed us the fist-full of grease started it.

After so many repeat performances, we imagine that some people hold it in their hearts that a McDonald's sandwich IS food within a smeared, greasy box that you really don't even want to hold in your hands. That's called "brand". Is it the brand that McDonald's has worked so hard to avoid? Yup.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: A grossed-out McChronicles.

The McChronicles TOP 10 BEST McDONALD's EXPERIENCES OF 2006

2006 has been an awesome year - so what better to do than look back and remind ourselves of The McChronicles' very best McDonald's experiences.

The rules are simple, The McChronicles had to have some form of direct experience with the store/event during 2006. Here goes:

1. Best Store (building): Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico: From the "curb appeal" to the building design to the materials of construction, this facility is VERY impressive. It reminded us of a museum. After we enjoyed our meal, we didn't want to leave - it is that nice!
2. Best Owner/Operator: Dennis Stabile (store #13058) Rosemont, Illinois, USA: The minute we walked into this store, we knew it was different. It's not the looks, it's the PEOPLE. And the people are top-shelf due, in part, to what seems to be great management from the top. It also appears that Mr. Stabile has a knack for hiring great people. Elements like respect, empowerment, and appreciation all come together - ultimately creating the customer experience. Great job Mr. Stabile! We'd love to meet and interview you someday.
   
3. Best Surprise Appearance: Pop-Up McDonald’s, Shenzhen, China: Imagine our delight ...we were seeking sustinence at a trade exhibition with very low expectations ("show food" is usually abominable). When we found this mobile-McDonald's we were delighted!
4. Cleanest McDonald’s: Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico: That's right - Zapopan appears twice. That's because, in addition to enjoying a very cool design, the facility is kept impeccably clean - inside and out. This category receives special attention since CLEANLINESS is one of the key elements that McDonald's focuses on - and sells to the consumer. Zapopan really excels in this category.
5. Best McDonald’s Web Offering: McDonald’s Senior Director of Web Communications - Steve Wilson’s “The McDonald’s You Don’t Know”: The McChronicles likes Steve's style - simple and to the point. Nowhere throughout the site do we detect defensiveness or corporate-speak. And some of the links are really fun, too. Keep it coming, Steve.
6. Best McDonald’s Blog: Olympic Champion Crew Community: It's simply hard to beat the combination of The Olympics, people on a really cool trip to Italy, and the exuberance of people on a mission. It all comes through here.
7. Best McDonald’s Mashup - Cortland, NY: This is not the BEST McDonald's restaurant of the year, but it has so many interesting elements that we made up this category. At first blush, the store appears typical. But, when you walk in, you are surrounded with a great classical music theme. Then there's the McDonald's history stuff, then there's the Hershey's ice cream parlor. Phew!! So much stuff to enjoy.
8. Best McDonald's Billboard: Wrigleyville (Chicago), Illinois: The combination of simplicity, complexity, artistry, and ancient principles had the McChronicles shouting, "Wicked Cool" You've got to love this one on so many levels.
9. Best McDonald’s Image on Flickr: Kate Blood’s “Mood Indigo”: Here is one for the fans, from the fans. Kate really used her artistic eye (and photographic skills) to create this awesome image. Thanks for this, Kate.
10. Best McDonald’s Ad: McShawarma ad: A ton of work went into this effort - but it was well worth it.

And here is a special year-end bonus to The McChronicles TOP 10 BEST McDONALD'S EXPERIENCES OF 2006.

Since we are committed to chronicling the McDonald's brand experience from the CUSTOMER'S point of view, we want to honor the person that has so much to do with our experience: the store manager. The store manager kind of reminds us of an Army sergeant - caught between two worlds (management and the rank and file). These people struggle to keep both ends of the equation happy - even when they have conflicting agendas. In addition, they are responsible for transferring the teachings and skills to the people that have EVERYTHING to do with the customer experience - the frontline crew person. In other words, these are the people responsible for the interactions that we, the consumer, have with McDonald's - every visit.

BEST MANAGER 2006:

• Team Spirit: Jean Si Jean really impressed us with her appreciation of, and dedication to, working with and learning from her team of local managers. The result is a store that adheres to the corporate principles, runs well, and delivers on the McDonald's promise.

• Passion: Steven HOU Yan Ping Steven LOVES McDonald's! And he totally respects what the corporate program can do for both the employees and the customers. Steven, we're still hoping that you get selected for the Beijing Olympics McDonald's crew - you deserve it.

• Personality: Jays C Jays is blessed with a great owner/operator - and vice versa. This manager found time to be interviewed, take drive-thru orders, cheer on a colleague who was mopping the floor, explain a new entertainment system to us, and more. Her energy, enthusiasm, brains, and smile add up to an excellent managerial style.

• Positive Attitude: Zhong Xiao Li Miss Zhong can do ANYTHING! At least it seemed that way during our interview. Her McDonald's training seems to have empowered and encouraged her - but her "can do" attitude is all hers. The combination makes for an excellent ambassador for McDonald's, and a super manager for her team.

Each of these winners really stood out. The McChronicles had an easy time conjuring up the great feelings and/or experiences that each delivered. What a pleasure it is to bestow these accolades. They are all well-deserved.

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

I'm INVISIBLE!!!

The McChronicles has noted a trend in several McDonald's recently. Here's how it goes:

1. the crew person at the counter says, "Who's next?".
2. the customer steps up and places their order.
3. the order is taken, the customer pays and receives their change.
4. the customer suddenly acquires super powers, becomes invisible, and the crew person acts as if the customer evaporated.
5. the crew person says, "Who's next?"

The McChronicles is kind of "hip". We "get it". So the first time this happened we accommodated it as we sought to understand what was happening. The behavior was attributed to inexperience or rudeness on the part of the crew (or maybe it was our breath). Then it happened again ... and again ... and ... you get the point.

Imagine the customer experience of someone who doesn't visit McDonald's a lot. Imagine the customer experience of someone who is a little slow. Imagine the perception of someone who is used to a slightly more respectful dignified level of treatment. Virtually ANYONE is going to wonder:

"Did I just become invisible?"
"Is my order in progress?" "Am I supposed to stand here or move somewhere else?" "How will I know when my order is ready?" "Who will tell me when my order is ready?"

Now, this is bad enough when things go to plan. But when an order ends up going into overtime, then a person's mind starts getting crazy. We won't attempt to list the things that may occur to a person while they're in that zone.

Needless to say ... STRIKE THAT ... we'll say it:

McDonald's crew:

1. Do expect to be respected and treated kindly - by your peers, management, and customers. You deserve that.
2. Real, warm-blooded human beings are your customers. We're ALL not jerks/rude/outrageous. Some of us are actually decent, nice people who are hoping for a nice meal and a modicum of acknowledgement.
   
3. Please act as if you are waiting on a human being. Act as if your Mom/Grandma/favorite teacher/coach/guru/friend was on line.
4. Be aware of the fact that virtually none of us know what you are doing when you type on your register - and we certainly don't know the protocol or the system. We assume that we will order, pay, and be handed food. If there is a minor delay, we expect that you will SPEAK TO US LIKE WE ARE HUMANS (remember your Mom/Grandma...?), tell us what is happening, and keep us informed as the unexpected (unadvertised) delay plays out.
5. Customers should know that you don't know, or care, about what is going on in our lives. Customers have no right to blow up at you because their marriage sucks, their car is falling apart, and their kids don't respect them. We are to be civil and respectful.
6. Please don't take it out on us if your manager is a jerk, or if anything else in your life is irritating you.

In short, please tell us what just happened, what you want us to do next, and what we are waiting for. We'll be OK with it. Please.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: One of the BEST customer service moments encountered by The McChronicles in 2006.

The Holiday Rush

The Holiday season really packs people into the shopping malls. So, The McChronicles dropped by New Hartford, New York's Sangertown Square Mall to see how their McDonald's was holding up.

As expected, the crowd was thick with hungry shoppers. And the queue at the McDonald's was long. The crew seemed to be handling things fairly well. But there was a bit too much confusion behind the counter to say things were going "perfectly". The stress must be quite high back there (but it isn't like the crowds are unexpected, either).

During our long observation we noted no surly customers, and the crew did a great job handling the business.

When you drop by McDonald's during your holiday shopping trips be sure to give a word of encouragement to the people behind the counter. They'll appreciate it.

Any holiday mall McDonald's stories to share? Add them to our COMMENTS section, below.

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

McChronicles named TIME MAGAZINE Person Of The Year!

According to TIME.com:

"Seriously, who actually sits down after a long day at work and says, I'm not going to watch Lost tonight. I'm going to turn on my computer and make a movie starring my pet iguana? I'm going to mash up 50 Cent's vocals with Queen's instrumentals? I'm going to blog about my state of mind or the state of the nation or the steak-frites at the new bistro down the street? Who has that time and that energy and that passion?"

"The answer is, you do. And for seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, TIME's Person of the Year for 2006 is you."

So, we'd like to thank the academy, and everyone else involved in this flattering achievement.

More importantly, The McChronicles wants to thank our friends who gave us McDonald's Arch Cards this holiday season (we're SO easy to buy for). Rest assured that these will be put to immediate good use. You should consider this excellent, handy gift for your friends.


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

The Obesity Debate

Two smart people debating the obesity /fast-food issue. Interesting.

Please weigh in (pun intended) with your comments on this topic.

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

Image: Donee White

McDonald's, New York City: Trans Fat Ruling

Trans Fat is in the news! According to an article in Forbes, New York City's "department of Health and Mental Hygiene, ... argues that the chemically modified ingredient (trans fat) kills 500 Gothamites each year".

According to Reuters (yesterday): "New York City banned most artificial trans fats from restaurants on Tuesday, forcing national fast-food chains and mom-and-pop diners alike to phase out artery-clogging oils from their cooking."

"The law is believed to be the first of its kind in the United States and will require restaurants including McDonald's Corp. to eliminate trans fats by July 2007."

The article went on to say, "McDonald's Corp. has been trying since 2002 to reduce trans fats in its french fries.".

So, the rule went into effect yesterday, but the product doesn't have to change until this coming summer. And this is only for New York City McDonald's.

According to the Chicago Tribune, " McDonald's Corp. might not be able to meet New York City's proposed deadline for eliminating trans fats in its cooking oils, Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. said Thursday after meeting with a company official. Oak Brook-based McDonald's is struggling to find a substitute oil that preserves the flavor of its french fries, and isn't likely to do so before the July 2008 target, said Vallone, who met this past Monday with McDonald's lobbyist Patrick Theisen."

So, is it July of 2007 or 2008 for McDonald's?

In the same story an analyst from A.G. Edwards said, "The company is 'getting very close to perfecting the formulation' ".

According to the Wall Street Journal, to check out fast food french fries made without (or with reduced) trans fats, stop into one of these restaurants:

• Wendy's
• KFC
• Taco Bell
• Arby's
• Ruby Tuesday
• Chili's
  

The previously-cited Forbes article included this interesting tidbit:

"The science has changed,” (McDonald's CEO James) Skinner was quoted as saying. “You look at when we went to vegetable oil in the early 1990s, when that was the supportive science, ‘Oh you have to get out of saturated fats, you gotta get out of beef tallow,’ we made that change. Now the science has changed. Now it’s a TFA [trans fat] problem.” Skinner said he thought the concerns were being blown out of proportion. "It's more of a media thing," he was quoted as saying."

UPDATE: The McChronicles recommends this informative article regarding Trans Fat and McDonald's from BusinessWeek.com if you want to learn a bit more.

The McChronicles would like to see:

1. McDonald's lead the way on this (too late)
2. McDonald's take the high road (they're limping)
3. McDonald's not whining about it (versus negotiating with city officials and ... well ... whining about it)

It's too late to make us proud, McDonald's. But there is still time to quiet down and comply with the ruling. You can see that this will spread like wild fire - so get with it.

Will the french fry ever be the same? Maybe (it seems to be at Wendy's - their fries taste great). Or maybe not. How about reinventing the french fry? Or making it NOT about the french fry? Do something so outrageous that we all forget about it and fall in love with something else. Something healthier and tastier.

Or compromise with a technology you already have. Why not run with your Shaka Shaka Potato concept to cover the reduced flavor of a non-trans fat french fry?

What do you think about this trans fat issue? Please comment.

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

New Store in Stroudsburg, PA

Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania has some excitement brewing. A brand new McDonald's is being erected this week.

In these images (taken last Saturday at 330 Main Street) we can see a typical restaurant with what appears to be a PlayPlace, going up right before our eyes.

The McChronicles can't wait for the restaurant to open!

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

San Antonio - Very Cool!

The McChronicles headed down to old San Anton' since we had heard of a McDonald's that offered up something unique. We're not talking about a new sandwich - we're talking about style.

We noticed something interesting before we even entered the restaurant. This place is located in a very old, wild west-style building. It was built in 1897 and had previously served as a grocery, according to the managers.

And speaking of managers - these people were excellent ambassadors. Obviously proud of both McDonald's and their store, they made time to extol the many virtues of their unique establishment. And, by the way, this McDonald's has earned the Outstanding Restaurant Award for the Houston San Antonio area this summer. This place is clean and friendly. They even post a sign PROMISING QSC (quality, service, cleanliness).

The managers of store #5395 attribute a ton of credit to the store operators, Richard and Celia Acosta.

The old style decor is very interesting, and much appreciated. The managers mentioned they have heard that all McDonald's are to be fitted with WiFi and flat-screen displays. They are concerned that, if such a program were instituted here, their store would lose much of it's charm. The McChronicles agrees.

PS: The famed Alamo is just nearby. Be sure to check it out while visiting this super McDonald's.

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

GPS Disappointment

The McChronicles was perusing some GPS units recently. We are now able to purchase a device that contains preprogrammed POIs (points of interest) such as gas stations, restaurants, etc.

Our goal is, from wherever we are, to be able to find all the McDonald's in the area.

Imagine our surprise when we viewed a unit that boasts over 6 million POIs and did NOT include a single restaurant when we asked for McDonald's.

Interestingly, they did deliver the address, and a map to, the owner of several local McDonald's.

What a disappointing turn of events.

The McChronicles: A blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: The McChronicles (modified to obscure the address)
.

World Children's Day: Ronald McDonald House Charities

Helping children in need is, indeed, a noble cause. The Ronald McDonald House Charities is well-known, worldwide, for providing a unique and meaningful brand of help.

Quoting from the RMHC website, "In honor of World Children's Day and in support of children around the world, McDonald's will raise funds to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities and other children's charities around the world. "

This event will be held in 100 countries throughout November. Monday, 20 November is the grand finale date. More info can be found on the McDonald's blog. If it makes sense to you, and if you have a little something to offer, keep an eye out in your community and see if you can be a part of this excellent event.

And if you need some help - isn't it nice to know that others are offering their hand?



The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Images: screen grabs from McDonald's website.

Big Mac Value Meal: Blended

The McChronicles LOVES A Hamburger Today. This is a burger blog with a passion!

So, it is no surprise that we drop by for a visit frequently. Today they led us to something that, in a word, is COOL! A Hamburger Today led us to www.willitblend.com. WillItBlend is an ingenious online tool depicting the capabilities of Blendtec's line of extreme blenders.

OK - so the point? You guessed it. Blendtec's Tom Dickson's uncle Floyd is Jonesing for a McDonald's fix, but he doesn't have any teeth. No problem. Blendtec proves that, yes, it blends, by dropping a Big Mac value meal into their super duper blender.

Check out the Big Mac Blender video.

Thanks to A Hamburger Today (again).


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

Pop-Up McDonald's

The McChronicles was tooling around Shenzhen, China and dropped into a trade exhibition at the city's beautiful exhibition center. Imagine our gleeful delight at:

a) encountering a McDonald's within the exhibition center (exhibition vendors typically offer generic and horrid food)

b) encountering our first-ever "pop-up" McDonald's!

That's right fans, McDonald's dragged in a counter, fryers, cash registers, storage racks, and a freezer, threw a tent up around it all, and started doing business.

This was obviously an event that was very well planned for. The tent was awesome, perfectly-sized, sporting a bank of built-in exhaust fans, displaying a carefully selected and prominently displayed menu, and the outside walls were perfectly decorated.

The menu was limited (one egg/breakfast sandwich, Big Mac, and 3 chicken sandwiches, fries, taro pie, and canned soda), but adequate - and superior to the usual trade show fare.


The results? A resounding success. There were actually 3 "pop-up" fast food vendors on hand: McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and a local Chinese food chain. At one point in the lunch hour, with hundreds of conventioneers queued up for food, the Chinese food choice had almost no one on line, the Pizza Hut had a small crowd, and the McDonald's option was mobbed. So mobbed, in fact, that they ran out of Big Macs. We captured this image of the manager calling in reinforcements since the freezer was empty.

This was a great experience - we had never heard of a "pop-up" McDonald's before . Let us know if you have ever encountered one.




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

McDonald's Receipts

The McChronicles was reviewing some paperwork in the office today and decided to toss out the McDonald's receipts we have been saving. We seem to have accumulated quite a stack so far this year - and this is only about half of the receipts we have collected.

Our estimate, based on this collection and on our calendar of events, is that we have visited McDonald's restaurants approximately 150 times so far in 2006.

That's "Lovin' it!"

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

Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China

Beijing's Tiananmen Square McDonald's sports a semi-cheesy "famous western people" theme - almost EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of what The McChronicles expected to see!

We were disappointed at not seeing a high-class, inspirational China theme. And we were almost (though not) stunned to see Jim Morrison, Sean Connery, and a handful of famous western actors, singers, and performers hanging on the wall. By the way, these posters seemed to be tacked on the wall in the same manner that a teenager would tack up an idol poster. Where is the class?

The counter seems to be sitting right on top of a keyboard. Cool! The dining area featured a musical theme, with musical notes and the like all over the place. This kind of threw us a bit since the rest of the place featured actors and other non-musical people (in addition to some singers).

All in all, it was nice to have a McDonald's when needed, but we expected a little bit more.

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