How the hell does McDonald's stay in business if everyone hates it?

[Evoman]

This post is sort of inspired by a current thread in gd. The point is, every single time a discussion of McDonalds comes up, there is a flood of posts about how nasty McDonald's food is and how the person NEVER goes there. Same thing tends to happen with my friends. Nobody ever admits to going to McDicks. So how the hell does it do so well?

Disclaimer: I love almost all food, and though I'd almost always rather go to a fancy restaurant, I actually like McDonalds food.

[onehandle]

1. I haven't been to a McDonald's in decades. It's a kids restaurant.

Big ass play areas. Kiddie meals. A Clown.

[Evoman]

2. Ha! My point exactly. NOBODY has been to a McDonalds in decades!

I'm sure they must not make burgers anymore....they secretly just print money, except nobody knows about it because nobody ever eats at McNasties, lol.

[Mojorabbit]

37. I have a guilty cheeseburger once in a blue moon. I admit it! nt

[Agschmid]

65. I go like twice a week... and know many people who go a well...

No they are not all fat.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. Around here, they sprout like mushrooms and seem always packed.

We went to them occasionally when our kids were young (convenience mostly - on the way back from lessons, etc) - I've not eaten at one for probably 10 years. Responses to a DU post are a teeny tiny sampling and likely quite skewed!

Since retiring, I've had time to do much more cooking, and my wife and I made the conscious choice to skip restaurants and eat as healthy as possible (I've lost 60 lbs - 3 years ago - and kept it off) - we eat out probably no more than once per week, usually a lunch. Again, just our personal choice.

Fine dining places tend to die quick deaths in our area of Raleigh...but Chick Fil A, PDQ, Zaxby, Mickey D, Wendy - an endless supply with full parking lots.

[nomorenomore08]

4. I do eat it occasionally. I've been cutting down on the fast food, but McDonald's is typically

my first choice when I do indulge. Why? I don't know. Objectively it's not exactly quality grub, but it seems to be addictive in an odd way.

[bluedigger]

5. It's the same thing as the "boycott the Olympics" threads.

People who hate sports and have no interest in the Olympics always show up out of the wood work to advocate a boycott. People that dislike something love a chance to publicly disparage it, and feel validated in their opinion by like minded people. Just watch what happens if you start a Nascar/Walmart/Nuclear energy thread.

[LeftofObama]

6. I'll admit it, and probably be dragged through the mud for it.

I love McDonalds! I try to eat healthy most of the time, but I won't lie. If the opportunity presents itself I'll pull through the drive through and savor every delicious bite! Heck, I even ask for minimal ice in my soda because that way it's less watered down.

[StanGr]

7. No clue. It isn't like they serve anything edible.

[Bunnahabhain]

8. People lie

Next question?

[In_The_Wind]

47. Hello ~ Bunnahabhain

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

Unfortunately ... on the web some folks lie quite frequently.

[blueknight]

9. well, times have changed

when i was a kid we were lucky to eat out once a month. nowadays, people would rather eat out then cook! too busy,too lazy, too spoiled. the mcdonalds in my town sometimes has the drive thru go around the building and out to the street. I wouldnt eat that shit if they delivered it to my house free of charge

[PasadenaTrudy]

34. Too tired to cook is more like it! n/t

[pipi_k]

10. I'm thinking that the people who

do like it, really really like it.

My first ex husband ate there every day for years even though there was a family history of heart disease.

No surprise, then, that he died at the age of 52 from a massive heart attack...

Never smoked. Didn't really drink.

Just very shitty food.

[Phentex]

11. You should see what happens when you mention Circus Peanuts!

Yeah, I have said the same about McDonalds - why such disgust about something that millions of people eat? Somebody IS eating there although I suspect the majority is a younger crowd.

But mention circus peanuts some time. EVERYONE hates them, so gross, yada yada...yet millions are sold every year. I LOVE them! I have not purchased any for myself in a long time because people who know me will buy them for me, just like Peeps at Easter.

Here's a fun article about circus peanuts that describes the vibe.

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/10.09.03/dining-0341.html

[Brigid]

35. Circus peanuts? They still make those?

[MerryBlooms]

12. A couple of times a year when I crave french fries, I want McD's fries and a Wendy frosty.

Together! It's a weird craving, but man... yum.

[ConcernedCanuk]

13. Because we are lazy or busy.

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With both parents working in many relationships, there's no one to cook/clean/do dishes etc all day in the home.

Breakfast was about a 3 hour job, cooking, serving, and doing dishes afterward, and making lunches for us kids to go to school (peanut butter sandwiches for school was legal back then)

Snacks prepared for us hungry young ones after we got home from school, then preparing dinner for 4 kids and father - same thing, at least 3 hours between preparing, cooking, serving, and cleaning up.

Do the math - that's almost 8 hours right there.

And some food is good, depending on your metabolism.

Egg-Mcmuffins I liked - can't mess up an egg too badly.

McDs has my favorite french fries also, unless I take the time to make my own from scratch

(which I do now and then, skins on - yummm)

We are in a hurry now for some reason - relaxing meals are becoming scarcer - we "eat on the go"

And the fast-food people know it.

Dozens of different outfits around - Harvey s, Wendy's, Burger-King and so on.

If we didn't like the stuff, there wouldn't be many fast-food places around.

The proof is in the pudding so to speak.

CC

[mythology]

14. Because you don't have a representative sample of the population as a whole

DU is certainly more liberal than society at large, and I'm imagine it's probably also on average wealthier than the general public. As such, you're not talking to the target demographic of McDonalds.

Plus there's a certain amount of self-righteousness that can set it. I don't eat McDonalds except for a couple of times a year I get the strangest craving for one of their sausage biscuits with cheese. I indulged that this morning in fact. I suspect that some of the people who are insistent that they never eat there, in fact do eat there occasionally.

[bigwillq]

15. It's fast, quick, pretty cheap

So many people, families are busy, on-the-go. McDonalds, and other places of its kind, are a quick alternative to cooking at home or going to a sit down establishment.
This is one of the reasons why they stay in business.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

16. I will eat it every now and then.

It is disgustingly unhealthy. I would rather order a burger from a real restaurant or make my own, but sometimes time limitations and if I am looking for something late at night, leave few options. I think there's something to the high fat and salt content and the cravings those can cause. I don't think it tastes like crap. I think nutritionally it is crap. So I try to avoid it.

[sammytko]

17. I'll eat there a couple of times a year - mmm tasty fries n/t

[OriginalGeek]

18. I live just over 7 miles from work

I pass 4 different McDonalds on my drive in. I don't recall there ever not being a line at all 4 of the drive-thrus as I go by.

And occasionally I'm one of them. Chicken biscuit so gooooooooooooooood!

[JoeyT]

19. Same reason porn is all over the internet,

yet when someone posts a thread asking about porn damn near every answer will amount to "Porn? What porn? Oh that porn. I would never watch that stuff.".

Same reason Nickleback and Creed sold albums, but no one will admit to having bought one.

I will occasionally eat at McDonalds, if I'm in a nearby town that only has a McDonalds and a Taco Bell and I don't want to drive 40 miles round trip to get something from the house. I can't say I'm impressed with it, but I've had worse.

[laundry_queen]

44. LOL

about Nickleback - I'll admit to buying an album, but I have a good reason. My (now-ex) husband went to school with one of the original band members and his best friend went to school with the other members. And it was their first album. My ex and I were just supporting friends of friends then they went really big.

I'll also admit to McDonalds - I posted in that thread in GD - a friend of mine worked in a meat rendering plant that prepared meat for McDonalds and he says it's the only fast food place he'll eat at because they are so meticulous with their meat. I personally don't really care for many other fast food places - I'll eat Wendy's salads, and I do like A&W too (mmm teen burgers) but McDonalds is the default when we eat fast food around here (which is around once a month or less). I very rarely eat out at 'family' type of sit-down restaurants because they are so crazy busy around here, and expensive, and honestly - the last time I was at a Red Lobster...I can honestly say I'd have rather had a McDonalds meal...WTF happened to Red Lobster (before anyone jumps on me - I'm in the middle of the continent and there aren't very many places to get seafood at a decent price - and I've only been to Red Lobster probably 6 times in my whole life). For the price I paid at Red Lobster I could've had 6 McDonald's meals that were tastier.

[KG]

20. food of last resort for me. i sometimes use the modern conveniences of living in the modern world

[Locut0s]

21. I'll admit it, I really like McDonalds...

Now that I'm losing weight I'm going to try to not eat there much. There's plenty of reasons to hate them, their corporate culture, environmentalism, globalization, destroying cultures by exporting bland consumerism, etc etc etc... But as far as fast food goes I find them one of the more consistent tasty places to eat. Sometimes a McChicken with fries and a coke is hard to beat when you are hungry.

[graywarrior]

22. Medium iced coffee for $1

[nolabear]

23. Honey, you're on Democratic Underground.

Lot and lots and lots of people aren't.

[Evoman]

40. True.

But I still suspect that we have a certain demographic on this site that likes it, but are not as vocal as the haters.

I think it's "cool" to hate McRotties. I mean, there is a LOT of food out there tastier than Mickies, and I'd rather have a good steak or even an interesting salad, but that doesn't necessarily make Mickies the worst food in the world,

I'm actually surprised, given the human bodies evolution-to-blame love of sugar and fat, that more people don't like it (even if it makes you feel yucky, our taste buds haven't evolved enough to make a grass sandwich taste better than sugar and meat).

[nolabear]

50. I gave up Mickey D's but I do like a good ff burger about once a year.

Being a zaftig sort, I live by guilt regarding food, and all those things they tell you to give up, I gave up. No sodas, no fast food, little refined food, very low sugar, yaddayadda. And yeah, whatever I'm doing I'm doing too much of it.

Once I lost my sense of taste for about three months (zinc reaction) and damn near the only thing that I was interested in was McDonald's French Fries. Salt and fat I apparently recognized.

[MiddleFingerMom]

43. NAME ONE!!! Go ahead, Miss Smartsypanties... just NAME ONE!!!

[nolabear]

49. My Mother in Law (Thank the LORD!) And would you call me that again please?

[MiddleFingerMom]

62. Up until reading this, I was having a pretty bad day (the day is young, could get worse).

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A found-out-at-5:30-this-morning-that-when-the-toilet-overflows-it-floods-MY-fucking-bedroom
kind of day. Serious.
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But you gave me a literal LOL moment. Thanks.
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Miss Smartsypanties!!!
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[nolabear]

67. The fact that shit flows downhill is sometimes all too literal!

I'm sorry about your day. Even the immortal have to deal with plumbing.

On a fun side note I went to a panel discussion this morning on indie publishing (I have) and ran across the fact that if you want to create a one-in-30-days series of cheap hot romances or easy mysteries you can, as Forrest Gump said, make more money than God. What you need is an ongoing character and lots of adventures. I think the Miss Smartypantsies Mysteries is just what the Dr. ordered.

[MiddleFingerMom]

68. A very good friend of mine got several mystery novels published (though none "best-sellers")...

.
.
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... and she told me that I had inspired one of her characters once. She never told me which
novel nor which character and, while I've lost touch with her... it might be interesting to
solve that particular mystery myself.
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"Colonel MiddleFingerMom, on the kitchen counter, with the adult novelty item.
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.
.

[HeiressofBickworth]

24. Cheap and convenient

The last time I ate at McD was in 2009 while on a road trip with a friend. We had been driving all day through Nevada and Oregon. We stopped for the night at Burns. Small town out in the middle of nowhere. It was just midnight and the only place open was a McD and they were in the process of closing. There wasn't even a grocery store open. I had a $1 burger. It was awful, but it held me over until breakfast the next day. So in addition to cheap and convenient, I would add desperation as reasons to eat there.

[mysuzuki2]

25. Most of us hate it.

But most of us go there anyway.

[valerief]

26. People you don't want to know are the ones who go there. nt

[Denninmi]

27. I stop at McD's from time to time.

I like the fact they post calorie content. I can have virtually nothing on the menu, but I often get a diet drink, side salad, milk or orange juice.

[Kaleva]

28. You've discovered a quirk in the Matrix

Expect a visit from Agent Smith soon.

[Tabasco_Dave]

29. Everybody hates reality shows too but they keep making them

My town only has big corporate chains McDonald's, Burger king king etc. If i want a good burger i have to go to the coffee shop . If we ever get a 5 Guys or IN & Out i'll switch over in the meantime i'll get my occasional big mac.

[OmahaBlueDog]

30. Guilty!

I go there all the time.

McDouble + fries+ soda = cheap lunch

I adore the sausage/egg/cheese McMuffin w/ the large hot McMocha.

[2theleft]

38. yum...sausage/cheese/egg McMuffin is the BEST thing at McDonald's. Now I want one!

[Evoman]

39. hell yes.

Love the breakfast sandwiches and I quite like their coffee. I think I prefer the breakfast to lunch or dinner, though I do like those as well.

[Dash87]

31. For the same reason Coors Lite is still sold

Advertising and low price. McDonald's has a niche market (fast food, low cost) that will never go away.

The french fries are like shoe leather there.

[RobinA]

32. I Like McDonalds

and go there from time to time. Generally, McDonalds is one of those things some DUers have turned into a moral issue and some of them are just too righteous to go there. Or admit to going there.

[NuclearDem]

33. Cheap, filling, fast.

When you can't afford good food, or if you're in any socioeconomic status and just don't understand nutrition, McDonald's looks wonderful.

[Brigid]

36. I eat there occasionally.

The one near me is always packed, it seems.

[Chan790]

41. Several people have touched on it already...

but the reason is something called "self-selection bias" which can explained as the vocal minority that has strong enough feelings, positively or negatively, to take the time to express their position. Self-selection biases favor the negative heavily.

The majority of people eat at McDonald's occasionally, it's just that the vast majority of those people don't really love eating there and so they remain silent. The minority that doesn't eat there really hates eating there and are strongly motivated to vocalize that position.

We see the same thing in electronic forums and websites. Whenever a beloved product is changed, whether for the better or the worse, customer feedback runs about 90% negative...but when we drill down into the data and do randomized feedback (ie. test the product and ask 50 random people at the mall) we discover that the people with a negative feedback, that previous 90%, represent a small minority which self-selects to respond...the vast majority of people just don't give enough of a shit to go out of their way to provide feedback unless prompted.

[Evoman]

42. yep.

I'm betting a lot of people were just chomping on the bit to tell us how much they hate Rotten Rronies, lol.

[Incitatus]

51. +1 nt

[Iggo]

45. Fifty or a hundred people on a democratic message board ain't "everybody."

[Evoman]

48. gee, I know, i was being facetious.

Although admit it, you love a greasy Mickies burger. ADMIT IT!!!!

[In_The_Wind]

46. Because the McD's special sauce is addicting.

When you're miles from home and your blood sugar tanks, almost anything taste good.

[lynne]

52. Because they don't hate it but they think it looks better for them if we think they do -

- just like Walmart. Can't tell you how many Obama and democratic candidate bumper stickers I see at Walmart.

Smoke and mirrors . . . nothing more.

[Trajan]

53. Your fatal error in logic

You presume DU members form a large part of the total population, when in fact, they barely register as the period of the sentence, while the total population includes every word of every sentence of every paragraph of every book from every library, everywhere ...

If every DUer swore off McDonald's, they would still have an up year ...

Do the math ...

Oh, and idiots are everywhere ...

[Evoman]

60. whatever, Spock.

Don't nerve pinch me.

[LWolf]

54. Easy.

1. Location. It's convenient.
2. Wifi
3. TV
4. Playroom

[dr.strangelove]

55. I think the VAST majority loves its product, I know I do

I LOVE McDonalds. I enjoy the Big Mac and french fries. I also get the McRib a couple of times per year. I don;t hide the fact that I love McDonalds. I don;t eat it every week, but I am sure I average 2-3 trips per month, not including the times we go there for teh auto shows in the parking lot but don't eat there. Plus, I love their unsweatened iced tea and probably get this alove twice a week.

[MrScorpio]

56. I like their pancakes

So sue me

[fizzgig]

57. i had some last night

got out of work later than normal and the husband was hungry, so i hit the drive through. i know it's not real food, but it is tasty.

[KamaAina]

58. They're the Microsoft of fast food

or the Starbucks. There are better alternatives, like Wendy's (or Ubuntu or Peet's), but you usually have to go out of your way to find them. McD's is there.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

59. Kids + Happy Meals + Tired Parents = McDonald's

[okieinpain]

61. best bathrooms in the world when you are traveling.

[MadrasT]

63. I think it is fine

But I know it is not very healthy so I limit my visits

Usually go once or twice a month because it is right next to my laundrymat and I get bored waiting for the dryer cycle to finish

I enjoy the food when I do go there but do not seek it out intentionally on other occasions

It seems like it is hip to hate on Mickey D on DU especially

[Spike89]

64. Consistency more than anything

There is absolutely nothing about a McDonald's, BK, Wendy's etc. that can't be easily duplicated by any entrepreneur that can afford the high franchise fees. The ingredients aren't rare, special, or even secret. The prep skills required are almost non-existent. In short, almost anyone could open a non-McDonald's joint that matched, or exceeded the real thing. It isn't even illegal, if you don't try and trick people into thinking it is an actual McDonald's.

Why then do franchisees pay so much for a "real" McDonald's? Because every real McDonald's serves dependable product in a restaurant that is reasonably clean, safe, and pretty much the same price as the one "back home". The non-McDonald's may be better, cheaper, more pleasant...or they can be worse, much worse.

Of course, some people actually love McDonald's, but they are incredibly successful mostly because they are consistent and while you're unlikely to be thrilled with your McDonald's meal, you're probably not going to be disappointed either (unless it is your trip there).

[Tom Ripley]

66. Ask the Kardashians

[Rex]

69. 68 billion served does not necessarily mean people like it.

It is an acquired taste, like beer or coca cola.

[RebelOne]

70. I don't hate McDonald's, I just don't like fast food, plus I am a vegetarian.

And even before I became a vegetarian, I did not like the awful meat in their hamburgers, which was full of fillers.