1 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Favor production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: I'm Any Reese and I'm Lauren Vocal Bomb. And today 3 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:17,799 Speaker 1: we have a classic episode for you about McDonald's. Right, 4 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: and a lot has gone on with this one since 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: we first published it. Yeah, yeah, this This episode originally 6 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: aired in UH and I think I said, I think 7 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:36,880 Speaker 1: I just had errored. It originally aired in UH in January. Goodness, Wow, 8 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: yeah yeah a that was a minute ago. Um be. 9 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: The past couple of years have been kind of a 10 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: lot for the restaurant industry, um and the fast food 11 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: industry as part of that. But even before March of 12 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: things had been shaking up for McDonald's no pun intended 13 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: or pun well pun intended after I realized I made it, 14 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: but I just wrote it, and then I was like, heck, 15 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: it's the natural the natural order of things here at say, yeah, 16 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: starting well, I mean, I guess throughout the Trump presidency, 17 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: but really kicking off in nineteen, there was a lot 18 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: of weird press around McDonald's because Trump kind of aligned 19 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: himself with that brand, and then right in twenty nineteen 20 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 1: he served a whole bunch of fast food, including McDonald's, 21 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: to these football champs who were visiting the White House. Um, 22 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: it happened at least a couple of times, and the 23 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: conversation around it was certainly happening. Yes, I can't agree 24 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: that it was certainly happening, yes the most Actually that's 25 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: not even neutral, that's that's still a that's still anyway. 26 00:01:54,680 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: UM goodness Um later inten just just smoothly moving on 27 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: from there. Um. The CEO of McDonald's, Steve Easterbrook, had 28 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: to step down and pay back over a hundred million 29 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: dollars in equity when news broke that he was in 30 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: this relationship with an employee, which apparently is like kind 31 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: of part of a larger company uh like culture issue. 32 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 1: There have been five strikes over harassment claims since. Oh yeah, um, 33 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: and they are apparently working on it. There's some new 34 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: um training involved in from the top down. That's good. Meanwhile, 35 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: more recently, yeah, shutdowns and wage stress during the pandemic 36 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 1: have been causing all kinds of strife and um, McDonald's 37 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: announced that they'll be making changes that will lead to 38 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: the average employee pay at company owned restaurants being fifteen 39 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: dollars an hour by with a wage floor of eleven 40 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: dollars an hour, so improvement. Although I will say that 41 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: the company owned restaurants are only five percent of the 42 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: brand's restaurants. Most are franchises UM, although this will put 43 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: some pressure on franchises to also UM step up their 44 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: wage minimums. So that could that that could be great news. Yeah, 45 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: I hope so. Uh was also the fort anniversary of 46 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: the Mick rib and when they re released the mic 47 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: rib I Believe in November last year, they ran a 48 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: sweep Steaks wherein you could win one of ten mic 49 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: RIBB and f t s by retweeting the sweep Steaks announcement. 50 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: And that that sentence that the flavor of that sentence 51 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: in my mouth is like burning silicon. It's I hate it. 52 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: I hate that. I know what that combination of words means. 53 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: Any of the listeners are the lucky winner, Yeah, I 54 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: mean congratulations. If that's the thing that you're into, I'm 55 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: happy for you. I just I feel like it's it's 56 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: like when I said, it's like when someone was like, 57 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: oh man, if you if you know what the sentence, uh, 58 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 1: lawyer cat is even more of a milkshake duck than 59 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:42,479 Speaker 1: being dad means, then I feel sorry for all of us. Uh. 60 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: That's it gives me a similar feeling. UM. Well, I 61 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: only know all that thanks to you. So I don't 62 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: know how that makes you feel. Thank you, you're jeez 63 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: well in uh in sentences that I hate less um 64 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: we uh. We had reported on on sales McDonald's sales 65 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: being down in UH in the years leading up to 66 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: that episode in eighteen, but they've since turned around in 67 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: the U s at least UM, where sales were up 68 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: nearly four UM, the largest increase since McDonald started reporting 69 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: such numbers, which was in UM. This is partially due 70 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,039 Speaker 1: to menu price hikes which have been going on across 71 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:36,600 Speaker 1: the company's restaurants, UH, partially due to all of these 72 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: pandemic pressures. But those pandemic pressures have caused closures internationally, UM, 73 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: and so that has numbers down internationally. Also, McDonald's closed 74 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,919 Speaker 1: two thirty nine restaurants over the course of one leading 75 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: them to have fewer locations as of right now than 76 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: they've had since the turn of the century. UM. But 77 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: they did announce that they're planning on opening new locations 78 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 1: again this year. And I mean they're you know, like 79 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: closing two nine restaurants. Still means that there are over 80 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: what four thousand restaurants in the US alone, I think, um, 81 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: and like, I mean they're still huge huge like um, 82 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:27,039 Speaker 1: like they renegotiated their franchisees fees with door Dash and 83 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 1: uber Eats huge, Like this is the kind of power 84 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: that they wield. Um, it is wild to me all 85 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:37,479 Speaker 1: the time. Yeah, And I just read an article about 86 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: that because I'm always trying to be a mindful customer 87 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:48,720 Speaker 1: of how like the best way to support restaurants during 88 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 1: this pandemic is and there was one about the difficulties 89 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:55,480 Speaker 1: of delivery and how restaurants like I think Chipotle is 90 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: opening like Chipotle lanes and like they're like coming up 91 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: these things to make it easier, uh, for things like this. 92 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: But that that fee of door Dash and uber Eats 93 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: or things like that is a big deal. Oh yeah, 94 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: yeah right. I did a piece on this for for 95 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: one of the other shows I work on brain stuff. Um, 96 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: and the the structure of of fees for right, for 97 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: for these delivery services just doesn't make sense for anybody. Um, 98 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: Like the drivers aren't making money, the restaurants aren't making money, 99 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 1: the companies aren't making money. Um, No, nobody is really 100 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:39,320 Speaker 1: profiting off of these delivery services, and it's it's weird. 101 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: It's it's a it's a very weird space because you 102 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: feel like you're trying to write support restaurants, but um, 103 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 1: how much is it actually doing? So yeah, well, it's 104 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: definitely something on restaurants my restaurants minds, and McDonald's is 105 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: a part of that, as you say, a huge part 106 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: of that in terms of what this is going to 107 00:07:57,920 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: look like going forward. And we had a lot to 108 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 1: say about McDonald Oh yeah, oh my heck. This is 109 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: one of our longer episodes. Um. We usually try not 110 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: to not to go over an hour. Um, but I 111 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 1: think this is just about butting up against that. Mm hmm. 112 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 1: So without further ado, let us let former Annie and 113 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: Lauren take it away. Hello, and welcome to Food Stuff. 114 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: I'm Any Reese and I'm Lauren vocal Balms And uh, 115 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: today we're talking about our first we're doing a first 116 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: foray into fast food. Yes, and it is probably the 117 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 1: biggest fast food company probably absolutely, yeah, in the world 118 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 1: for sure McDonald McDonald And I've got to say more 119 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 1: than anything else you listeners have written in about McDonald's, Yeah, 120 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: especially international stories McDonald's and then as we have read 121 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: some of those listener males more other national stories about it, 122 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: there's a lot of McDonald's zeitgeist out there. There absolutely is, 123 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 1: and it's come up in a lot of our episodes 124 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:15,839 Speaker 1: as well. We talked about it in French Food, Apple Pie, 125 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:21,440 Speaker 1: Soda Tipping, and our brother podcast Stuff you Should Know 126 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: as an entire episode on McDonald's called how McDonald's Works Appropriately. 127 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 1: It is delightful. I totally recommend you listen to it. 128 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: I mean also like it covers a lot of different 129 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: material than we're going to cover today. So right, yeah, 130 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:37,080 Speaker 1: So if at the end you're like, you know, I 131 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: could really use some more McDonald's, well, Stuff you should 132 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: Know has you covered? They do? So what is it? 133 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: Do you? Yeah? I'll know this one, Yeah, I would guess, 134 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: so if if you don't. McDonald's is a chain of 135 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: fast food restaurants, and you probably definitely knew that because 136 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: you can find them almost anywhere in one hundred nineteen countries, 137 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:06,839 Speaker 1: although not Iceland last I checked, as they were around 138 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 1: about thirty six thousand, two hundred and fifty eight of 139 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 1: these restaurants, around thirty thousand of them franchised um and 140 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:17,199 Speaker 1: of the three and fifty closures in most of them 141 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: took place in the US. In China, the largest percentage 142 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: of revenue comes from Europe, mainly the UK, France, Russia 143 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: and Germany. The US comes in second, accounting forty percent 144 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: of the revenue, and the remaining percent is Asia, Africa 145 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: and the Middle East. But sales are not as impressive 146 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: as they used to be. No, they fell on the 147 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: US by two point one percent and its annual net 148 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,280 Speaker 1: income dropped percent, which is a pretty that's a pretty 149 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: big percent to immasily seven point four billion. Oh my goodness, 150 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: that's equivalent to the ninetie largest economy in the world. 151 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: By the way, Um, this is about a four percent 152 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: decline and customers just about a million people. And I'll 153 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: speculate this has a lot to do with your five guys, 154 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 1: your Chipotley's, you know, all those fast casual kind of 155 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:13,599 Speaker 1: dining concepts. Yeah, fast casual. And also those dreaded millennials 156 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: we ruined everything. Just gave us a big thumbs down. 157 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 1: He's right, Um, so we're the millennial generation is allegedly 158 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: supposedly shifting to healthier food, more ethical food is what 159 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: we're going for. Whether or not we're getting it is questionable. 160 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: But in the words of global restaurant consultant Aaron Alan, 161 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: McDonald's has picked way too many fights with way too 162 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,559 Speaker 1: many people. They're fighting Taco Bell over breakfast and Starbucks 163 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:50,079 Speaker 1: over coffee. They're basically spreading themselves too, Thinton, And I 164 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:51,559 Speaker 1: mean it's not that they're not trying to turn things 165 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: around though, Oh no, They've tried several things, and they 166 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: introduced the Create Your Taste Menu two about two thousand 167 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: of its restaurants in the US. This menu allowed you 168 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: to individualize what individualization that can't be which with your 169 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: drink and fried with running about eight bucks as compared 170 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: to the five dollars for ordering off the standard menu. 171 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: But as you probably discerned from the past tense, it's 172 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: no longer around. Most Create your Taste menus were replaced 173 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:26,199 Speaker 1: by a less robust, taste crafted menu. Kind of sounds 174 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 1: like glasses. Is it lenscrafted? Lens crafted, taste crafted? You know, yeah, 175 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 1: I guess it's a similar concept. Over the past few decades, 176 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 1: McDonald's has been testing out healthier menu options, your fruits 177 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: and your vegetables, decreasing the fortune sizes learning the salt 178 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: content by about ten percent. Things like that, and since 179 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 1: Americans get on average eleven of their calories from fast food, 180 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: this is nothing to the sneeze at that number shocked me. 181 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:56,719 Speaker 1: I guess the fast food tends to be more calorically 182 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:00,160 Speaker 1: dense than a lot of other foods. But still, all 183 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: that who that's a large number, that is that is 184 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: quite quite a percentage. According to the Guardian, McDonald's serves 185 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:13,079 Speaker 1: sixty nine million people a day, which is more than 186 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,439 Speaker 1: the population of Great Britain and equivalent to around one 187 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: percent of the human population on Earth. What a day, 188 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:24,320 Speaker 1: per day? Every day? Okay, and I got hypnotized. There's 189 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 1: this website called every second and I went to the 190 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: every second page of for McDonald's and it was about 191 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: seventy five burgers a second after second after second, and 192 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 1: the number just goes up and up and up. Oh yeah, 193 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 1: it's something. In the u s it's estimated at about 194 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 1: of customers get their food via drive through, which has 195 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:49,599 Speaker 1: led to some interesting product innovations like the mcgriddles and 196 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 1: on the go answer to the pancake. I really feel 197 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:54,719 Speaker 1: like I have to make a confession right now. I 198 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: haven't been to McDonald since I was four years old. 199 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 1: Four what I wasn't you avoided it. I was one 200 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 1: of those kids that like went on strike. I don't know. 201 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: I picked a fight with McDonald's at four years old 202 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: and I haven't been back. What was the fight about? 203 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,680 Speaker 1: I think it was about capitalism. I was four year old. 204 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 1: Annie really a trouble job. I basically like to pick 205 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 1: fights with things that were popular. Okay, um, so I 206 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: I don't know what a lot of these popular things are. 207 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 1: I don't know. Like mcgriddle, I don't know. Mcgriddle is 208 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: like an egg bit muffin. It's it's a breakfast sandwich, 209 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: but instead of having a savory bun, it's a it's 210 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 1: a maple flavored sweet bun. So okay, so you can, 211 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: but it's not soggy from maple syrup. It's just maple syrup, 212 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: So okay. Mcgriddle. Interesting. I I don't go often, usually 213 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: if I'm like on a road trip, or very occasionally 214 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: if I get an intense craving HM I've been in 215 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: when I go. When I travel, I like to go 216 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: in and look at the menu just to see how 217 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: it's different. But you don't order anything. No. Never. I 218 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: almost broke in China and gotta mcflurry so close, but 219 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: I did not. Mcflurries are delicious usually if you dip 220 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 1: French fries in them. Very heard that it's very important 221 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: to my livelihood. I have heard that, not livelihood, lifestyle anyway. Yes, 222 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 1: let's talk about employment. Employment numbers. McDonald's employees for hundred 223 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 1: twenty thousand people in the US, and we've heard from 224 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: some of you. Hello. Throughout the year. Yeah, we're sorry. 225 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: Throughout the year, McDonald's hires a million Americans, which comes 226 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: out to be a one turnover eight wow. Yeah. The 227 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 1: company estimates that one in eight Americans have worked at 228 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: a McDonald's in their lifetime. Who Worldwide, McDonald's has seven 229 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 1: hundred sixty one thousand employees, and that's more than the 230 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: population of Luxembourg. Some of these employees may intend the 231 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 1: Hamburger University. Hamburger you Aniversity, the first of these open 232 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 1: was located outside of Chicago, and it has seen over 233 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: eighty thousand students on its roster. There are now seven 234 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 1: campuses around the globe with um over two thousand graduates, 235 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: and the one in Shanghai has an acceptance rate of 236 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: less than one percent. For contrast, the the acceptance rate 237 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 1: at Harvard is like six. It's harder to get into 238 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,360 Speaker 1: the hamburg University in Shanghai. And it's not it's not 239 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:32,560 Speaker 1: about Hamburgers. Well, I mean, I mean it is, but 240 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: it isn't. It's a restaurant management skills program. Um. You 241 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 1: can graduate with a degree in hamburger ology, or apply 242 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 1: credits towards an associate or bachelor's degree at some other 243 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 1: non strictly Hamburger related school if you can find one. 244 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 1: After a series of protest in, McDonald's raised the minimum 245 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 1: wage for its US employees from nine dollars and one 246 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 1: cent an hour to nine dollars and ninety cents an hour, 247 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:05,520 Speaker 1: but only at the nine thousand company owned restaurants as 248 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:11,440 Speaker 1: opposed to the twelve hundred franchised operated locations. The employees 249 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: at franchise locations typically get the state minimum wage of 250 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 1: wherever they are located, and in Miriam Webster Dictionary added 251 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:24,080 Speaker 1: mc job as a word meaning low paying job. The 252 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: previous CEO was paid nine million dollars that year. Just 253 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: you know, if why I on the note of franchise 254 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,120 Speaker 1: e s versus company owned there is quite a bit 255 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: of tension distrust between franchise ease and quote unquote the man, 256 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: the head McDonald's office. Survey of franchise ease found that 257 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:47,160 Speaker 1: on a scale of one to five, one being poor 258 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 1: and five being excellent, the average was one point for eight. 259 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 1: That's pretty low. The all time averages two point one. 260 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: Not a great relationship, it seems. But it is worth 261 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 1: pointing out that only already two American franchisees were surveys 262 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:07,160 Speaker 1: of the nineteen thousands something something. Yeah, I've got rather 263 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,640 Speaker 1: large larger number. We'll be talking about this a bit 264 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:13,639 Speaker 1: more later briefly, but there is a McDonald's museum in 265 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 1: the Plane, Illinois, or there was, as recording. It closed 266 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:21,440 Speaker 1: two days ago. Oh yeah, it was scheduled to be 267 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 1: demolished due to flooding. If any of your listeners have 268 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:27,159 Speaker 1: been to it, please please please write in stres and 269 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 1: photos please yes. Yes. With sales including a toy since 270 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,439 Speaker 1: the introduction of the Happy Meal, McDonald's also happens to 271 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: be the largest toy distributor in the world. That blew 272 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: my mind me too. Now, that is one thing that 273 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 1: young Annie when she gave up McDonald's that was the 274 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:50,159 Speaker 1: hardest when my brothers should be like, look at and 275 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 1: I'm sitting there, no Hamburger, no toy. Also, the slogan 276 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:02,639 Speaker 1: I love it with that vocal tag is an entire 277 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: justin Timberlake song from two thousand three. What I thought. 278 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:08,879 Speaker 1: It was way older than that one, and to the 279 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: song came out first. He wrote it for mcdwhile he 280 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:16,199 Speaker 1: didn't write it, but it was for McDonald's and it 281 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: came out first because he it's this thing called reverse 282 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: engineering of advertising. Yeah. Um, and there's a lot of 283 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: drama behind it if you're interested in in that. There's 284 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,639 Speaker 1: also a clip of Destiny's Child singing it too. Oh my, 285 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:35,479 Speaker 1: I watched the music video and was, well, there's no words, 286 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,880 Speaker 1: but there are words for some flops McDonald's has had 287 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: throughout the years. Um. Some of them include the mc 288 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: lean Deluxe, the mic hot Dom, the Mcpasta, the mcpizza, 289 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: the mic Arabia, which was a flatbread with chicken, lettuce 290 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 1: and garlic sauce, and the mic Africa out of Norway, 291 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 1: which was beeven vegetables in a pita and you can 292 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: imagine pr was varied, not not good. Yeah, Norway probably 293 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: shouldn't be coming out with a make Africa, especially in 294 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: the middle of a that that that was when there 295 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:12,160 Speaker 1: was a huge like drought and starvation issues going on. Yeah, 296 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:13,879 Speaker 1: it was two thousand two and there was a there 297 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 1: was a large famine in Africa at the time. So 298 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: they quickly pooled that one. That's good for them. Yeah. Um, 299 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 1: depending on where you are in the world, as I 300 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 1: kind of alluded to earlier, you're going to find different 301 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 1: things on the menu. In India where for a large 302 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 1: part of the population cows are sacred, you did not 303 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: eat them, You're not going to find much beef. Fewer 304 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:39,920 Speaker 1: hamburgers beef hamburgers, yes, imagine so yes. And because McDonald's 305 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 1: has become this global force, it has come to symbolize 306 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: so much more than just a fast food restaurant chain. 307 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: On the positive more corporate speak end of the spectrum, 308 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: it represents America and American family values, consistency, speed, innovation, 309 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:02,479 Speaker 1: um and this, as you can imagine, was by the 310 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 1: company's design. On the negative end, it represents American cultural imperialism, 311 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:13,399 Speaker 1: this NonStop machine of capitalism that has devalued quality and 312 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:17,400 Speaker 1: originality for quantity and cheapness. There have been protests, bombing's 313 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 1: death set McDonald's around the world. Seriously. I read a 314 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 1: very in depth essay about McDonald's in an international affairs 315 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: class in college. Economist Thomas Friedman named a whole theory 316 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:32,120 Speaker 1: about it, the Golden Arches theory of conflict prevention. Yeah. 317 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:35,439 Speaker 1: He argued that globalization is a force of peace, and 318 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: he pointed to the fact that at the time, no 319 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:41,399 Speaker 1: two countries with McDonald's and them had ever been to 320 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:46,439 Speaker 1: with at war with each other, but changed when the U. S. 321 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: And NATO bombed Serbia. Both had McDonald's, so kind of 322 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 1: a big it's become a big thing literally and psychologically, culturally, 323 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 1: very large. And we'll talk a little bit more about 324 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 1: that later, but first let's get into the history, the 325 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,240 Speaker 1: the humble beginnings of how this b a myth started. 326 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: But even before that, let's get into a quick break 327 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:25,040 Speaker 1: for a word from our sponsor, and we're back. Thank 328 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: you sponsor, Yes, thank you. I wanted to start this 329 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:33,080 Speaker 1: by saying, it is very interesting, indeed to read the 330 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: history of the McDonald's on the McDonald's official website versus 331 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:40,680 Speaker 1: pretty much anywhere else and anyone else writing about it. Yeah, 332 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:48,919 Speaker 1: it's um stark. It's very different. Yes. Anyway, our story 333 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:53,160 Speaker 1: begins with the Great Depression, the Great Depression. Yep, that's 334 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,160 Speaker 1: where we're going to start, and that's where we always 335 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,680 Speaker 1: want to start, right. There were two brothers from New Hampshire, 336 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 1: Richard and Maurice mcdonn olds or Dick and mac or 337 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 1: McDonald's singular. Yeah, oh, just the one d that's true. 338 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: It's not not a pluralized McDonald's. Yeah, not yet. Just kidding, okay. 339 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 1: After their father was fired from a shoe factory, they 340 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:18,159 Speaker 1: both got it in their head that they really wanted 341 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 1: to be their own bosses, and not just that they 342 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: wanted to be millionaires. Millionaires by the time they turned fifty. 343 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:28,480 Speaker 1: It's ambitious, that's nice, Yeah, very ambitious. There was not 344 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:31,159 Speaker 1: a lot of opportunity for millions in their home in town, however, 345 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 1: so they packed up and went west to Hollywood, hoping 346 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 1: to become big time producers movie producers. However, becoming a 347 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 1: big time producer can be a bit difficult, yeah, strange, 348 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,400 Speaker 1: and they ended up moving movie sets and no millions 349 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:53,240 Speaker 1: were forthcoming. They did open a movie theater in Los Angeles, 350 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: but it didn't last very long, so they sold it. 351 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: After their stint in show biz didn't pan out, they 352 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: decided to take a swing at the restaurant biz. For 353 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,680 Speaker 1: their first venture, they made an octagonal open air structure 354 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:11,679 Speaker 1: out of borrowed would near the Foothill Flying Field, or 355 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,840 Speaker 1: as it was sometimes called, America's Friendly Say Airport. The 356 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:17,359 Speaker 1: area surrounding it attracted all types, whether they are looking 357 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:20,159 Speaker 1: at watch planes or hoping to catch glimps of someone 358 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 1: famouss or both. And they made a deal with sun 359 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,160 Speaker 1: Kissed of Orange Juice fame. This was at the height 360 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 1: of orange Juice Heyday to buy up their fallen oranges 361 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 1: twenty dozen oranges for a quarter. They called their stand 362 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: air Drone and they sold orange juice and hot dogs, 363 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 1: which is not caring that I wouldn't sure. Yeah, but 364 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 1: it was a success enough so to open two more locations. 365 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 1: They still had their eyes on that millionaire prize, though, 366 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,960 Speaker 1: and they thought the future was in automobiles, especially because 367 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:57,160 Speaker 1: they thought that the five day American work week would 368 00:24:57,359 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: decrease to fog you know, have more time to drive 369 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: drive round. Am still waiting on that one? Yeah, not 370 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 1: not here yet, Nope. To that end, they spent two 371 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:09,680 Speaker 1: hundred dollars to slice their stand in half and relocated 372 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:14,200 Speaker 1: to San Bernardino, California, and they were able to talk 373 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:18,160 Speaker 1: their way into a five thousand dollar loane May nine, 374 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 1: close to historic Root sixty six. They opened McDonald's the 375 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: very first McDonald's very first. However, it was not a 376 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,919 Speaker 1: McDonald's that we would recognize or that it's not what 377 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 1: we would know today. It was a drive in, meaning 378 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:37,359 Speaker 1: there was very little annoy of seating, and female servers 379 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 1: and tight shirts and short skirts and major atte boots 380 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 1: would bring food out to your parked car. These outfits 381 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:48,399 Speaker 1: were recycled from a local theater by the way. Then yeah, 382 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 1: then there was their menu slow cooked, slow cooked, Lauren barbecue, 383 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 1: and imported hickory chips. The go to combo was a 384 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,680 Speaker 1: Ricky sandwich and chips for thirty five cents. You can 385 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: also find things like to Molly's, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chili, 386 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,159 Speaker 1: pork and means, and yes, a basic burger. As I 387 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,120 Speaker 1: said before, i've been to McDonald's in a long time. 388 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,960 Speaker 1: I don't know. Maybe that's not super weird. Now that's 389 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 1: super weird, Okay, cool, like an American locations. Okay, it's 390 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:23,160 Speaker 1: definitely not what they're known for. Um. This first iteration 391 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 1: of McDonald's was the success with up to one cars 392 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 1: in the parking law on the weekend. But Dick and Mac, 393 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,680 Speaker 1: we're looking to differentiate their business from the crowd after 394 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: increased driving competition post World War two, and they noticed 395 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: that the Hamburger accounted for eight of their sales. So 396 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:47,199 Speaker 1: they started chipping away at the menu, and the more 397 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 1: items they got rid of, the more Hamburgers they sold. 398 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:53,960 Speaker 1: It makes sense. The brothers also noticed, well, they kind 399 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: of came to the conclusion that the driving concept was unwieldy. 400 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:02,120 Speaker 1: It was slow and disorganized and had a lot of overhead. 401 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 1: On top of that, the customer base of roality, littering, 402 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 1: jukebox listening, smoking, kiss and or sex, having teenagers was 403 00:27:10,119 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 1: scaring off the family values crowd. They closed their doors 404 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 1: for a three month redesign and there was some laying 405 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:23,640 Speaker 1: out and choreographing with red chalk on a tennis court involved. 406 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,720 Speaker 1: And when they reopened they were a drive in restaurant 407 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:29,920 Speaker 1: no more. Where once there had been bellhops, there were 408 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,159 Speaker 1: now self service counters where once there had been plates 409 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 1: in silverware and a dishwasher. There were now paper wrappings 410 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: and cups and no dish washer. Where once there had 411 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 1: been barbecue and Tomali's, there were now only nine items hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chips, pie, milk, coffee, 412 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:50,160 Speaker 1: and three flavors of soft drinks available only in one 413 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:56,120 Speaker 1: twelve ounce size. Yeah, and they were really focused on speed, 414 00:27:56,920 --> 00:28:00,680 Speaker 1: and they got the idea to adapt Henry Ford automobile 415 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: assembly line for their restaurant with what they called the 416 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 1: Speedy Service System. Speedy so many ease involved. Yes, there 417 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,080 Speaker 1: are a lot of these. Here's how worked. There were 418 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:14,840 Speaker 1: twelve employees, all male, and each specialized in a specific thing. 419 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:17,359 Speaker 1: A lot of the food was already made to save time, 420 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,240 Speaker 1: and also to save time, all the burgers were the 421 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: same catch up mustard, both dispensed from a custom made dispenser, 422 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:28,920 Speaker 1: not one but two pickles and onions. If you wanted 423 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: something else, you just have to wait. Buster. This efficiency 424 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 1: and lack of choice meant that orders were frequently ready 425 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: before they were placed, and you could see inside to 426 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: to marvel as your food was being made grill to 427 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:46,760 Speaker 1: counter in thirty seconds, they said, sounding a bit more 428 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:53,880 Speaker 1: like the McDonald's. We know right, No, you're right. Their 429 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,600 Speaker 1: first customer was a nine year old girl who brought 430 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 1: a bag of burgers. But there were probably problems. Problems. 431 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:08,040 Speaker 1: One the fired car ops would park outside and heckle yeah. 432 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 1: Two customers were confused about the self service counter and 433 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 1: the silverware. Where's the silverware? Where do we sit? Questions? Confusion? 434 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:20,040 Speaker 1: So what did the brothers do? What we all do 435 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:23,080 Speaker 1: in times of crisis. Add some French fries and milkshake 436 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:27,640 Speaker 1: makes everything better? It does. The milkshakes were triple thick, 437 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: but triple thick, I know. And that milkshake bought every 438 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: about it to the yard or the self service counter. 439 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:40,440 Speaker 1: Perhaps it's more accurate. And theft hamburgers didn't hurt either. 440 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:42,960 Speaker 1: And they were one of the first in the industry 441 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 1: to use infred heat lamps to keep their fries warm. 442 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: The fries were special. I'm sure I probably don't need 443 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,120 Speaker 1: to tell you that. Um Max spent a lot of 444 00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: time trying to pin down the method to get perfect 445 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 1: crunchy fries, and he eventually arrived at trying out Idaho 446 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,719 Speaker 1: potatoes in the Desert Wow to bring out the sugars. 447 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 1: There was a very specific timing involved, as well, there's 448 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:07,640 Speaker 1: that's still part of what they do today. Yeah. Dick 449 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 1: was the inventor of the two and apart from the 450 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: speedy system, he came up with the golden arches, you 451 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 1: know that the rounded curves at the top of the 452 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:17,200 Speaker 1: end and the logo and they used to kind of 453 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 1: like bookend the restaurant. Yeah, yeah, not not so anymore, 454 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:25,880 Speaker 1: but that was his original vision. By the nineteen fifties, 455 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:30,280 Speaker 1: McDonald's was making dollars a year thanks to reduced labor 456 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 1: cost and their clientele of mostly families and businessmen. They 457 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 1: passed the one million Hamburger mark, and as part of 458 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:42,239 Speaker 1: their success, they attracted a lot of imitators. How did 459 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 1: they deal with these inmitators. Oh, they were like, come 460 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:49,920 Speaker 1: at me, bro. They'd give potential competitors stores. They'd give 461 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:53,680 Speaker 1: them details when I asked. Yeah. Then they realized that 462 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:56,640 Speaker 1: they could sell their formula and get some extra cash. 463 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:00,040 Speaker 1: So when prime X, the company that McDonald's gets it 464 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:03,200 Speaker 1: are got its shortening from, published an article about the 465 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:07,000 Speaker 1: French fries at McDonald's an American restaurant, which is an 466 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 1: industry magazine, the brothers ran an ad in the same 467 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 1: issue that read the most important sixty seconds of your 468 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 1: entire life. Wow. Yeah. A lot of dishonest folks tried 469 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:20,800 Speaker 1: to copy the brother's success. Most of them failed, but 470 00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: some honest ones tried to franchise it, like Neil Fox, 471 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:28,400 Speaker 1: who was an oil executive from Phoenix. He paid ars 472 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:32,240 Speaker 1: to franchise, largely because he thought the name was lucky 473 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: his words, okay, not wrong, well no apparently not suppose 474 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 1: not yeah, but this got him. The nine got him 475 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 1: a training blue print, a manual, a structure with the 476 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 1: two golden arches, um and the works of how to 477 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:51,880 Speaker 1: make McDonald's work only for each of the six franchise 478 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:54,720 Speaker 1: locations they tested it. It didn't work, not like the 479 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:57,720 Speaker 1: brothers wanted it to anyway. Um, and that might be 480 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 1: why when Carnation of Carnation Milk came in and offered 481 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:04,160 Speaker 1: to erect McDonald's all across the US, they turned it down. 482 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: Max said about the choice, more places, more problems, but 483 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:13,719 Speaker 1: McDonald's are pretty much everywhere now right, Uh yeah, so 484 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:18,120 Speaker 1: how did that happen? Well, McDonald's a checked one particular 485 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 1: person we have to talk about, and it brings us 486 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:25,280 Speaker 1: back to those milkshakes, which played an integral role in 487 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 1: what McDonald's would become. But first, one last quick break 488 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: for a word from our sponsor, and we're back. Thank 489 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:46,480 Speaker 1: you sponsor. So the year was nineteen fifty four and 490 00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:50,360 Speaker 1: one Ray crock of, fifty two year old second generation 491 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:54,000 Speaker 1: immigrant from Czechoslovakia, was having a hard time of things. 492 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:57,080 Speaker 1: Oh yeah. He had been working as a middling ley 493 00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: successful traveling salesman for about thirty years, peddling paper products 494 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:04,880 Speaker 1: and kitchen equipment to independent restaurants around the country. At 495 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:09,400 Speaker 1: the time, his product was Prince Castle multi mixer milkshake machines, 496 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 1: which were being run out of business by a competitor. 497 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:16,000 Speaker 1: Oh no, uh. He had a good turn of luck though, 498 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:18,720 Speaker 1: when he sold not just one, but eight machines to 499 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 1: this hamburger shop in San Bernardino. The owners needed the 500 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 1: capacity to make forty milkshakes all at one go, and 501 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:31,800 Speaker 1: he was curious. So Ray Kruc packed a bag and 502 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 1: went down to check out McDonald's. He was so impressed 503 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:38,720 Speaker 1: by the business model, he later said about his visit 504 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:41,080 Speaker 1: to this restaurant. When I saw it working that day 505 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 1: in n I felt like some latter day Newton who 506 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,280 Speaker 1: had just had an I had aho potato crombed off 507 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:51,240 Speaker 1: his skull. Wow. You know, Kroc had spent thirty years 508 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 1: watching what works and doesn't at low end dining establishments, 509 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 1: and he, like so many others, saw that the McDonald 510 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: brothers really had something here. So I went back to 511 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 1: his hotel, thought about it, came back the next day 512 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 1: and made them a franchising offer, which they refused. And 513 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,359 Speaker 1: here's the like sliding doors alternate reality moment where you're 514 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 1: like this close to never having tasted a McDonald's fry. 515 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:20,799 Speaker 1: But Kroc did not go home. Instead, he countered, and 516 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 1: he cajoled, and eventually he convinced the McDonald brothers that 517 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:27,040 Speaker 1: he could make a franchise model work for them. He 518 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:31,360 Speaker 1: opened up the first experimental offshoot in nineteen and Plane, 519 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:36,120 Speaker 1: Illinois in de Planes, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, neighboring 520 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 1: the suburb where Croc lived. And if you're wondering what 521 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:42,319 Speaker 1: it takes to build a two stores into one of 522 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,920 Speaker 1: the biggest international businesses on the planet, the answer is 523 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: a good idea and total obsession. Yeah. Kroc took the 524 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:56,200 Speaker 1: concepts of precision and reproducibility started by the McDonald brothers 525 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 1: and expanded them both in terms of the food and 526 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 1: the franchises. He specified McDonald's hamburger as being one point 527 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:07,000 Speaker 1: six ounces, with a diameter of three point eight seven 528 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:11,800 Speaker 1: five inches and a fat content below nineteen. He built 529 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:15,360 Speaker 1: a laboratory to devise the perfect batch of French fries. 530 00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:19,920 Speaker 1: He created a method to allow two stores at opposite 531 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:22,680 Speaker 1: ends of the country to deliver an identical platter to 532 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:25,600 Speaker 1: customers down to the size of the mustard dollop on 533 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:29,359 Speaker 1: the burger bun. When he sold franchises, and he would 534 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:31,720 Speaker 1: sell seventy nine of them in the first three years, 535 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 1: he wasn't selling a name in some recipes he was. 536 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:38,600 Speaker 1: He was selling an entire operating system. At that original location, 537 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:41,720 Speaker 1: he personally scraped gum off of the parking lot pavement. 538 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:45,120 Speaker 1: He often said, there's a bunch of things. He often said, uh, 539 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:47,759 Speaker 1: I believe in God, family and McDonald's and in the 540 00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:54,880 Speaker 1: office that order is reversed. He is quite Quotable's amazingly quotable. Uhum. 541 00:35:55,239 --> 00:35:58,279 Speaker 1: But he wasn't making money due to the terms of 542 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,080 Speaker 1: this original deal that he had made with the McDonald's brothers. 543 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:06,280 Speaker 1: Under financial advisement, CROC incorporated another engine into this business 544 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:10,359 Speaker 1: under a subsidiary he named the Franchise Realty Corporation. He 545 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:14,360 Speaker 1: began leasing up land for potential for potential store sites, 546 00:36:14,719 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 1: which could then be sub leased to franchise e s 547 00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 1: at huge markups, both making him lots of cash and 548 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:23,960 Speaker 1: giving him greater control over the stores in the long run, 549 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,799 Speaker 1: because as landlord he could work in all kinds of 550 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:32,000 Speaker 1: terms into these franchise agreements. This is still a major 551 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:34,399 Speaker 1: source of the company's income. By the way, they've got 552 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: thirty billion dollars in real estate assets today. I did 553 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:46,440 Speaker 1: like a full mouth and gate expression at that. Uh. Meanwhile, 554 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:50,560 Speaker 1: tension was growing between Croc and the McDonald brothers, who 555 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:55,640 Speaker 1: we're not living up to Croc's ambitious vision. Uh. Croc 556 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 1: could have sold as shares and started a competing franchise, 557 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:03,440 Speaker 1: but he did that name, that lucky name. So in 558 00:37:03,560 --> 00:37:08,560 Speaker 1: nine he changed the name of his land subsidiary to 559 00:37:08,719 --> 00:37:13,919 Speaker 1: the McDonald's Corporation and then demanded that the brothers sell 560 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:19,319 Speaker 1: out to him. Wow, and it worked. It worked. He 561 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 1: had to go two point seven million dollars into debt 562 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:25,719 Speaker 1: in order to pay them out. But wow, for assistance 563 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:29,720 Speaker 1: and obsession. Yeah, Croc said about this, but I guess 564 00:37:29,719 --> 00:37:32,319 Speaker 1: there was no way out. I needed the McDonald name 565 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:35,279 Speaker 1: in those golden arches. What are you going to do 566 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:39,760 Speaker 1: with a name like Croc, which is kind of ironic now, shooes. 567 00:37:40,719 --> 00:37:43,799 Speaker 1: The brothers also demanded to keep the original location as 568 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:46,480 Speaker 1: part of the contract, albeit under a different name. The 569 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:50,799 Speaker 1: Big M. Big M. Croc was so bitter about this, 570 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:53,439 Speaker 1: he put up a McDonald's around the block. He says, 571 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:54,800 Speaker 1: it was right across the street. There's a lot of 572 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:58,839 Speaker 1: contention about this down the street. Yeah, it's it's close. Yeah, 573 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:01,960 Speaker 1: it was close. The Big M closed six years later. 574 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:04,840 Speaker 1: There was contentious about this, contention about this as well. 575 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:07,560 Speaker 1: The brothers say they just retire. He says he ran 576 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:12,320 Speaker 1: them out of business. Kroc called the McDonald's and the 577 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:17,040 Speaker 1: plane our discplanes the first McDonald's and gave himself the 578 00:38:17,080 --> 00:38:20,640 Speaker 1: title of the founder of McDonald's. Yeah, they're still plaques 579 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:24,879 Speaker 1: on the wall in McDonald's. Yeah. Every year, on Founder's Day, 580 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 1: which I guess is a thing McDonald celebrates, McDonald's honors him. 581 00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:33,920 Speaker 1: And it wasn't until they started honoring the McDonald's brothers. 582 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,359 Speaker 1: To Mac died of heart failure in nineteen seventy one 583 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:39,400 Speaker 1: and they were people who knew him said it was 584 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:41,359 Speaker 1: in part due to the stress of the whole thing. 585 00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:45,720 Speaker 1: Dick died in and in his office was an engraved 586 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:49,280 Speaker 1: golden spatulor used to cook the fifty billion McDonald's burger, 587 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: a framed nineteen seventy three Time magazine cover featuring the 588 00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:58,359 Speaker 1: Hamburger Empire, and a commemorative McDonald's pin set, among other 589 00:38:58,480 --> 00:39:03,440 Speaker 1: McDonald's memorabilia. Yeah. That that was like the saddest well anyway. 590 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:07,000 Speaker 1: Croc lived in Beverly Hilse and purchased the San Diego 591 00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:11,040 Speaker 1: baseball team, the padres Um. Kroc once said, here's another 592 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:14,719 Speaker 1: great quote from him, If any of my competitors were drowning, 593 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:17,640 Speaker 1: I'd stick a hose in their mouth and turn on 594 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 1: the water. He also once said of the McDonald brothers, 595 00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:24,680 Speaker 1: I closed the door to my office and I paced 596 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:26,680 Speaker 1: up and down the floor, calling them every kind of 597 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:29,560 Speaker 1: son of a bitch there was. I was so mad, 598 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 1: I wanted to throw a vase through the window. I 599 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:37,440 Speaker 1: hated their guts. This this is bananas. Yeah uh. And 600 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:40,400 Speaker 1: it's also the subject of last year's film The Founder, 601 00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:44,799 Speaker 1: starring Michael Keaton as Croc, which is the inspiration for 602 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:46,960 Speaker 1: this episode. Actually, any I got to check it out 603 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:50,560 Speaker 1: on an airplane, and so welcome to a McDonald's episode. 604 00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:55,040 Speaker 1: The film, which is based on both crocs autobiography and 605 00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:59,640 Speaker 1: an unofficial biography, posits that Kroc included in this deal 606 00:39:59,719 --> 00:40:03,640 Speaker 1: with the McDonald's brothers a one percent annual royalty clause 607 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:07,720 Speaker 1: as a handshake deal, which was never put in writing 608 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:12,640 Speaker 1: and never honored. Yeah, just so you know, that would 609 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 1: have been three and five million dollars a year. Oh 610 00:40:18,239 --> 00:40:24,560 Speaker 1: m hm. Anyway, anyway, moving on from from there, U 611 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:28,440 Speaker 1: Kroc and one of his original Burger flippers, one Fred Turner, 612 00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:32,480 Speaker 1: opened up the first iteration of Hamburger University, teaching their 613 00:40:32,520 --> 00:40:37,279 Speaker 1: gospel quality, service, cleanliness, and value, and also the three 614 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:41,359 Speaker 1: legged stool business model, which places equal responsibility on the 615 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:46,239 Speaker 1: company's suppliers, the franchise owners and operators, and their employees. 616 00:40:47,320 --> 00:40:50,800 Speaker 1: But as much as Krac demanded exaction, he also encouraged 617 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:54,239 Speaker 1: creativity and invention in his franchisees as long as they 618 00:40:54,239 --> 00:40:57,880 Speaker 1: passed their successes back up the chain, of course, and 619 00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:01,400 Speaker 1: the success of McDonald's was copied quickly. Burger King and 620 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:04,960 Speaker 1: KFC opened in nineteen two Carls Jr. In nineteen fifty 621 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:08,440 Speaker 1: six and Taco Bell in nineteen sixty two. In the sixties, 622 00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:11,520 Speaker 1: seating was added to McDonald's restaurants, and then a drive 623 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:15,959 Speaker 1: through window after Wendy's successfully incorporated one in nineteen sixty nine. 624 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:20,640 Speaker 1: The original Ronald McDonald, then known as the Hamburger Happy Clown, 625 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:25,719 Speaker 1: debuted in nineteen sixty three. Uh. The idea for him 626 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:29,240 Speaker 1: came from a sponsorship that to Washington, d c. Franchise 627 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:33,920 Speaker 1: is entered into with the locally produced television show Bozo's Circus. 628 00:41:34,719 --> 00:41:37,720 Speaker 1: When the station canceled the show, the local store owners 629 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:40,840 Speaker 1: hired on the show's star one Willard Scott to create 630 00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:45,480 Speaker 1: a new clown character just for them. Huh. But he 631 00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:48,239 Speaker 1: was let go and replaced in nineteen sixty six due 632 00:41:48,320 --> 00:41:51,360 Speaker 1: to being too stocky and thus difficult to find similar 633 00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:54,239 Speaker 1: body types for birthday parties and other appearances. I have 634 00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:57,160 Speaker 1: to say I watched the commercially appeared in and I 635 00:41:57,200 --> 00:42:02,399 Speaker 1: was like, Okay, that's not Ronald. I did have one 636 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:05,040 Speaker 1: of those parties, you know, they had the caboose, but 637 00:42:05,080 --> 00:42:06,719 Speaker 1: when I was four that was Maybe that was one 638 00:42:06,719 --> 00:42:08,960 Speaker 1: of the reasons, because the clown was laughing in my 639 00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:12,919 Speaker 1: face and didn't like clowns. Another incident with a clown 640 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:14,720 Speaker 1: where I pushed to this guy just as the joker 641 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:19,040 Speaker 1: to pool. Anyway, back to McDonald's episode Okay. By nine 642 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:23,200 Speaker 1: sixty five, McDonald's had seven ten locations and the company 643 00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:26,799 Speaker 1: went public ten years to the day, ten years to 644 00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:30,360 Speaker 1: the day after Krac's original franchise had opened. It was 645 00:42:30,880 --> 00:42:34,880 Speaker 1: a huge financial success, but as Krack often said, a 646 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:39,440 Speaker 1: laurel rested upon quickly wilts this guy to promote the brand. 647 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:42,840 Speaker 1: In nineteen sixty seven, he spent about one percent of 648 00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:45,920 Speaker 1: the company's sales some two point three million dollars on 649 00:42:46,239 --> 00:42:51,240 Speaker 1: nationwide advertising, which was totally unheard of for a brand 650 00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:54,160 Speaker 1: to do at the time. Um, and that's where we 651 00:42:54,200 --> 00:42:58,360 Speaker 1: got the rest of the McDonald land denizens, Mayor mccheese 652 00:42:58,440 --> 00:43:02,080 Speaker 1: and the Hamburglar, Grimma, all those great people. We had 653 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:06,160 Speaker 1: an interesting conversation about this before recording about what grimaces. 654 00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:10,360 Speaker 1: We have many questions, Yeah, yeah. Producer Dylon specifically has 655 00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:14,480 Speaker 1: you know, conspiracy theories. Yeah, like like, what's what's the 656 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:18,560 Speaker 1: political structure in McDonald land. Do you know, does anyone 657 00:43:18,840 --> 00:43:24,640 Speaker 1: m right in right in? If you do advertising would 658 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:28,320 Speaker 1: become such a huge part of McDonald's business that another 659 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:31,200 Speaker 1: crack is um was we're not in the hamburger business, 660 00:43:31,200 --> 00:43:33,960 Speaker 1: We're in show business. And I like how I'm just 661 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:38,440 Speaker 1: slowly creeping into the trans and Latin gacs. Yeah, it 662 00:43:38,480 --> 00:43:41,920 Speaker 1: seems to fit for this, the personality we're getting through 663 00:43:41,920 --> 00:43:47,239 Speaker 1: these quotes. Yeah, definitely. Nine sixty seven is also the 664 00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:50,520 Speaker 1: year that one franchise in Pittsburgh tested a new sandwich, 665 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:57,120 Speaker 1: the Aristocrat, which was eventually renamed the Big Mac. Yeah. 666 00:43:58,040 --> 00:44:01,400 Speaker 1: Other franchises would contribute into ring menu items from the 667 00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:03,759 Speaker 1: egg McMuffin to the fileto fish over the next couple 668 00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:06,919 Speaker 1: of years. By nineteen seventy one, there were over two 669 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:11,520 Speaker 1: thousand locations throughout the United States and stores opening in 670 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:15,760 Speaker 1: Japan and Germany. Access Power is not sure why. Then 671 00:44:15,840 --> 00:44:19,800 Speaker 1: they expanded throughout Europe, Asia and South America a thousand 672 00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:22,640 Speaker 1: stores overseas. By the end of the decade, the company 673 00:44:22,719 --> 00:44:26,520 Speaker 1: was growing twenty seven percent year over year. And this 674 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:29,759 Speaker 1: is when it became this this international symbol of American 675 00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:34,560 Speaker 1: capitalism and cultural imperialism. Um in San Salvador in nineteen 676 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:38,560 Speaker 1: seventy nine, these guerilla Marxists blew up one location, calling 677 00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:43,759 Speaker 1: it an act against imperialist America, and that is some 678 00:44:43,880 --> 00:44:48,240 Speaker 1: kind of success for a Burger joint. Kroc had given 679 00:44:48,280 --> 00:44:51,440 Speaker 1: over the office of chief executive by then to his 680 00:44:51,560 --> 00:44:54,839 Speaker 1: right handman, Fred Turner. Though legend has it that Kroc 681 00:44:54,880 --> 00:44:59,000 Speaker 1: would do surprise inspections at locations wherever he traveled until 682 00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:01,520 Speaker 1: his death in nineteen eighty four. I completely believe it. 683 00:45:02,360 --> 00:45:05,239 Speaker 1: I have no doubt in my mind. He's the type 684 00:45:05,280 --> 00:45:09,240 Speaker 1: of guy that would do that. His um, his family 685 00:45:09,239 --> 00:45:12,360 Speaker 1: fortune went to his third wife, Joan, who would donate 686 00:45:12,719 --> 00:45:17,080 Speaker 1: vast amounts of it um to various various charitable causes, 687 00:45:17,120 --> 00:45:21,240 Speaker 1: a two thirty five million to NPR two billion dollars 688 00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:25,920 Speaker 1: to the Salvation Army, UM and related. The Ronald McDonald's 689 00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:29,640 Speaker 1: House Charities got its start in seven. They had begun 690 00:45:29,719 --> 00:45:32,560 Speaker 1: as a single facility in nineteen seventy four residents for 691 00:45:32,600 --> 00:45:34,560 Speaker 1: families to stay in so that they could be near 692 00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:38,120 Speaker 1: their kids during those kids lengthy hospital stays for conditions 693 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:44,120 Speaker 1: like leukemia. Under Turner, though the company shifted to further 694 00:45:44,239 --> 00:45:48,640 Speaker 1: reinforce its family friendly reputation. They increased that indoor seating 695 00:45:48,719 --> 00:45:52,360 Speaker 1: and debuted the Happy Meal with a toy, the industry's 696 00:45:52,400 --> 00:45:57,359 Speaker 1: first kids meal, complete with sponsorship, tie and opportunities. Uh. 697 00:45:57,440 --> 00:45:59,960 Speaker 1: They'd later land a plumb deal with Disney to mark 698 00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:04,279 Speaker 1: it upcoming and Classic Kids films, and that relationship continues 699 00:46:04,440 --> 00:46:10,400 Speaker 1: lucratively to this day. Yeah's toys, Oh yeah, they're always 700 00:46:10,480 --> 00:46:12,160 Speaker 1: terrible toys. A some of them are. I still have 701 00:46:12,200 --> 00:46:15,520 Speaker 1: a little transforming burger that I'm really happy. I don't 702 00:46:15,520 --> 00:46:21,080 Speaker 1: know anyway. Um the chicken McNugget debuted in three based 703 00:46:21,120 --> 00:46:24,760 Speaker 1: on Turner's idea that to make fried chicken work, which 704 00:46:24,800 --> 00:46:27,600 Speaker 1: they had been trying and hadn't happened up until then, 705 00:46:27,840 --> 00:46:31,239 Speaker 1: they needed something more snacky like French fries than some 706 00:46:31,320 --> 00:46:35,040 Speaker 1: kind of direct competitor of rival fast food franchise Kentucky 707 00:46:35,080 --> 00:46:40,080 Speaker 1: Fried Chicken. The first McDonald's that opened in Soviet Russia 708 00:46:40,200 --> 00:46:44,399 Speaker 1: in is credited by some historians as having eased the 709 00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:48,759 Speaker 1: fall of the Soviet Union, presenting what was then a 710 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:54,799 Speaker 1: luxuriously expensive, yet attainable bit of American proletariat comfort. You 711 00:46:54,840 --> 00:46:58,120 Speaker 1: know what, I'm sad about, all the government collapsing, But 712 00:46:58,239 --> 00:47:00,560 Speaker 1: these French fries, but these you know, but this is 713 00:47:00,640 --> 00:47:02,360 Speaker 1: but this, I think things are gonna be okay, because 714 00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:07,279 Speaker 1: you know, lookshaken French fries. Looken French fries. Also in 715 00:47:07,320 --> 00:47:11,280 Speaker 1: the nineteen nineties, McDonald started acquiring and and or seriously 716 00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:14,760 Speaker 1: investing in a number of those fast casual restaurant concepts 717 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:18,520 Speaker 1: like Chipotle and Boston Market. They would later divest their 718 00:47:18,560 --> 00:47:21,680 Speaker 1: interest in those things in the two thousands. Into those 719 00:47:21,719 --> 00:47:24,400 Speaker 1: and nine they opened a Mickey D's location in the 720 00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:28,360 Speaker 1: Louver A different type of culture. Yeah. Yes. They also 721 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:31,520 Speaker 1: brought in a line of coffee and espresso drinks McCafe 722 00:47:31,719 --> 00:47:36,040 Speaker 1: to rival the posh coffeehouse industry, which I call stealth McDonald's. 723 00:47:36,040 --> 00:47:41,280 Speaker 1: Stealth McDonald's. Uh. Some some economists use the Big Mac 724 00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:45,680 Speaker 1: as a measure of a country's financial strength. It's called 725 00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:49,080 Speaker 1: the Big Mac Index, of course, and it compares the 726 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:52,040 Speaker 1: prices of the sandwich, the Big Mac sanwich in different 727 00:47:52,040 --> 00:47:56,120 Speaker 1: countries and then uses that to gauge currencies relative purchasing power. 728 00:47:56,800 --> 00:48:02,200 Speaker 1: That's really interesting. But along with all of this bizarre 729 00:48:02,560 --> 00:48:08,439 Speaker 1: success came rising controversy about the brand's practices. After all, 730 00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:12,120 Speaker 1: you know, if you're serving billions of burgers per day, 731 00:48:12,160 --> 00:48:14,960 Speaker 1: that's a whole lot of supply and a whole lot 732 00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:19,839 Speaker 1: of labor as one of McDonald's burger plants in California 733 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:23,719 Speaker 1: processed four hundred thousand pounds of meat per day to 734 00:48:23,800 --> 00:48:28,000 Speaker 1: be frozen and distributed to stores. As of eleven, the 735 00:48:28,080 --> 00:48:31,520 Speaker 1: company was buying more than three point four billion pounds 736 00:48:31,760 --> 00:48:36,800 Speaker 1: of American potatoes every year. With digital and internet connected 737 00:48:36,920 --> 00:48:39,840 Speaker 1: kitchen technologies, they've been able to start turning their restaurants 738 00:48:39,840 --> 00:48:43,080 Speaker 1: into a big data stream about how their employees and 739 00:48:43,160 --> 00:48:47,239 Speaker 1: how their customers work. Make make no mistake, y'all like this. 740 00:48:47,239 --> 00:48:50,680 Speaker 1: This is a company with an absolutely insane amount of 741 00:48:50,719 --> 00:48:54,560 Speaker 1: influence and power, and that has made the target for 742 00:48:54,640 --> 00:48:59,359 Speaker 1: all kinds of criticism and lawsuits. You've got that derisive term, 743 00:48:59,400 --> 00:49:02,880 Speaker 1: the Mike j. Job. There was a huge lawsuit with 744 00:49:02,920 --> 00:49:06,239 Speaker 1: a couple of folks affiliated with green Peace, referred to 745 00:49:06,320 --> 00:49:09,640 Speaker 1: as Mick libel. I just put Mick in front of 746 00:49:09,680 --> 00:49:12,839 Speaker 1: everything you do. There's a film Supersize Me in two 747 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:16,080 Speaker 1: thousand four, that documentary where a guy ate nothing but 748 00:49:16,200 --> 00:49:18,239 Speaker 1: McDonald's for a month to make a point about the 749 00:49:18,320 --> 00:49:22,280 Speaker 1: lack of nutritional value in this incredibly popular and widespread food. 750 00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:27,400 Speaker 1: H Although ineve they would begin posting nutrition information online 751 00:49:27,480 --> 00:49:32,560 Speaker 1: and in stores ahead of national requirements. That's something. Uh. 752 00:49:32,640 --> 00:49:34,719 Speaker 1: Then there was a book Fast Food Nation in two 753 00:49:34,760 --> 00:49:38,040 Speaker 1: thousand one and a documentary Food Inc. In two thousand eight, 754 00:49:38,440 --> 00:49:42,360 Speaker 1: both about the greed and the evils of industrial farming 755 00:49:42,360 --> 00:49:48,080 Speaker 1: practices used by McDonald's and other similar companies. Industrial farming 756 00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:51,839 Speaker 1: is a whole other thing that we're going to need 757 00:49:51,880 --> 00:49:56,600 Speaker 1: to do a depressing episode about. Uh. For example, until 758 00:49:56,640 --> 00:49:59,640 Speaker 1: two thousand seven, the farm workers who picked McDonald's tomatoes 759 00:49:59,640 --> 00:50:03,160 Speaker 1: and floor we're earning about forty cents per thirty two 760 00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:09,760 Speaker 1: pound bucket picked. Uh. When McDonald's and other companies started 761 00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:16,439 Speaker 1: paying an extra penny per pound, it doubled their wages. Oh, 762 00:50:16,920 --> 00:50:19,399 Speaker 1: still only seventy two cents or something like that per 763 00:50:19,520 --> 00:50:28,680 Speaker 1: thirty two pound bucket. But an improvement man, that's my 764 00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:31,080 Speaker 1: um My dad used to get mad when he would 765 00:50:31,080 --> 00:50:33,960 Speaker 1: get a bank statement and the interest would be one 766 00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:41,200 Speaker 1: penny y. Yeah, that's ridiculous. Um And uh, you know 767 00:50:41,400 --> 00:50:45,120 Speaker 1: it's it seems like it seems like McDonald's is one 768 00:50:45,160 --> 00:50:50,239 Speaker 1: of the companies that is trying to either make things 769 00:50:50,360 --> 00:50:53,479 Speaker 1: better or to make it look like they're making things better. 770 00:50:53,840 --> 00:50:56,200 Speaker 1: It's hard, it's hard to really break it down. Um. 771 00:50:56,239 --> 00:50:59,160 Speaker 1: In they said that they had help end restrictive caging 772 00:50:59,440 --> 00:51:01,759 Speaker 1: of pigs on the farms that they support, and in 773 00:51:02,760 --> 00:51:06,440 Speaker 1: they pledged to switch to cage free eggs entirely over 774 00:51:06,480 --> 00:51:12,600 Speaker 1: the next decade. Okay, ah, and yeah, that more or 775 00:51:12,680 --> 00:51:15,799 Speaker 1: less brings us into this our modern era of McDonald's. 776 00:51:15,800 --> 00:51:18,319 Speaker 1: As discussed at the top of the show, they're trying 777 00:51:19,080 --> 00:51:22,080 Speaker 1: all sorts of things still to streamline efficiency even more 778 00:51:22,239 --> 00:51:24,759 Speaker 1: and improve sales get them out of their slump. Uh. 779 00:51:24,920 --> 00:51:28,000 Speaker 1: There's there's a new mobile ordering platform supposedly in the 780 00:51:28,000 --> 00:51:32,880 Speaker 1: works breakfast all day. Uh, digital self service kiosks and 781 00:51:33,040 --> 00:51:35,880 Speaker 1: tableside tablets to place orders for those fries that you 782 00:51:35,960 --> 00:51:41,040 Speaker 1: forgot non frozen beef for your quarter pounders. I got 783 00:51:41,040 --> 00:51:45,920 Speaker 1: a message about that, and I thought, I was like, wait, what, 784 00:51:47,520 --> 00:51:49,640 Speaker 1: I haven't been to McDonald's in so long. I didn't. 785 00:51:49,800 --> 00:51:51,839 Speaker 1: I didn't realize I should have known. It's all. Yeah, 786 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:53,839 Speaker 1: it's all frozen patties. They they produced them in these 787 00:51:53,880 --> 00:51:55,960 Speaker 1: plants and they freeze them, they flash freeze them, and 788 00:51:56,000 --> 00:51:57,799 Speaker 1: they send them to all of their stores. But that yeah, 789 00:51:57,800 --> 00:52:02,640 Speaker 1: they're experimenting with fresh beef. Couldn't what won't What won't 790 00:52:02,640 --> 00:52:05,080 Speaker 1: they think of next all the arches Burger, isn't it 791 00:52:05,280 --> 00:52:08,320 Speaker 1: something like that? Oh I'm not. I didn't. I honestly 792 00:52:08,360 --> 00:52:11,520 Speaker 1: didn't read the entire press release. Um, I remember when 793 00:52:11,520 --> 00:52:15,040 Speaker 1: people were so upset about that breakfast thing. I can't 794 00:52:15,040 --> 00:52:18,480 Speaker 1: get your mcgriddle. Yeah, yeah, after after eleven o'clock in 795 00:52:18,520 --> 00:52:22,279 Speaker 1: the morning, it totally switches over. And and if you want, 796 00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:24,200 Speaker 1: if it's eleven oh one and you want a macgriddle, 797 00:52:25,600 --> 00:52:30,279 Speaker 1: nothing for it. Hey, speed speeds be McDonald's. You want 798 00:52:30,320 --> 00:52:33,880 Speaker 1: your food quickly. But yeah, no twenty four hours a 799 00:52:33,920 --> 00:52:38,920 Speaker 1: day now, you know, as long as Yeah, speaking of 800 00:52:39,080 --> 00:52:42,799 Speaker 1: our modern day McDonald's, what about robots, let's talk about 801 00:52:42,880 --> 00:52:46,879 Speaker 1: roots robot. Yeah. Well, okay, so so we've we've talked 802 00:52:46,880 --> 00:52:50,080 Speaker 1: a little bit about some of the science issues wrapped up. 803 00:52:50,320 --> 00:52:52,560 Speaker 1: That's going to be a pun in a second around 804 00:52:52,640 --> 00:52:56,600 Speaker 1: McDonald's in other episodes, Um, the possibility of robotic automation 805 00:52:56,960 --> 00:53:01,439 Speaker 1: replacing human workers and restaurants. Um that that a little 806 00:53:01,440 --> 00:53:03,400 Speaker 1: bit more about that in the tipping episode that we 807 00:53:03,520 --> 00:53:07,560 Speaker 1: really have to do a whole robot I cannot wait automation. 808 00:53:07,760 --> 00:53:11,839 Speaker 1: Some a listeners since uh message about this how they're 809 00:53:11,920 --> 00:53:16,279 Speaker 1: using robots, They're like testing it out at some location somewhere. Um, so, yes, 810 00:53:16,360 --> 00:53:19,560 Speaker 1: I'm very scared. Yeah. Ever, robotic robotic fry baskets, robotic 811 00:53:19,600 --> 00:53:24,600 Speaker 1: burger flippers, like like literal like spatula things. Yeah, crazy stuff. 812 00:53:24,680 --> 00:53:30,240 Speaker 1: Uh and oh also, um, the harmful compounds that have 813 00:53:30,320 --> 00:53:34,239 Speaker 1: been used in McDonald's burger wrappings. Here the pum comes 814 00:53:34,280 --> 00:53:39,799 Speaker 1: to fruition. Yeah, that one's that one's I talk all 815 00:53:39,840 --> 00:53:43,799 Speaker 1: about it in our popcorn episode. Yeah. The the end 816 00:53:43,800 --> 00:53:49,560 Speaker 1: of the statement is don't I mean, it's not great. No, 817 00:53:50,480 --> 00:53:53,840 Speaker 1: people should really stop using those those chemicals. Maybe, I 818 00:53:53,840 --> 00:53:58,720 Speaker 1: mean I don't definitely don't burn the McDonald's burger rapper 819 00:53:59,400 --> 00:54:03,640 Speaker 1: and then breathe in the fumes. Okay, that's that is 820 00:54:03,680 --> 00:54:08,799 Speaker 1: a tip you can walk away. Yes, episode, that is 821 00:54:08,840 --> 00:54:11,799 Speaker 1: something actionable you can tell you. But that's also part 822 00:54:11,800 --> 00:54:15,160 Speaker 1: of why they've they've switched over from those those soft 823 00:54:15,200 --> 00:54:19,800 Speaker 1: paper wrappers to the kind of more structured cardboard um 824 00:54:19,800 --> 00:54:23,759 Speaker 1: tubs for their for their sandwiches, which you have no 825 00:54:23,800 --> 00:54:25,759 Speaker 1: idea what I'm talking about, but they've but they've made 826 00:54:25,760 --> 00:54:29,080 Speaker 1: that switch. They're in little cardboard boxes. Now. I feel 827 00:54:29,120 --> 00:54:32,200 Speaker 1: like I just want to go into McDonald's and look 828 00:54:32,239 --> 00:54:37,160 Speaker 1: around and weird people out we we have. I can 829 00:54:37,160 --> 00:54:40,080 Speaker 1: see one from my desk, can you really? Yeah, there's 830 00:54:40,120 --> 00:54:42,279 Speaker 1: there's one, like right down the street. I feel like 831 00:54:42,280 --> 00:54:45,359 Speaker 1: I just don't even see them anymore. It's not an 832 00:54:45,360 --> 00:54:51,480 Speaker 1: option we never um so health health We probably don't 833 00:54:51,480 --> 00:54:54,520 Speaker 1: want to tell you. Eating at McDonald's is not a 834 00:54:54,680 --> 00:54:59,839 Speaker 1: health choice. No. Even if you get like, well, yeah, 835 00:55:00,000 --> 00:55:04,080 Speaker 1: the salads don't fall for it. It's generally well, I mean, 836 00:55:04,440 --> 00:55:07,040 Speaker 1: the salad alone is fine, but but read the nutritional 837 00:55:07,080 --> 00:55:09,960 Speaker 1: information about the dressing, because if you use the whole 838 00:55:09,960 --> 00:55:13,120 Speaker 1: packet of dressing, it's basically a higher fat content than 839 00:55:13,120 --> 00:55:17,080 Speaker 1: you would get from ordering like the chicken nuggets. Right. Um, 840 00:55:17,120 --> 00:55:19,399 Speaker 1: but I would like to say fast food has been 841 00:55:19,760 --> 00:55:23,880 Speaker 1: really demonized and definitely it's not something you should be 842 00:55:23,880 --> 00:55:28,520 Speaker 1: eating often. But um, I mean there's a high salt, 843 00:55:29,120 --> 00:55:31,840 Speaker 1: high fat. If you're someone who needs to be monitoring 844 00:55:31,880 --> 00:55:37,759 Speaker 1: that high sugar, high calorie. However, make sure that when 845 00:55:37,800 --> 00:55:41,280 Speaker 1: you're reaching for your healthier choice, it isn't something worse. 846 00:55:41,440 --> 00:55:44,520 Speaker 1: Because a lot of things that are marketed as healthier, 847 00:55:44,600 --> 00:55:48,200 Speaker 1: things like perhaps your salad with your dressing, um, they're 848 00:55:48,200 --> 00:55:51,840 Speaker 1: on par with fast food, or they could be even worse. Um, 849 00:55:51,880 --> 00:55:57,760 Speaker 1: just I read an article about um like some tofu 850 00:55:57,920 --> 00:56:02,400 Speaker 1: dish it Whole Foods, which you know, you're like, oh, brilliant. 851 00:56:02,560 --> 00:56:05,439 Speaker 1: It was the same as Big Mac. So I mean, 852 00:56:05,760 --> 00:56:09,600 Speaker 1: just be aware. It's definitely not a healthy choice. But 853 00:56:09,640 --> 00:56:12,160 Speaker 1: if that's but if that's what's there, and you know, 854 00:56:12,320 --> 00:56:16,600 Speaker 1: in moderation, I mean it's it's like a treat. Yeah, 855 00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:20,600 Speaker 1: just educate yourself, as we always say, absolutely, yeah, but 856 00:56:20,640 --> 00:56:22,880 Speaker 1: what about Okay, So this is my this is one 857 00:56:22,920 --> 00:56:25,840 Speaker 1: of my favorite weird pop culture things. When whenever you 858 00:56:25,880 --> 00:56:30,160 Speaker 1: think about McDonald's, this comes up. The burgers don't rot 859 00:56:30,480 --> 00:56:33,960 Speaker 1: what they someone someone put one out for like years 860 00:56:34,080 --> 00:56:36,000 Speaker 1: and it looks the same and that and what is 861 00:56:36,000 --> 00:56:38,279 Speaker 1: it is? It isn't doing that in my body. It's 862 00:56:38,360 --> 00:56:45,439 Speaker 1: just burger soul burgers. Yeah, just sitting there. Okay, I've 863 00:56:45,480 --> 00:56:47,040 Speaker 1: never heard of this, but it was one of the 864 00:56:47,040 --> 00:56:49,960 Speaker 1: first things that came up when I was searching McDonald's. 865 00:56:50,120 --> 00:56:53,879 Speaker 1: So if people are like me, I haven't heard of it. 866 00:56:54,280 --> 00:56:57,719 Speaker 1: A wellness speaker and consultant brought a McDonald's burger. She 867 00:56:57,760 --> 00:57:00,759 Speaker 1: bought one. It never rotted to this day, or at 868 00:57:00,800 --> 00:57:04,160 Speaker 1: least until recently. She used it as prop during her 869 00:57:04,239 --> 00:57:07,759 Speaker 1: wellness talks. She'd pull out this like hole burger that 870 00:57:07,880 --> 00:57:11,239 Speaker 1: she bought and it had only a little patch of 871 00:57:11,239 --> 00:57:14,879 Speaker 1: mold on it. Uh and others have copied it. BuzzFeed 872 00:57:15,000 --> 00:57:18,880 Speaker 1: posted a video demonstrating the same thing, although they only 873 00:57:18,920 --> 00:57:22,200 Speaker 1: gave it thirty days only not a not a decade, 874 00:57:22,400 --> 00:57:26,800 Speaker 1: right they come on. They tested a bunch of fast 875 00:57:26,840 --> 00:57:30,520 Speaker 1: food burgers, so not just McDonald's, and they also showed 876 00:57:30,560 --> 00:57:35,320 Speaker 1: basically the same results. But don't be yes. The managing 877 00:57:35,360 --> 00:57:38,880 Speaker 1: blog director at sirius Eats put his restaurant training to 878 00:57:38,960 --> 00:57:41,360 Speaker 1: the test, the ultimate test, the test of his lifetime. 879 00:57:41,400 --> 00:57:44,080 Speaker 1: I'm sure to get to the bottom of this. He 880 00:57:44,160 --> 00:57:48,160 Speaker 1: had in his mind there were five possible culprits. Preservatives, 881 00:57:48,480 --> 00:57:52,520 Speaker 1: high salt content, although moisture content, no air during preparation, 882 00:57:52,600 --> 00:57:54,800 Speaker 1: are no contact with mold spores. Those last two are 883 00:57:54,800 --> 00:57:58,040 Speaker 1: pretty much impossible, so they were quickly discarded. He made 884 00:57:58,200 --> 00:58:01,720 Speaker 1: nine different burger combinations, some homemade, some from McDonald's, and 885 00:58:01,760 --> 00:58:04,880 Speaker 1: then like mix and match of store bought stuff and 886 00:58:04,960 --> 00:58:09,360 Speaker 1: McDonald's patty and just a bunch of different options, some 887 00:58:09,440 --> 00:58:13,000 Speaker 1: with salt, some not, different types of packaging. He never 888 00:58:13,160 --> 00:58:15,600 Speaker 1: came into contact with any of the burghers, and he 889 00:58:15,720 --> 00:58:18,439 Speaker 1: left them out in open air for three weeks. None 890 00:58:18,440 --> 00:58:23,200 Speaker 1: of them rotted. Oh yeah, he concluded the moisture was 891 00:58:23,280 --> 00:58:25,680 Speaker 1: the key. In the first week, the patties lost about 892 00:58:26,880 --> 00:58:31,280 Speaker 1: of their weight moisture. Um, they dried out basically, and 893 00:58:31,360 --> 00:58:35,200 Speaker 1: without moisture, there's no mold. The patties that McDonald's are 894 00:58:35,240 --> 00:58:37,800 Speaker 1: really thin, so they have a lot of surface area 895 00:58:38,120 --> 00:58:41,320 Speaker 1: and they dry out quickly. And that's kind of like 896 00:58:41,520 --> 00:58:44,960 Speaker 1: what is going on with tury. So so it's like 897 00:58:44,960 --> 00:58:50,320 Speaker 1: a really slow processed beef turkey. Yeah, okay, so interesting, 898 00:58:50,760 --> 00:58:55,600 Speaker 1: interesting experiment. Perhaps try I feel I feel better about that. Yeah, 899 00:58:56,560 --> 00:59:03,440 Speaker 1: that's um, that's our McDonald's episode. Yeah, uh, it's I 900 00:59:03,480 --> 00:59:09,560 Speaker 1: can't help but be impressed, even if I have problems 901 00:59:09,680 --> 00:59:14,160 Speaker 1: with some practices, but they built this thing. It's huge. Yeah, 902 00:59:14,200 --> 00:59:19,240 Speaker 1: it's impressed. Impressed is the correct word. I am very impressed. 903 00:59:19,800 --> 00:59:22,000 Speaker 1: And I still and I and I was, I was 904 00:59:22,040 --> 00:59:25,200 Speaker 1: looking you guys, but it is really hard to find. 905 00:59:25,560 --> 00:59:29,600 Speaker 1: Like they keep their technological secrets really under wraps, like 906 00:59:29,640 --> 00:59:31,880 Speaker 1: they really don't want you to know what's going on 907 00:59:32,080 --> 00:59:36,040 Speaker 1: in the plants and and uh and how they make 908 00:59:36,160 --> 00:59:39,120 Speaker 1: everything the way that they make it, which is great. 909 00:59:40,120 --> 00:59:42,120 Speaker 1: As part of one of their like marketing stints, they 910 00:59:42,160 --> 00:59:45,160 Speaker 1: got Grant Amahara, who had been on MythBusters, to come 911 00:59:45,160 --> 00:59:47,720 Speaker 1: and take a tour of one of their plants and 912 00:59:47,840 --> 00:59:51,360 Speaker 1: uh and that was supposedly the first time that cameras 913 00:59:51,360 --> 00:59:54,640 Speaker 1: had ever been allowed in there. That I want to say, 914 00:59:54,640 --> 00:59:57,520 Speaker 1: if you want to go check out that video, it's 915 00:59:57,600 --> 01:00:01,280 Speaker 1: kind of terrifying. It is. I had never thought I 916 01:00:02,240 --> 01:00:05,440 Speaker 1: never thought about being terrified by McDonald's before, but when 917 01:00:05,440 --> 01:00:07,960 Speaker 1: I realized the exact scope of the of control that 918 01:00:08,000 --> 01:00:11,120 Speaker 1: they have over the farming industry, I was like, oh, 919 01:00:11,360 --> 01:00:18,560 Speaker 1: so many industries they touch. Yeah, And that brings us 920 01:00:18,600 --> 01:00:21,720 Speaker 1: to the end of this classic episode. I have to say, 921 01:00:21,720 --> 01:00:24,880 Speaker 1: there are several topics that you listeners have raised that 922 01:00:25,000 --> 01:00:28,120 Speaker 1: I also want to revisit, the McRib being one, and 923 01:00:28,240 --> 01:00:32,000 Speaker 1: some of the shortages it causes, and you got we're 924 01:00:32,360 --> 01:00:37,720 Speaker 1: entering the season of the Shamrocks. Should I've already seen 925 01:00:37,800 --> 01:00:41,520 Speaker 1: advertise so oh? And then and then the entire idea 926 01:00:41,520 --> 01:00:46,640 Speaker 1: of of of the happy Meal toys yes, yeah, and 927 01:00:46,640 --> 01:00:50,160 Speaker 1: and even like the jingles, I oh my, so many, 928 01:00:50,160 --> 01:00:54,160 Speaker 1: so many weird, interesting, little little offshoots that we can 929 01:00:54,320 --> 01:00:59,000 Speaker 1: and should cover. Yes, but in the meantime, listeners, if 930 01:00:59,040 --> 01:01:01,320 Speaker 1: you would like to contact does, you can or email 931 01:01:01,360 --> 01:01:04,000 Speaker 1: us hello at saver pod dot com. We're also on 932 01:01:04,080 --> 01:01:06,640 Speaker 1: social media. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and 933 01:01:06,760 --> 01:01:09,320 Speaker 1: Instagram at saver pod and we do hope to hear 934 01:01:09,360 --> 01:01:12,080 Speaker 1: from you. Sabor is production of I Heart Radio four 935 01:01:12,160 --> 01:01:14,360 Speaker 1: more podcasts my Heart Radio. You can visit the I 936 01:01:14,440 --> 01:01:17,320 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 937 01:01:17,360 --> 01:01:20,720 Speaker 1: your favorite shows. Thanks as always to our superproducers Dylan 938 01:01:20,760 --> 01:01:23,120 Speaker 1: Fagan and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and 939 01:01:23,160 --> 01:01:32,880 Speaker 1: we hope that lots more good things are coming your way.