A Put Up/Shut Up Moment For McDonalds

The competition’s tough. Baby, that’s a pity.

Plain-McDonalds-LogoMickey D’s just announced a horrible quarter. Profits are down 30%. According to Reuters it’s because of “a food scandal in China and tough competition in the United States.”

The competition’s tough. Baby, that’s a pity.

Where were we?

How will McDonalds go about building its profit? Will it raise its prices? This is what the fast food industry has screamed any time the subject of raising wages comes up.

My guess is price raising is the last thing they’ll do. And, in spite of their kvetching, it would also be among the last things they’d do if forced to pay a more reasonable wage to the McDonalds crew.

I get it. Underpaying employees is fabulously profitable. It’s also reprehensible.

Let’s see how McDonalds goes about dealing with this crisis. It will tell us a lot about their honesty on the wage front.

McDonalds made over a billion dollars in this past quarter on revenue of seven billion.

Grilled KFC: My Review

Someone please tell me if this entry makes me sound out-of-touch like George H. W. Bush with that supermarket scanner. I seldom eat fast food. I probably haven’t been to KFC since the Colonel was alive and “fried” was still part of the name!

I was rushed Thursday night. With an appointment between newscasts I didn’t have time for a real dinner. There was only time for fast food. I stopped at KFC.

Someone please tell me if this entry makes me sound out-of-touch like George H. W. Bush with that supermarket scanner. I seldom eat fast food. I probably haven’t been to KFC since the Colonel was alive and “fried” was still part of the name!

I ordered a two piece box of grilled chicken. There are two choices. Mine was a leg and thigh.

Kentucky Grilled Chicken is marinated and seasoned with a savory blend of six secret herbs and spices and slow-grilled to juicy perfection. The cooking process includes a blend of spices that is proprietary to KFC and utilizes custom-designed, patented ovens, making it KFC’s second secret recipe.

Yeah, yeah… whatever. It was really good. The chicken was nicely spiced and quite juicy (though I wondered after the fact exactly when and why “juicy” entered the picture). If there’s a taste advantage to fried I didn’t miss it.

Where I felt KFC flopped was presentation. I hear this all-the-time and I agree: presentation is an integral part of a meal.

To me this meal seemed more manufactured than cooked. Everything was served in a box packed as if it’s a nightstand from Ikea. A general purpose “spork” was included saving me the trouble of wondering whether I’d need a spoon or fork. I often get Subway subs in a plastic bag yet they somehow lack this aura of Soviet style utility!

Though the grilled chicken is numerically healthier a look at the KFC website shows the fried chicken isn’t that bad for you either. That was a surprise.

If rushed I’d get KFC’s grilled chicken again. I’d just make sure I had a plate (paper or otherwise) waiting. I’m just not ready to eat from a box.