McDonald's.. how does it keep going?

Heather said: "This past weekend I rented the movie "Supersize me" which is a documentary type movie about a guy that goes on a 3 meal a day "diet" eating solely McDonald's food. After watching this, I have pretty much decided that there is no future for McDonald's in my own diet. However, it didn't stop them from making .51 cents a share. 3 cents over views and over 10% over their profits from last year. Sales in Europe are the reason for the increase. Even if the Americans stop eating, you can introduce your crap product in other countries and get more people to eat it."

HappyHarry said: "It is hard to believe it, but certain people actually love McDonald's food. In that movie, they mention that 22% of their customers are "heavy users" who eat there 5 times a week or more. Scary."

alhamid said: "i confess i eat there 2 times per week. its very cheap!"

AlfredSokol said: "Because Americans are in love with cheap crap! They'll eat just about anything as long as they don't have to make it themselves."

StockFreak said: "Well try to picture this. You are standing at a busy intersection in Cairo (by busy i mean 5 cars wide in a 4 lane street). To your left theres Abu someone's Meat and Falafel (close inspections shows the flies are having a hookah sit down on the meat) to your right bright golden archs (might as well been the U.S. embassy.) At that point as a travelling American you begin to fathom the the inner love you have for MCD."

AlfredSokol said: "I would still order the salad. Have you ever heard what they make their McNuggets out of? LOL"

Heather said: "Not only are travelling Americans eating there, but so are the people that live there. I was reading an article the other day that India is now facing problems of being overweight that America is. And next door there might be a family suffering from malnutrition. This is the next epidemic facing all developed nations, in my opinion.."

Darren said: "as american food companies spread worldwide the obesity epidemic is worsening. co-incidence?"

IntelligentInvestor said: "Course Not."

HappyHarry said: "It's beyond McDonalds. How about the restaurant chains? I ordered an Egg Roll appetizer at Champ's and the thing was ENORMOUS! It was enough to feed 8. Today at Regal Cinema I bought a large Diet Pepsi! What was I thinking? The thing is 64 OUNCES! The portion sizes are literally insane."

xAnDienx said: "Supersize Me is such an aggravating movie for me. Personally, I absolutely despise it. First of all, the guy was given tons of publicity and money because he basically ate fast food all day, and, since he didn't do one minute of exercise, got fat. And the moral of the story is, don't eat McDonalds. Well, obviously, if you consume thousands of calories everyday and only burn one thousand or less, you're going to gain weight. It's logical reasoning. I'm not sure about the adult and elderly generation, but I know that, for many of my friends and I, watching supersize me only made me hungry and want to eat more McDonalds (this would explain their increase in profits). I think I'm going to come out with a movie called "Eat McDonalds in Moderation." I'll eat McDonalds once a day, exercise to stay fit and healthy, and the moral of the story will be "Take everything in moderation." From that, maybe I'll gain enough capital to put myself through college and start investing in stocks :D"

trickynick said: "I am more bullish on McDonald's than almost any company. McDonald's is a pioneer company. That is to say they have always had the ability to add new demensions to what they already had going on. Drive-thru's, which now account for fully half of all their business worldwide (probably more than half in the U.S.), used to be a new thing altogether. Think about the growth in sales as result of that. They did pretty much the same thing with breakfast, chicken, salads, this new fruit salad thing, etc. Those were all new things at one time. Fast food altogether was once a new idea and McDonald's on the cutting edge of it. I would not bet against McDonald's for the forseeable future, they have plenty room both to get bigger and to grow within the walls they build. I have owned their stock only for couple months and it's already up something like 5% and I have no plans of getting rid of it for a long time."

jhealey said: "[QUOTE=Hathor]Not only are travelling Americans eating there, but so are the people that live there. I was reading an article the other day that India is now facing problems of being overweight that America is. And next door there might be a family suffering from malnutrition. This is the next epidemic facing all developed nations, in my opinion..[/QUOTE] I thought the people of India found the cow sacred and refused to eat meat...maybe I am wrong. Did McD's modify the menu or something for their overseas operations?"

kevin21boston said: "we had to watch that at our school. honest to god i wanted McDonald's after that."

breakingwallstreet said: "Tricky, I agree with you. McDonalds is constantly reinventing itself. In fact, I found myself watching a recent commercial of theirs, and found myself interested in McDonalds food. They now have expanded their target audience to the 16 - 34 year old demographic rather than focusing on kids. I went years without eating McDonalds, now I eat it more than I'd like to admit...they sure are good at getting people to buy their food. Greg P"

uo10 said: "I go there about once a week just for the fries...lol Let's not forget how much they target little kids though and how much little kids are able to influence their parents to taking them there."

Heather said: "I don't eat there very often.. I don't trust the meat.."

AlfredSokol said: "[QUOTE=uo10]I go there about once a week just for the fries...lol Let's not forget how much they target little kids though and how much little kids are able to influence their parents to taking them there.[/QUOTE] That's their entire key. Kids are the only unfortunates dumb enough to want to eat there. Oh, them and my idiot friend Jim."

JaredLet said: "I recently returned from a trip to south america encompassing peru, colombia, bolivia, argentina, and uruguay, and in every country (only in the cities) there was a mcdonalds....i for one did not see it as an "american embassy" but more like an american acculturation program. I definitely prefer any local fresh cuisine, flies or not :)"

jivin_jives said: "McDonald's will never go away because they're very good at understanding and exploiting the pop culture. Have you noticed how McDonald's is the only chain where you walk in and never feel like you're in the 80's? They're always re-inventing themselves. Let me give you an example from first hand experience: REDBOX A few years ago, McD realized that their worst business hours were during dinner. So how do they get more people into their restaurants? They add these red vending machines that allow customers to rent newly released Movies (DVD) for $1 a night. Pretty freaking cheap if you compare that with $3.50 you pay at block buster. They've been testing it in 850 locations in St. Louise, D.C., Houston, Minneapolis, Salt Lake city etc. They got a 6-8% rise in the number of customers visiting McD at night. The coolest thing about these rentals is that you can rent a DVD ANYWHERE in the country and return it anywhere else in the country. So say you're travelling from N.Y. to Chicago. It's a 2 hour flight and you've got a laptop. You rent the DVD in N.Y. watch it on the plane and return it in Chicago. Pretty Neat Huh? How do I know all this? I'm close with the people the designed the software. P.S. Coinstar just invested $20 Mil into the company with plans to invest $12Mil more next year. I think an IPO is coming in the next few years. I'd watch out for it."

Heather said: "[QUOTE=JaredLet]I recently returned from a trip to south america encompassing peru, colombia, bolivia, argentina, and uruguay, and in every country (only in the cities) there was a mcdonalds....i for one did not see it as an "american embassy" but more like an american acculturation program. I definitely prefer any local fresh cuisine, flies or not :)[/QUOTE] Nassau Bahamas has a McDonald's right in front of the American Embassy. Looked weird to have armed guards standing by McDonald's.."

HappyHarry said: "As long as there are hungry lazy people with $2 in their hands, McDonalds will do some sort of business, I guess."

wildmandan32 said: "a friend of mine owns a mcdonald's, he said it completely paid for itself in less than 2 yrs (he is a highly ethical man and I have no reason to doubt him)!!! I do not know this to be a fact but I have heard b4 that there is a million dollar upfront franchise fee(I've never asked my friend as it has never really been a topic I've thought about prior to this post), if that is in deed correct and you can swing it (and find a location that they will allow you to put a McD's as it must be getting harder as they are EVERYWHERE) if it paid for itself in 2 yrs and from there it covers itself and everything else is profit that is a GREAT investment, small business ownership is the best investment opportunity in my opinion but having started a biz from the ground up it would be very hard for me to justify the costs of a franchise....but with returns like that I guess I could accept them lol. I still wont eat there, Fast food makes me feel horrible."

AlfredSokol said: "Me neither. The food makes me sick."

BenHouston said: "Okay I just read through all the posts. I swear the movie is propaganda, some people are more sensitive to certain types of food. Did you see what kind of girlfriend he had in the movie a complete health freak vegan, what that tells me is that he probably is used to eating very very healthy. So if you go from eating super healthy to eating complete crap obviously its going to have a crazy effect on your body. Now, the average american does NOT eat healthy, so our body CAN deal with mcdonalds type food more efficently. Back when the movie FIRST came out and my class was forced to go on a field trip to watch it all the kiddies in my class are like ewww mcdonalds is BAD. What I did was say I am going out for a smoke, went out and got a good old Big Mac. My girlfriend at the time was with me and freaking out saying omg mcdonalds is evil (she was dumped shortly after)."

Heather said: "You might find as you add some age, McDonalds just isn't what it was.. After a while your body can't handle it..Having an upset stomach over some crap food isn't worth it.."

HappyHarry said: "Haha. I'm a vegetarian myself. A lot of people have attempted to debunk the movie but there's no reason to think the movie was all propaganda. All moviemaking has a viewpoint, even "documentaries". I agree, most people probably wouldn't have such a dramatic decline. But you have to seriously doubt the quality of McD's in general. They raise most of the cattle themselves."

Heather said: "None of this is to say that there isn't profit in McDonald's.. People will eat there whenever they feel like it.. A few McDonald's even offer 24 hour drive thru service.."

Gemini said: "[QUOTE=HappyHarry]As long as there are hungry lazy people with $2 in their hands, McDonalds will do some sort of business, I guess.[/QUOTE] If you don't like McD's, I can understand that, but why do you feel the need to insult those who do like it? Different strokes for different folks, and all that, you know? As for the movie, reading through the thread, I was just itching to reply. Thankfully, all of two people had the clarity to see the movie for what it was. Propaganda, and a gimmick, to make money. Anyone with half a brain should know that going from a healthy 2500 or 3000 calories a day to a whopping 5000+ calories a day intake is going to make you feel shitty. When you try to stuff another bite of food into your gorge that just won't fit, of course you're going to puke. No f'ing wonder. Duh. Why on earth did the experiment have to include accepting a supersize offer, whether he was hungry for it or not? Also, as has been mentioned, he did eat healthy before that. Very 'healthy'. Low fat diet and all that. Of course if you go from that to a 50% fat intake, your body is not going to respond well at first. Your body is not used to processing that type of food as efficiently. For you sceptics, did anyone notice that near the end of the month, he actually got healthier?! Uh huh. Yup. He did. So, let's see, multiply your fat intake by 20, triple your caloric intake way past your hunger threshold, reduce your exercise to nothing and you will feel like crap. Wow. Big discovery. I say that sarcastically, and yet, so many people have actually fallen prey to the gimmick because they refuse to think things out for themselves. Nice going. Add to that the fact that eating from the same small menu every day is enough to make anyone sick just from the taste, and what is so suprising about this movie? Milk is healthy. Go ahead, drink 12 gallons of milk a day and see just how healthy you are after two weeks and how it makes you feel to drink one more glass. Duh. Not to say that McD's is healthy food. It's not particularly. But to suggest that to include it in your diet at all is dietary suicide, which is what the movie does, is just not correct. The way the movie goes about trying to make it seem so is ethically wrong. It's not McD's that is making people fat. It's eating at fast food restaurants 10 times a week. It's taking the car to the corner store. It's having a remote for everything, even your CAR stereo! It's the constantly being told by overweight people that you look 'sickly' and anorexic when you are at an ideal weight. Even 'normal', healthy restaurants will make you huge. I went home to Canada for a visit just last week and man, the size of the servings! I couldn't finish anything! Instead of offering you something reasonable at a reasonable price, they charge more and give you a ton. Of course, you paid through the nose, so you feel like to have to finish the whole thing, waddling out like a pregnant penguin. McDonald's, and all the other fast food restaurants like it, are just a very small part of the equation. They are no more to blame than any other facet, and in the end, it's the individual that chooses the lifestyle that makes him/her be obese. No healthy restaurants to eat at? Pack a healthy lunch to work or buy a few things at the grocery store around the corner. Walk there instead of taking the car. Know that it's OK to feel hungry throughout the day at times - that you don't have to feel full every second of the day. Order the small size instead of the large. You don't have to walk out feeling bloated. Sorry, long post verging on rant. It just makes me sick how North America has such a 'victim' mentality when everyone so clearly has the choice to be who they want to be."

BenHouston said: "Gemini, excellent post, I could not have said it better myself."

JaredLet said: "I have never even seen the movie, but i have done research on McDonalds and where their food comes from, and how it is prepared. To be honest, I would rather eat the cats that were hanging in the Thai marketplace I went to two summers ago. The food is so processed that it hardly represents beef. Not to mention that it is cooked 4 times before getting wrapped in that greasy paper. I also reccomend that if you order one of their origianal hamburgers/cheesburgers that you ask for real onions as those small chopped ones are dehydrated crap. And as for them growing their own cattle, that is only partially true. A big portion of their cattle (actually Burger King's more than MCD's) is grown in Brazil in what was once virgin rainforest. I reccomend getting a salad, with nuts, fried chicken, and a packet of buttermilk dressing....slightly less fat than their quarter pounder.....this coming from a guy who works in a restaurant that cooks with heavy cream that says in huge letters on the carton "Guaranteed to be at least 40% milk fat" lol healthy food just doesnt taste as good....."

Heather said: "Most people seem to really like things are rich and taste good. McDonald's doesn't taste good (to me) anymore. It might be because I'm getting older, but I just can't eat the same way anymore. I'd rather skip feeling sick to my stomach. :( If I had kids, they wouldn't be getting addicted to McDonald's, either.."

Harry said: "[QUOTE=HappyHarry]It is hard to believe it, but certain people actually love McDonald's food. In that movie, they mention that 22% of their customers are "heavy users" who eat there 5 times a week or more. Scary.[/QUOTE] True, plus it's cheap. I don't think that the people who NEED to see "Supersize Me" were able to afford the movie ticket or a Showtime subscription later on. That movie was a wakeup call for many though. I wonder if McDonald's earning is primarily based upon overseas growth??? On another note,,,an ex McDonald CEO said McDonalds is in the real estate business, and he pointed out the prime real estate llocations they have."

RupertB said: "Just a bit of trivia: Ray Kroc would ask "what business do you think I'm in?" Respondents usually said "fast food" or "hamburgers" Kroc would tell them that he was in the real estate business & just happened to sell hamburgers to pay for his real estate. I rarely eat at McD's but I certainly wouldn't bet against them. Edit: You beat me to it Harry."

lil dickie said: "Actually McDonalds restaurants are almost always in the best locations."

glock35ipsc said: "I read somewhere that McDonalds is [b]the[/b] largest owner of real estate in the world!"

Maryland said: "[QUOTE=glock35ipsc]I read somewhere that McDonalds is [b]the[/b] largest owner of real estate in the world![/QUOTE] heh yea that was in the Rich Dad poor Dad book when Ray Kroc spoke to Business students at UTexas. I dont like fast food, I always carry around a sandwich but I do go into MCDs a lot. They really changed their environment in some of their stores. They have wi-fi, plasmas, a lounge with sofas, soft dim lighting. It is actually quite nice. Check a MCDs out in your area to see if they have re-modeled it."

natser said: "I wonder if the McDonalds franchise owner doing good or not. Anyone owns a McDonalds franchise here? I wana know if it is productive or not."

Heather said: "[QUOTE=wildmandan32]a friend of mine owns a mcdonald's, he said it completely paid for itself in less than 2 yrs (he is a highly ethical man and I have no reason to doubt him)!!! I do not know this to be a fact but I have heard b4 that there is a million dollar upfront franchise fee(I've never asked my friend as it has never really been a topic I've thought about prior to this post), if that is in deed correct and you can swing it (and find a location that they will allow you to put a McD's as it must be getting harder as they are EVERYWHERE) if it paid for itself in 2 yrs and from there it covers itself and everything else is profit that is a GREAT investment, small business ownership is the best investment opportunity in my opinion but having started a biz from the ground up it would be very hard for me to justify the costs of a franchise....but with returns like that I guess I could accept them lol. I still wont eat there, Fast food makes me feel horrible.[/QUOTE] Theres your answer, Nat.."

BenHouston said: "Hey guys and girls, I've been away from the forums for a while now, finishing up school (i got straight B's haha) and joined a gym. I thought I would post something that may be interesting to some. For the most part I've always been a skinny kid and have had trouble putting on weight. In the last 3 months I've gained 20 lbs. How you ask? Well what has definitely helped is, I've been eating McDonalds every single day for the last 6 weeks, not just once but sometimes even twice and three times. However, my body fat % is almost the same as when I've joined the gym. The guy from supersize me put on all kinds of fat because he sat around all day. I on the other hand have been going to the gym and lifting 5 days a week. I am now 175 and still about 11% body fat and I feel great."

RotorWash said: "Ben I'm glad your gaining weight and getting in shape, however I think Mickey D's might be doing a number on your arteries. I'd switch to Subway soon, otherwise you'll hit 25 and your metabolism will slow down and you'll be addicted to junk. Invest in your health as well as your wealth! :D"

BenHouston said: "Haha oh I do...this is a temporary diet until I hit a weight i am satisified with, my goal being 190. I also have steak ever day along with protien shakes and tuna. Its a very high protien diet."

HappyHarry said: "You might want to make a movie about your experience :) Call it "Supersize Me Indeed"!"

Heather said: ".. or Ben Houston downsizes.. ;)"

trickynick said: "[QUOTE=BenHouston]Haha oh I do...this is a temporary diet until I hit a weight i am satisified with, my goal being 190. I also have steak ever day along with protien shakes and tuna. Its a very high protien diet.[/QUOTE] Hopefully you doing the fat-free cottage cheese too. That's the best stuff in the world for protien. You don't even have to chew it, you just slurp it down and your digestive tract just soaks up that protien like a sponge."

Stuart said: "[QUOTE=Hathor].. or Ben Houston downsizes.. ;)[/QUOTE] haha, hey Ben, have you checked out weight gainer instead of using MCD's as a substitue? Even though you feel great, better check your cholesterol dude."

natser said: "What you guys think? How often is it ok to eat MCD's food? One time a week, twice, three time, or how many?"

Heather said: "I never eat there. Personal decision that shouldn't influence how many times someone else eats there. After going vegetarian about a year ago, their offerings weren't very broad. ;)"

natser said: "Why if the food is so bad over there, everyone is eating that food? Whats happend to the todays world? People are just poisening themselfs!:mad:"

lil dickie said: "I don't eat there anymore either. One summer i had their breakfast everyday with my work crew mates. I cant take it anymore."

natser said: "HAHAHAHA I used to have there breakfast almost everyday too, and got really sick of eat. Well ok to be honest last time I accually had something to eat there was like 3 months ago, and before that it was years ago LOL!:D"

OptionTrading said: "Find a formula that works and multiply it.. thats how they keep going ;) People are lazy, Mcdonalds is easy.. .see the connection ;)"