April 25, 2024
April 24, 2024
April 23, 2024
April 22, 2024
April 20, 2024
Pres, MCD USA Sells More Shares
"The insider transaction history for McDonald's Corp shows a pattern of 26 insider sells and no insider buys over the same timeframe."
April 19, 2024
April 17, 2024
McDonald's Owner in California Says:
“We have realized that we are unable to solve our way out of this challenge just with price,” said Kerri Harper-Howie, a 21-unit McDonald’s franchisee in Los Angeles County. “We can’t do it. Our customers are price sensitive.”
April 15, 2024
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April 12, 2024
April 10, 2024
April 9, 2024
This Year's Legal Eagles
Franchise Times magazine has released its "Legal Issues" issue featuring the top franchise attorneys in the USA. In addition to a comprehensive graphic listing the attorneys, there are numerous articles and comments from these attorneys.
If you start with the main page HERE on the right, you'll find links to the articles. In the middle of the page, there's a link to a PDF copy of the entire section.
April 5, 2024
Earthquakes can be serious business, but as a survivor of hundreds of California earthquakes, I had to roll my eyes a little at the dramatics coming out of New York this morning.
My most memorable was in San Francisco, at a joint meeting of the San Francisco McDonald’s Co-Op and those involved in their Ronald McDonald House. The venue was a hospital in the city with a spectacular view of the skyline and bay—hence, lots of windows.
The window coverings were big, heavy venetian blinds. As the building shook, the blinds began to bang against the window glass, amplifying our fear factor.
Sensing the room’s concern, one of the doctors stepped to the microphone and said, “Not to worry; you’re already in a medical center.”
April 4, 2024
The Future With Gruesome Newsom
A BK franchisee spills the beans about backroom dealings in California
Who ever heard of American citizens who lobby their government being forced to sign NDAs? We need to know more.
April 3, 2024
March 31, 2024
March 30, 2024
March 27, 2024
March 26, 2024
March 25, 2024
March 24, 2024
March 22, 2024
March 21, 2024
March 20, 2024
Anonymous is Anonymous
A friend sent a note asking me to check to see if their comment came through as “anonymous” with no identifying info. This reminds me that I should make my annual remarks about how this website works.
To comment in any way other than “anonymous,” one must sign in with a user ID and E-mail address. Then, after writing their comment, they confirm all of the information. That requires a lot of conscious effort versus just clicking on anonymous. Few people have ever done that.
Most importantly, as the administrator of this website, I approve everything that gets posted or commented on. If a person were to do anything but post anonymously, I wouldn’t approve it, and the information would disappear into the ether. So, it’s impossible for someone to accidentally display their identity.
There’s another security aspect here - the website and your E-mail have nothing to do with each other. My E-mail server is a completely different service than the website - two different vendors. There’s no connection. That’s why we don’t have one of those “contact us” forms on the website. My E-mail address is displayed, but it’s not a click-thru.
Just because you are in my E-mail address book doesn’t mean a thing. The website doesn't know you exist.
You are accessing the website through the weblink, not your E-mail account.
So please relax and make some anonymous comments.
March 19, 2024
Greenberg Last to Serve as McDonald's CEO and Chairman
Greenberg to retire from McDonald's - QSR mag - December 2002
Greenberg's failures weaken same-store sales - LA Times - December 2002
“They should drastically slow the pace of new store openings in the United States, preferably to zero,” said David Kolpak, an analyst with Victory Capital Management.
Google this: "serve as chair of board and ceo"
March 16, 2024
Feds vs. McDonald's Shakes
It stinks that the Federal government has to be involved in this problem.
It stinks that Taylor couldn't be made to solve this problem.
It stinks that Taylor is still a McDonald's vendor.
Feds to crack down on broken shake machine problem
Subway Franchisees Get Aggressive
Subway franchisees have hired a high-powered attorney - Maze
"Zarco ... represents several franchisee associations, including the National Owners Association, a group of McDonald’s franchisees."
March 15, 2024
March 13, 2024
Don't Let Corporate Lawyers Design Parking Spaces
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New store - remote handicapped stalls
When McDonald's was a growth company, the operations folks had some input on the parking lot layout, and that was good for customers.
Stretching the letter of the law is not good for customers.
Everyone has relatives or friends who use these spaces = losing battle
March 12, 2024
March 11, 2024
March 8, 2024
Keeping the System Out of Date
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a copy of McDonald’s corporate “Global Daily Briefing. “ The most recent version (3/4/24) differs from previous releases, but I can’t tell when changes occurred.
Previously, the vendor that put the briefing together threw in the kitchen sink with almost any headline, including topics that weren’t all that positive for McDonald’s or didn’t fit into the then corporate agenda.
The recent publication is more condensed and is apparently limited to topics that MCDHQ would like employees and Owners to absorb, buying into a bit of brainwashing.
For instance, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governmental) and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) are discussed as though it was 2022, and the concepts had not been discredited over and over again. Companies are now embarrassed to admit ESG has been a priority, and DEI is being recognized as a new form of corporate-sponsored racism.
Current polls on any political topic tell us that Americans have moved past issues such as ESG and DEI.
But MCDHQ marches on - as woke as ever and as antiquated as an EV charging station.
March 6, 2024
March 4, 2024
March 2, 2024
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March 1, 2024
February 29, 2024
Dough Talks, Sourdough Walks
Pushed by the nation's largest franchise owner. It's about time this got some coverage.
Newsom donor benefitting from $20 exemption for restaurant bakeries - FOX News
February 28, 2024
Wendy's CEO: "Did I say That? ... I Didn't Say That!"
Corporate CEOs often get in trouble trying to impress analysts and investors on quarterly conference calls. In this case, Wendy's new CEO implied the company might use dynamic pricing in the future. In the case of McDonald's, the CEO has recently implied that he, and he alone, would do something about "value" and menu pricing in the restaurants.
"We didn’t use that phrase, nor do we plan to implement that practice,”
February 26, 2024
Wendy's About to Make a Big Mistake
Daypart offerings? That's OK ... Dynamic pricing? HUGE mistake
A Wendy’s burger may sell at a higher price point during a busy lunch rush
February 23, 2024
Union's Day of Action Against Starbucks
I've always thought Howard Schultz was among the dumbest people in American business. With the liberal, left-wing directions he's taken Starbucks, it's amazing he's built such a vast company and survived. But what do you get when you build a company based on your liberal "woke" policies and staff it with people who agree with your politics?
You get a Union Shop; that's what you get.
Starbucks unions stage a national day of action against chain
February 22, 2024
February 21, 2024
Fun With Numbers
Fast food stands up to economic headwinds - QSR magazine
You may have to sign up for a free subscription.
February 20, 2024
Who is This "Chef"?
February 17, 2024
McDonald's and McKinsey - Anonymous Opinion
February 16, 2024
February 15, 2024
Speaking of Best Lines...
From this week's NOA message:
"Driving sales without improving cash flow is not a path franchisees can afford to travel."
Will that fit on a T-shirt in the NOA merchandise store?
Vote for Higher Minimum Wage?
This paper was sent in by an NOA friend, expanding our discussion about voters and the "living wage."
Describing an MIT study, this is the best line:
"However, White adds, “people could be changing their attitude toward government and what government can do for them, because they just learned that government can raise their pay."
February 12, 2024
California Senate Candidate Proposes $50 Minimum Wage
California Congresswoman Barbara Lee wants to mandate inflation
The USA has finally crossed the economic Rubicon. For decades, the minimum wage was a training wage for unskilled people. But it is now a “living wage” where the employees should make enough to have a home or apartment, a car, and several flat-screen TVs. Oh yeah, and be able to support a spouse and a few kids.
And this isn’t just about California. There are politicians all over the country as ignorant as Congresswoman Lee. This concept will continue to spread nationally, and politicians will be able to buy votes by promising the masses that the government has the power to legislate their standard of living.
The new approach to the “minimum wage” may be the most inflationary thing to ever happen to the domestic economy.
February 10, 2024
February 8, 2024
February 7, 2024
February 5, 2024
MCD Investor Conference Call Transcript - Year End 2023
Read or listen to what management says about franchisees
Q4 2023 Earnings Conference Call February 5, 2024 - SeekingAlpha
February 3, 2024
February 1, 2024
January 31, 2024
January 26, 2024
Everybody Wants to be A "Growth Company"
Jack-in-the-Box may, in fact, be one. CEO says they have "tremendous white space across the USA."
January 25, 2024
January 23, 2024
Another Review of CosMc's
January 20, 2024
January 19, 2024
January 18, 2024
Can We Agree, This EV Thing is About Over?
January 17, 2024
January 16, 2024
When You Get Really Big, Who's Your Buyer?
Your franchisor, of course - RBI (BK), to buy Carrol Group's 1,000 BK stores
"Burger King ultimately plans to refranchise the restaurants to “smaller franchise operators who live in their local communities.”
January 15, 2024
January 10, 2024
Government Relations is a Dirty Business
The promotion of Sam Tatevosyan and the hiring of Melissa Walsh in McDonald’s government relations means that McDonald’s Corp’s political activities will follow the same old political direction. While it’s good to know that Tatevoyan once worked for a Republican Senator, he also spent eight years at an extremely left-wing D.C. lobbying firm. How does one swim in that liberal swamp and come out truly believing in free enterprise and entrepreneurship?
Melissa Walsh has spent much of her time working on government affairs, but it appears that her career focus has been on philanthropy and fundraising. In other words, liberals employing liberals to give money to other liberals. She and her wife should have no trouble fitting into the Woke McDonald’s corporate culture.
Both of these folks have had exciting careers, but that’s just the point. Our National politics have changed dramatically in the past few years. Just because someone was in government affairs or lobbying ten years ago doesn’t mean they understand what’s going on today.
Who knew, just a few years ago, that we would have powerful politicians working to defund the police, purposefully turning major cities into homeless encampments, erasing our international borders, and siding with the terrorists during international conflicts? And on and on. Who has the skills to work with people like that? If these trends continue, Government Relations will be nothing but bribery and influence peddling. None of it will be for the good of the country.
While McDonald’s Corp employs people who claim they can work in these spaces, McDonald’s Owner/Operators should admit to themselves that they don’t really understand today's politics. That might be why, if I understand the reports, about 40% of Owner/Operator contributions and expenditures go to the liberal left and their party.
That might have worked at the turn of the century, but today, it’s feeding the anti-American beast.
Boston Market - This Isn't Really Franchising
If McDonald's opens too many new stores in the wrong places this might be the solution.
Just give them away.
January 9, 2024
Are We Still Saying "ROFL"?
This will speed up their drive-thru times
Starbucks to use reusable cups in drive-thru
Also:
Starbucks accused of rigging payment systems to increase profits
