Slowly But Surely - Here They Come

 In-N-Out announces expansion - MSN

McDonald's Netherlands Pulls Anti-Christmas Ad

While much of the press coverage has focused on using AI to produce commercials, the real issue is that McDonald's Corporate can allow the production and distribution of a commercial that could be offensive to millions of people around the globe.

The Guardian: McDonald's removes AI-generated ad after backlash

Or does McDonald's Corp want to be involved in this kind of thing?

Anti-Christian attacks surge across Europe - Fox News

Christmas at McDonald's Under PJB

Most advertising people are counter-culture and, as such, many are anti-religion, but I never thought it would show up in a McDonald's TV commercial.

Bleak McDonald's ad declares Christmas "Terrible"

Maze and McDonald's Strange Year

Monday was spent discussing "price fixing". That's not a term franchisees should toss around. I spent some time fiddling with other ways to describe what's going on in McDonald's, using terms like "price dictation." Better, but not adequate. Leave it to our favorite wordsmith, Jonathan Maze, to find the right word. He used "Oversight". Of course, as a journalist, he can't accuse anyone of price fixing, so he needed another term. "Price Fixing" implies that you are accusing someone of unlawful behavior and that you might be considering legal action. That makes communication difficult.

"Pricing Oversight" means all parties are studying the issue without making 

accusations. Franchisees can always use the term "Price Fixing" later.

The story of McDonald's strange year - in two parts

Cannibalization in the New Year

 'Tis the time of year that business managers and owners tighten up their sales projections for the approaching new year.

For most retail and restaurants, this means looking back on the year ending period by period, reflecting on advertising, promotions, what worked and what didn't, and of course, the weather. All this might tell them something about the future.

But McDonald's Owners have a more difficult task as 2025 ends, due to a vast unknown - the potential damage caused by new McDonald's stores.

No one knows how many new USA stores might be opened in 2026. A few hundred might make sense. Any number nearing 1,000 would be insanity.

The smaller number would only impact a limited number of existing stores. A larger number would eliminate any hope of positive same-store sales nationally in 2026 and beyond. And we know who pays the price when same-store sales are soft.

When I say no one knows how many new stores will be opened, I mean NO ONE. The corporation lacks the systemic memory needed to locate and open worthwhile restaurants. As Anonymous disclosed, they are relying on commercial real estate brokers who have no skin in the game (except for their commission). Local governments have gotten tougher than ever, especially on drive-thrus. They don't seem to mind when a brand is adding a new outlet to restaurant row, but when a new restaurant is proposed in virgin territory, the locals turn out with pitchforks. 

So when PJB and his crew can say they are going to build new at Main St and Main Ave., they are going to get a lot of surprises. Some nearby Owner/Operators will be disappointed, some will be thrilled that they might not be impacted.

That's why 2026 projections are difficult. No one knows how many new stores will open in the next few years, regardless of what PJB told President Trump at their recent meeting. Neither of them knows anything about locating new McDonald's stores.

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Sub Par Margins

Subway's loyalty "Sub Club" a loser for franchisees

Ending the Year on a Flippant Note

Meet your new business advisor - Mr. Hunter Biden!

One of America's leading cokeheads hallucinates about what it's like to run a McDonald's

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Fun with organized labor - These McDonald's employees have been striking because the Oakland, CA McDonald's they work at is set to close soon. What good is a strike if the business won't be there next week? This is simply a union publicity stunt. It gets humorous when the strikers expect another McDonald's to hire them.

Employees strike against the Oakland McDonald's that is scheduled to close.

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I wish it were possible to own a local business and also be involved in electoral politics, but in North Carolina...

Protestors to boycott McDonald's operated by Congressman and Owner/Operator Chuck Edwards 

Big Beautiful Tax Changes?

Changes affecting restaurants in 2025 tax returns - NRN

Take It Easy

I find the meme about the Arizona Meteor Crater especially funny because I've been there 15 or 20 times. A big chunk of my time with McDonald's corporate was spent visiting and opening new stores in dusty western towns along the freeways in Arizona and New Mexico. The crater was a good place to stop, stretch your legs, and refill the thermos. Or, if I had a traveling partner, they always wanted to see the crater.

So, yeah, that was me standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.

Wall Street Doesn't Like Restaurants

Investors know what corporate managements won't admit - there are too many restaurants - RestBus