la.foodblogging

Greetings again!

I’m currently working on an analysis of McDonald’s restaurants, which is a popular subject in business school. My project even requires me to go to a few McDonald’s in the area and sample the menu. Isn’t it nice to have projects where the purpose is to eat? Okay, so there’s a little more to the project than that… I’m looking at the quality of the food, menu price, the service of the staff, how long it takes me to get my order, etc. This got me thinking about all the changes McDonald’s has gone through, especially after the Super Size Me movie.

McDonald’s has taken multiple steps in recent years to improve its image and quality of food. This includes throwing money at Justin Timberlake to come up with the “I’m Lovin’ It” ditty, renovating its website to promote physical activities, focusing on healthier food options, and coming up with gourmet coffee to compete with Starbucks. I’m just curious… Are you guys buying it? Is there any reason at all why you would choose McDonald’s over In-N-Out or Fatburgers for your cheeseburgers and fries? Does McDonald’s salad commercials make you want to at least try it? In fact, with all the great restaurants in LA, how often do you even go to a McDonald’s for food?

One reason why I used to go to McDonald’s is because it is just so convenient. Hungry on the way to work? Stop at the drive-thru for some hotcakes and hash browns. No time for a full lunch? Walk across the street and pick up something quick. Honestly, I eat at McDonald’s only about 10 times a year. I try to avoid it because I always get tempted to order the deep fried greasy stuff there. I walk in with the intention to be good and get a grilled chicken salad or sandwich, but I can never walk away with just that. I either add small fries or a hot fudge sundae (or sometimes both!) to my supposedly healthy order. For me, I notice the new campaigns McDonald’s put out, but they don’t make me want to run out to McDonald’s. What are your thoughts?

By Pauline (see more of her posts).