Business Mon Mar 26 2007

McDonald's In the News

McDonald's, our local neighborhood fast food shack, is in the news again — aw hell, when is it not? In what will likely become a recurring series, here's a run-down of the latest coverage from the media and blogosphere:

• The Trib has a cozy profile of Mary Dillon, the company's chief marketing officer, featuring one of the longest headlines I've ever seen.

• McDonald's is investing about Rs.30 million (that's rupies; about $680k) in upgrading delivery service in India. (Amazingly, about a billion people can call one toll-free phone number — 66-000-666 — to have fries and a shake delivered.)

• The anticipated McAngus third-pound burger is revealed, and in a surprise move McDonald's is testing it in California instead of the Midwest.

• And in Saratoga Springs, one franchisee is testing an upscale restaurant design.

Not all the coverage is so rosy, though.

• McD's wants the OED to soften its definition of "McJob." The company doesn't think "an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects, especially one created by the expansion of the service sector" is really so fitting. The rest of the world begs to differ.

• Meanwhile, Al Nye the lawyer guy asks, "so what's really in a McNugget?"

• And the fast food giant is wading into the Cola Wars, testing offering Coke fountain products and Pepsi non-carbonated drinks in some stores in Texas and Kansas City.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (0)