Glenn Beck was talking today (It’s Friday) about the changes at McDonalds and how stupid it is for them to try to go “upscale” and leave Ronald McDonald and assembly line meals behind.<\/p>\n
I don’t get out much any more, so I’m a little bit insulated from what is going on – but about a week ago, I read a long story about how Wendy’s is trying to reinvent itself to compete with McDonalds, now that Dave Thomas is long dead and they’re adrift (kind of like Disney after Walt Disney died)<\/p>\n
Both Burger King and Wendy’s have gone through several private equity owners, who know nothing about the food busines – all they know is spreadsheets, comparable unit sales and focus groups.\u00a0\u00a0 To them, people are just interchangeable parts, like a bin of hammers, just they’re “human resources”.<\/p>\n
As it turns out, McDonalds is crushing the other two.<\/span>\u00a0 McDonalds\u00a0 now has about 49% of the U.S. burger market.\u00a0\u00a0 Chains like Five Guys are really starting to eat into the market share of the big three.\u00a0 Wendy’s and Burger King now have only about 10% shares.\u00a0\u00a0 McDonalds continues to be owned as a publicly traded company.<\/p>\n I went to Wendy’s today shortly after 11 AM to try out their new super burger, which is on a better bun that is toasted, and they’re back to using full-fat mayonnaise and have dropped mustard as a normal condiment. \u00a0 People want iceburg lettuce, not leaf lettuce (I agree)….\u00a0\u00a0 The beef patties are the same weight, but thicker.<\/p>\n Wendy’s lost me for the most part when they caved to the USDA rules on thoroughly cooking meat.\u00a0\u00a0 They now cook them so long (and apparently they press down on the burger 8 times – a no-no for a good burger) that you have a dry tasteless piece of nothing.<\/p>\n It turns out, I apparently had the new burger about a week ago.\u00a0\u00a0 I noticed at the time it seemed like the slices of cheese had been replaced by some orange gooey stuff that was tasteless and colored orange.\u00a0\u00a0 One of the things they’re trying to do is to squeeze out costs without harming the product and justifying increases in the prices of the meals.\u00a0\u00a0 They’ve failed.<\/p>\n I’ve written before about my experience at Burger King with them carrying only fat free milk, and they just plain don’t care what I want as a customer.\u00a0\u00a0 There is never anyone in there eating.\u00a0\u00a0 The chain is now owned by some P\/E firm based in Brazil, I think.<\/p>\n All together now:<\/p>\n “Hold the Pickle, Hold the lettuce – special orders don’t upset us, all we ask is that you let us serve it your way….\u00a0 at Burger King, have it your way…. at Burger King…. Have it your way….”\u00a0\u00a0 I’ve been known to hum that tune inside the place…<\/p>\n