4-Stop Valley Tour

Stop #1: Ilion, NYThe McChronicles team took advantage of a sunny, warm February Sunday and toured what is known as "The Valley". "The Valley" is generally considered a subset of the Mohawk Valley and includes the communities along the Mohawk River, between Utica and St. Johnsville.First stop, Ilion, NY.Quality: Unacceptable (a very rare case where food was returned for replacement)Service: Online Time - 0.50 minutes, Order Wait - 1.00 minutes (no...

Read More

Stop #2: Herkimer, NYQuality: Poor (crushed and misshaped sandwich, really bad wrapping/preparation)Service: Online Time - 0.25 minutes, Order Wait - 1.75 minutes: Yes, 1.75 minutes for a burger - with no one else online!Cleanliness: muddy floor, really unclean detailsTheme: NASCARThe old Herkimer location (we are going back many, many years) was our favorite. It had awesome consistency. The new location is far superior, but quality is falling. We...

Read More

We really hated seeing the grubby floor and trim at the base of our seating area. It was clear that this was a chronic issue - not just a temporary thing. We guessed that, if the management let the messy food go over the counter, then the messy floor must be OK, too. Well, it's not Ok with the McChronicles. Y...

Read More

Stop #3: Little Falls, NYQuality: Great (Apple Dippers are awesome!)Service: Online Time - 0.00 minutes, Order Wait - 0.00 minutesCleanliness: floor unswept, several unclean tablesTheme: NoneWe were stunned to see (upon entering the store) a McDonald's employee (apparently a manager, based on dress) eating a full Subway meal which was spread out over two tables - right in front of the order area. We got the message! The McChronicles was extremely...

Read More

The McChronicles took this opportunity to check out the Apple Dippers. They were served extremely fast, and tasted great. One of our team thought that $1 is a lot to pay for some apple slices. Their point of reference was "as compared to a grocery store price". After a brief discussion of the value of this item as a part of a family's purchase (especially when considering what else one might buy for their kids while on a visit to McDonald's) we all...

Read More

Last Stop (#4): NYS Thruway Schuyler Rest AreaCLEANLINESS: excellentTHEME: none notedThis restaurant was really clean! And the staff looked great. Since the Schuyler rest area building is relatively small, this McDonald's seems to "own" the place (once a person gets indoors). The McChronicles felt great vibes he...

Read More

Something is Fishy!

McChronicles fan "Scott" submitted this drive-by shot (no doubt taken with his DANGER Hip Top) of the South Utica (Genesee St.) restaurant. He rates it "unique" due to the cool fish tank that sits in the middle of the dining room.We do have an eclectic collection of McDonald's decors in the Utica ar...

Read More

Rome New York McDonald's Tour

The McChronicles spent 90 minutes on a whirlwind tour of Rome, NY's 3 McDonald's. Each store is unique in design as well as in experience. It seemed a great way to wrap up the FREE Chicken Selects give-away program. With a couple of teenage boys in tow (to help us evaluate things), we set out for adventure.STOP 1: Rome, NY's Black River Boulevard McDonald's. Awesome interior!Rome's Black River Boulevard (Route 46) earned top praise for its decor.The...

Read More

This store looks great inside. It earned our "best-loved motif and decor of the tour (and of the CNY region)" awa...

Read More

Just aweso...

Read More

The rich-appearing woodwork, coupled with the historic regional photographs, really gives this McDonald's a classy feel. The McChronicles gives a big nod of respect to the team that created this desi...

Read More

Stop 2:

Finding the Rome, NY McDonald's.Rome, NY's Wal Mart McDonald's (elusi...

Read More

Extensive signage is required to guide us to the McDonald's. That can't be go...

Read More

Where the heck is ...

Read More

The Rome Wal Mart McDonald's was a real disappointment (once we found it). Here you can see the sample girl in action. This was the biggest disappointment of the trip - and of the entire FREE Chicken Selects event. The girl shoved the samples into our hands - and had NOTHING to say at all. After we all got our samples we were confronted with the "communal dipping sauce experience". The store was expecting all sampling customers to use one sauce -...

Read More

Stop 3:

Rome's Erie Boulevard West (Westgate) McDonald'sOnline Time: 0.50 minuites Order Wait: 1.50 minutes Quality: GoodThis store has an interesting "metal works" theme and a traditional Play Place. We had to BEG for the FREE Chicken Selects. Once we got the girl to serve one of us, she totally disappeared (to the mild amazement of her coworkers who were asked to finish our sampling).We never like seeing a worker dressed inappropriately. In this...

Read More

Speed It Up Yorkville!

Online: 0.25 minutes Order Wait: 2.00 minutes Quality: Very GoodThe McChronicles dropped in to the Yorkville, NY store for a quick lunch and to see how day 3 of the FREE Chicken Selects was going.Chicken Selects (Day 3):The same young lady from day 1 was on duty - still as chipper as ever. The food was great.Lunch:We remain extremely disappointed that it takes so long to purchase one hamburger. As we review our recent transaction history (and as we recall the previous experiences that inspired The McChronicles) it is this precise issue that disappoints....

Read More

Lincoln Fry Finds A Home

Yahoo! News reports that the Lincoln Fry was purchased by GoldenPalace.com for $75,100. The Fry will reside with GoldenPalace.com's other edible investment, the $29,000 Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Of cour...

Read More

Miss McDonald?

Say It Isn't So! Bizarre thoughts of Barbie and Ken come to mind when the concept of Ronald AND a MISS McDonald come together. Our guess, based on info in her blog profile, is that she is a fan in the Philippines who has gone a bit too far. This HAS to be a crime.Thanks to our friends at the FastFoodWeblog in the Netherlands for making us aware of th...

Read More

EXTREME DISAPPOINTMENT

On the 15th (three days ago) the McChronicles was surprised to find McDonald's online feedback system broken down. Upon revisitation (today) the same results occurred. Granted, few people possess the same zealousness as we do, but isn't that the point? I'll try again - the average customer will just give up.Maybe no one really cares about customer feedback. We hope not. After all, we're out here, we want McDonald's to be awesome, and we're offering up suggestio...

Read More

Washington Mills, NY McDonald's: Cool Play Place This Play Place is unlike any we've ever seen before (not that we've seen them all). The "pit" concept lets parents keep an eye on the action at a safe distance. We've seen many a birthday party in this room in our da...

Read More

Day 2: Free Chicken Selects

Washington Mills, NY McDonald's Online: 2.25 minutes Order Wait: 2.25 minutes Quality: Very GoodThe McChronicles hit the Washington Mills McDonald's at 1:30PM today to look the store over and to see how Day 2 of the Free Chicken Selects program was playing out there. It was good. The cramped line area was clearly the domain of the sample woman. She had the same set up as the girl did yesterday (in Yorkville) - but was much busier and had no time...

Read More

Free Chicken Selects Program

Online: -0.00 minutes (wow!) Order Wait: 0.00 minutes Quality: Great!Today was the first day of McDonald's FREE Chicken Selects give-away. We were very interested to see how it was going to play out (and how the product tastes since I had never tasted it before). We dropped by the Yorkville, NY restaurant and entered the store wondering just how this was all going to go down. Would we have to BEG for the free sample? Would the workers know of the program? Would we have to buy something to get something for free?As we opened the door, even before...

Read More

Cleanliness & Functionality

Yorkville, NY Men's Room SinkI am always wary of even entering public rest rooms. They are often pretty scary places. They can be dirty, messy, and disfunctional. The Yorkville, NY men's room looked "fair" today, but it could really use some improvements. The biggest problem was that the soap dispenser isn't quite working properly. The McChronicles would love to see a clean (and well-maintained) new sink with a faucet that doesn't force a person...

Read More

Golden Arches: Golden Anniversary

50 Years of McDonald's! Where's The Party?According to the McDonald's website: "Ray Kroc opened the Des Plaines restaurant in 1955. " So, am I the only one wondering 'where's the party?'.Now, we all know that McDonald's is celebrating by building a new restaurant in Chicago. But what about the rest of us who can't make it to the grand opening?As an avid fan and "customer evangelist" I would LOVE to see a Worldwide 50th Anniversary Party - celebrated at every store. It could last one month (April - the month Ray Kroc founded the company) and feature...

Read More

FREE!

Don't be Chicken, EAT Chicken.According to a USA TODAY story posted on Yahoo! News, McDonald's plans to hand out free Chicken Selects samples until Sunday, February 20th, 2005. Get 'em while they're h...

Read More

Local Boy Does Good

Native Utican, Tim Fenton, Named President of McDonald's Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Afri...

Read More

The Utica Observer Dispatch (our paper) just printed an awesome story about a former Utica resident who is really high in the McDonald's ranks. The McChronicles subscribes to the OD, so we didn't have to buy the online version. According to the February 15th, 2005 edition of the OD's "Career Builder" insert magazine, "Timothy Fenton, a native Utican, has been named president of McDonald's Asia, Pacific, Middle East, and Africa".When I went online to make a link for this posting, all I could find was a story about him from 2003. I hope you have...

Read More

DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE MAKING:

1) A great idea (an online customer feedback form) in the process of being completed ...

Read More

2) The McChronicles is Ready to Submit the Form ...

Read More

3) Heartbre...

Read More

DISAPPOINTMENT

On the investor relations part of the McDonald's website they offer us a customer feedback form. The McChronicles thought this was kind of cool, though unlikely to be used too much by real customers.I diligently completed the form, pushed "Submit" and was surprised to be informed that, though they were thankful for my "thoughtful input", they were not really accepting it.What a disappointment - something so potentially good plays out to be much less than offered, or what I had hoped it would be. Kind of a metaphor for my recent experiences at McDonald's.I'll...

Read More

McChronicles Hits The Wal (Mart): exterior of Utica's Riverside Center Wal Mart McDonald's. A jumble of vending machines, carts, Wal Mart shoppers, and mo...

Read More

The McChronicles Grabs an Image of the interior of Wal Mart McDonald's in Utica's Riverside Center. Slow business and slow servi...

Read More

McChronicles Hits The Wal (Mart)

Online: 0.00 minutes Order Wait: 1.50 minutes Quality: Very GoodThe Riverside Center Wal Mart McDonald's in North Utica is one of the "strangest" McD's in our region. It is strange because it is new (Wal Mart just remodeled into a Super Center), it is small, and it is contained within another company's business.The McChronicles' first reaction during this visit was that the bank of vending machines in Wal Mart, just outside McDonald's detracted from the view and image of the store. Additionally, the unruly melee of abandoned Wal Mart shopping carts...

Read More

McDonald's Museum & Store #1: I'd love to visit. Compare this picture to the shot (below) of Utica, NY's Old School sto...

Read More

McDonald's Museum & Store #1

Check out this website about a very cool place to visit.From the site: "McDonald's Corporation held onto the patch of property west of Chicago where franchise Store #1 once stood; Ray Kroc first opened for business there on April 15, 1955. It was demolished and replaced in 1984 by a modern McD's, still in operation. The company's PR big wigs finally realized they had a history to preserve, so they constructed a complete replica of Store #1 right across the street in Des Plaines." Check it o...

Read More

A Self-Driven Man

My high-school son had his first self-driven McDonald's Drive-Thru experience recently. The McChronicles was there to capture the momentous occasi...

Read More

Behind the wheel - final...

Read More

McScursion

McScursion: My high school son and I spent a few days in Manhattan last summer. Of course, we secured a hotel right next to the Times Square McDonald's. The store is great (with the exception of having to watch the workers roll the supplies down flights of stairs. I don't want my napkins handled like that right in front of my eyes). It was a very, very fun trip for both of us....

Read More

McScursion 2: The theater-themed Times Square restaurant in NYC is really fun. Multiple stories, customers from all over the world, and the Big Apple waiting at the door....

Read More

McScursion 3: an awesome bank of flat-panel LCDs greets the customers in the Times Square, NYC McDonald's....

Read More

Drive-Thru View

This is the presentation that the New Hartford, NY McDonald's gives to their public at the critical moment - when we pay. I believe they can do better....

Read More

Drive-Thru Experience

Online: 0.75 minutes Order Wait: 3.50 minutes Quality: GreatMy high school son and I were out driving and we swung through the Route 5 New Hartford drive-thru. McDonald's is having the same "issue" repeatedly: it takes a really long time to deliver food after an order is placed.Didn't they recently invest a huge amount of money to speed things up? Hasn't anyone considered planting a few 19-year-olds at Wendy's to figure out how they get my food ready before I have time to put my change in my pocket?Working in front of an unsightly backdrop including...

Read More

Mohawk Street McDonald's: East Utica, NY&nb...

Read More

Mohawk St.: The McChronicles says "Nice!"

Online: NA Order Wait: NA Quality: NAI wasn't hungry but I dropped into the Mohawk St., Utica, NY McDonald's after visiting some friends in East Utica. The site is one of my old stomping grounds as I lived near the restaurant while going to college. You can imagine the types of memories made at that time in my life. There have been numerous changes to the site over the past many years.A quick walk-through revealed a clean and tidy dining room, with a supervisor working on making things even cleaner. The whole store has a slightly-tired but nice...

Read More

The McChronicles Weighs In (again) on the Lincoln Fry

I was recently asked by Diva Marketing's Toby Bloomberg to weigh in on the whole "Lincoln Fry" ad, website, faux blog issue. Here is my reply:Toby,Stefan and Kenny provided what I feel is a balanced and mature review of the situation on the Armchair Media site.Two main issues come to my mind:1. it would be criminal for McDonald’s to NOT attempt to promote themselves in a manner that suits their product, market niche, and customers.2. there is an extreme level of criticality towards McDonald’sThe result seems to be that most everything the company...

Read More

A "Customer Evangelist"? Guess I Am!

None other than the American Marketing Association has commented on The McChronicles. And leave it to one of my favorite organizations to describe me as "a customer evangelist" . After all these years of loving, observing, having my heart broken by, and still loving McDonald's (and ranting to anyone who would listen) I think that the description fits.The AMA is staging a series of awesome seminars on blogging, if you're interested. Organized by Toby Bloomberg, these events are really helpful - and they put you face-to-face with some of the world's...

Read More

North Utica "Old School" Restaurant&nb...

Read More

Utica's Old School McDonald's

Online: 0.00 minutes Order Wait: 2.50 minutes Quality: Perfect!No one was on line when I entered - I was waited on immediately. I placed my simple order and had to wait for 2.5 minutes. Only two other customers ordered behind me. I wonder why it took so darn long?Then the fun started. I self-served my soda and tried to grab a few napkins. The napkin dispenser was filled so full that the napkins were completely jammed. Every time I tried to pull one out, the dispenser drawer fell out and the napkin ripped. Next I tried to grab a cover for my drink....

Read More

What's YOUR McDensity?

My wife and I set out to make a home-made map (see below). We were surprised with how long it took us to come up with all the restaurants in our area (we failed to consider those on the NYS Thruway, the McDonald's in Wal Mart, etc.). It turns out there are about 20 restaurants in our vicinity.After all that brain-wracking we found that McDonald's and MapPoint offer a tool to help you locate the McDonald's in a certain area. You just type in the locale and a map is made in seconds.When we plugged our ZIP code into the MapPoint tool we were stunned...

Read More

Home-made Map of all the McDonald's in the Utica Area (thanks MapQuest)

A McDonald's-Rich Environment: Click on map to enlarge.&nb...

Read More

Yorkville, NY Restaurant

Yorkville, NY McDonald's createSummaryAndThumb("summary1008761184855326760...

Read More

Posted in | No comments

The McChronicles Are NOT Lovin' It

Online: 2.00 minutes Order Wait: 0.75 minutes Quality: Very GoodThe Yorkville, NY (Route 5A) McDonald's is, in my opinion, the worst of the Utica-area restaurants. It epitomizes much of what breaks my heart about McD's. And that is the topic of today's McChronicles.Issue #1: With only one person in line in front of me, I still had to wait 2 minutes to place my order. I wondered why they wouldn't open a second register, but not for long. Issue #2: Someone in the back yelled forward, inquiring about the whereabouts of the person missing from register...

Read More