McDonald's Egg Nog Shake

Like the Shamrock Shake, McDonald's Egg Nog Shake is a seasonal treat with a limited availability.The McChronicles has discussed the Egg Nog Shake before, with regards to spotty availability. Last evening, while others were migrating en masse to the malls, The McChronicles navigated HEAVY holiday traffic to experience the 2008 Egg Nog product.Availability: we pulled into our closest local McDonald's (no "Egg Nog Shake" promo on the exterior) and...

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O.C. Register's Nancy Luna Investigates McDonald's Farm & Factories

Nancy Luna, good friend of The McChronicles, fast food maven blogger, and reporter for Orange County California's O.C. Register, just released a two-part series that explores one-each of the farms and factories responsible for McDonald's foods. We just finished reviewing the stories and slide shows - and The McChronicles loves it! Great job, Nancy.In Part 1, "Fresh Buns: How Does McDonald's Get Them?", Nancy visits Brea, California-based Fresh Start...

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McDonalds.com/QualityFood

If you are interested in the quality of McDonald's food (everyone SHOULD be interested in the quality of the food they eat), then do spend 5 minutes at www.mcdonalds.com/qualityfood.This website offers up all sorts of info about various products. For example, The McChronicles drilled down into the chicken sandwich and was presented with a Q&A session that informed us, "First, we fry the breaded all white meat chicken strips in our Canola...

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Gibson, PA McDonald's

The McChronicles was in Gibson, Pennsylvania today (or were we in New Milford? - both cities are listed on the receipt). Anyway, this regular McDonald's store is right off US Interstate Highway 81 in northeast PA.store #: 28453city: Gibson, Pennsylvaniaorder:McDouble $1.00Small Fries $1.00Water free (in cup)The store is handy (easy access to the interstate) and pretty "standard looking" as approached from the parking lot. As we entered,...

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McDonald's McDouble: Part 2 (more info - slightly)

The McChronicles couldn't let it sit. Fueled by the several comments at our previous posting on The McDouble (thanks everyone!), we went to the next McDonald's down the road (New Hartford, NY: store #825) to see how they rolled out the McDouble. It wasn't expected to be a big difference since they are both owned by the same man.Anyway, we noted that everything, including the price, was the same, the McDouble is on the dollar menu. What we DID notice...

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McDouble! McDonald's Newest Product.

The McChronicles dropped by McDonald's today for lunch and detected a change to the Dollar Menu.Missing was the double cheeseburger, replacing it was the new McDouble. The McDouble is a double cheeseburger with only one slice of cheese. The McChronicles was told by the crew at the Clinton, NY McDonald's (store #2499) that the McDouble was launched yesterday, December 1st.According to speculation on bloggingstocks, "One possibility is that McDonald's...

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Happy Thanksgiving! McDonald's-style

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is where The McChronicles found Ronald McDonald today.According to the show's announcers, the Ronald McDonald balloon weighs 375 pounds and requires 55 people to keep it on the right path.The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.Image: daylife....

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HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON from The McChronicles!!!

Let's kick off this holiday season with a spirited celebration of McDonald's!Here is what you get when you mix ElfYourself with McDonald's.Send your own ElfYourself eCardsThe McChronicles CAN'T WAIT to hear your COMMENTS ...The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.Video: ElfYourself and JibJ...

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McDonald's Monopoly Game

The McChronicles just wrapped up another losing season of the McDonald's Monopoly game. The best we've ever done is to score some free fries.Here is our unsuccessful game board and a McDonald's sign with an unfortunate typo on it. We would think that there would be a little quality control on the signs for a major promo program (not that WE haven't typo'd before ourselves).Maybe next year!The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.Images:...

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Quarter Pounder: The Store! (part 2)

The McChronicles recently reported on a very focused store called QUARTER POUNDER. This very unique McDonald's has only two items on the menu: quarter pounder with cheese and double quarter pounder with cheese (you can also buy fries and beverages). There are 2 QUARTER POUNDERs, both in Tokyo.Readers wanted to know WHAT? and WHY? So, The McChronicles investigated. Here is what we learned.According to a plugged-in McDonald's insider, "This is creative...

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McDonald's Supports People In Need

"... McDonald's has always had an understanding that charity is a good way to build good will. For the most part, it comports itself with dignity, very rarely discussing its charitable endeavors, most notably Ronald McDonald House."This is a quote from Bob Garfield, advertising critic and editor-at-large with Advertising Age. More on this subject can be read in an interesting article appearing in QSR Magazine.The article goes on to cite McDonald's...

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Attention McNugget Lovers

Today, McDonald’s launched www.nuggnuts.com , an online fan community dedicated to honoring the devoted fans of McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. The site launched this morning to pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of the popular menu item. Fans will have the opportunity to show why they deserve a coveted spot in the Nuggnuts Hall of Fame, learn the official McNuggets pledge, and purchase exclusive Nuggnuts apparel. Two of the five individuals www.Nuggnuts.com...

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Quarter Pounder: The Store!

Apparently there is a McDonald's restaurant in Tokyo, Japan called QUARTER POUNDER that sells only two items:Quarter Pounder with cheeseDouble Quarter Pounder with cheeseThe first image is a grab from the QUARTER POUNDER store website.The second image is a grab from broccolicity.com website, where The McChronicles first heard of this interesting concept.From what we're able to gather, if you're in Tokyo, head to Omotesando Shibuya East and you'll...

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McDonald's International Media Days 2008: Review

The McChronicles was offered a tremendous opportunity to experience McDonald's International Media Days 2008. What a better way to bring interesting information to the "customers" who are the very heart of our mission: "Chronicling the McDonald's Brand Experience From The Customers' Point Of View." We seized the chance and did our best to both experience the event and share it all with you in seven separate postings (one, two, three, four, five,...

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McDonald's International Media Days 2008 (Day 3, Part 2)

This posting will wrap up The McChronicles experience at McDonald's International Media Days 2008. It was an incredibly rich 3 days of information, accessibility to people, and insight. Here is how it concluded.After we departed McDonald's advertising agency, DDB, where we learned of the two latest corporate initiatives, we headed to the McDonald's 50th Anniversary Restaurant located at 600 N. Clark St., in Chicago. It is a pretty special restaurant...

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McDonald's International Media Days 2008 (Day 3, Part 1)

This morning The McChronicles was at the offices of DDB, one of McDonald's advertising agencies, for two very special announcements - and for a very special surprise.McDonald's Chief Marketing Officer, Mary Dillon, introduced these items this morning:a McDonald's tie-in to the Upcoming Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa movie, complete with a new slogannew global McDonald's packaging - with an emphasis on the productMADAGASCAR: Escape 2 AfricaBeyond the...

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McDonald's International Media Days 2008 (Day 2, Part 3)

Day 2 of McDonald's International Media Days was FULL of interesting information and insights. In the afternoon The McChronicles was able to meet with Chef Dan Coudreaut, Corporate Chef, USA, in his test kitchen. Dan was accompanied by several vendor partners who (along with several other vendors) share in the development, testing, and inventiveness. Chef Dan stressed that creating new McDonald's menu items is a team effort. Some of the vendors were...

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McRib Update: A SPECIAL REPORT from The McChronicles While At McDonald's International Media Days 2008

The McChronicles receives numerous requests for information related to The McRib. People ask:Where is the McRib?Why is it back?Where did it go?Why does it come and go?What the ...?and, occasionally, "There IS a McRib?"The McChronicles promised to seek the answers - and for this risky assignment we went straight to the top. Today The McChronicles held a face-to-face discussion with McDonald's Debra McDaniel, the Senior Director of U.S. Menu Management...

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McDonald's International Media Days 2008 (Day 2, Part 2)

Next up on Day 2 of McDonald's International Media Days 2008 was Senior Director, U.S. Restaurant Design, Max Carmona who outlined the company's Green Building Strategy. And, if you think this is just about the building, you will be surprised.But, speaking of buildings ... did you know?:there are 14,000 McDonald's restaurants in the U.S.there are 31,000 McDonald's restaurants in the world.the concept of a "Green Restaurant" has been under development...

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McDonald's International Media Days 2008 (Day 2, Part 1)

The McChronicles enjoyed an excellent Day 2 of McDonald's International Media Days 2008.This morning started out with a presentation on McDonald's Strategic Beverage Initiative. Speaking was Mr. Lee Renz, Vice President of U.S. National Beverage Strategy (top image). Mr.Lenz stated that it is McDonald's goal to become, "a beverage destination". In addition to the company's carbonated and bottled beverages, and the shakes, coffees, etc., McDonald's...

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McDonald's International Media Days 2008 (Day 1, Part 2)

The second part of our first day of McDonald's International Media Days (see part of McDonald's International Media Days 2008) was much less formal and a lot more hands-on. And since it was getting to be about that time, The McChronicles is talking about hands on LUNCH!Today's lunch was served in McDonald's ultra-top secret "Innovation Center". Seriously, this place has such limited access that many of ther McDonald's staff that accompanied The McChronicles...

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